‘’Bolero’

 

‘Bolero’ was one of the first roses that I put in the garden. I planted it in a raised bed backed by rosemary, and the combination initially looked great, the rosemary was a dark background to show off the white flowers in front. ‘Bolero’ produced lovely fragrant flowers. But the raised bed with sandy-rocky soil drained too well and water just ran through. I tried adjusting the irrigation emitters, the timing, the frequency, the duration. I tried digging in clay and organic material. The rosemary grew and began to crowd the roses and was a much better water scavenger than the roses. This year, ‘Bolero’ has looked horrible. So either the rosemary or ‘Bolero’ will have to go. Since it has always been ‘Bolero’ that has struggled in this location, it is the one that will go. It is very sad, but part of the evolution of the garden.