So, the bad new is, I’ve killed Tilde. I have only my own haughtiness to blame — I took the poor plant out of the garage too soon.
In my own defense, it had repeatedly tried to leaf out, despite the cold and complete darkness… and this variety is cold hardy, so wasn’t one of the types I expected to have to baby. I just assumed it wanted out of confinement. In a similar sized pot as Eugène de Beauharnais and my “baby” Claire Austin, it seemed fine until a week ago, even as those other two continue to leaf out. I’m sure our completely upside down weather had something to do with it.
Now I’m faced with a new quandary. While Tilde was stunningly beautiful and intensely fragrant, it was not my favorite fragrance, tending to be too powdery for my tastes. Do I replace it with a new Tilde clone, or instead try something new from the long list of varieties on my backup list — perhaps an old tea, a china, a hybrid perpetual?
What would you do? I’d love some input. Feel free to comment on the Facebook page or send a message here.