Rose plants FAQs
Roses are quintessential cottage garden plants. Their lovely colours and fragrance evoke that perfect English summer. Climbing roses like ‘Peach Melba’ and ‘Climbing Masquerade’ provide gorgeous height and structure trailing over trellis or climbing an archway in the garden. Famous for their gorgeous scent and double petalled blousy heads, whether a repeat flowering floribunda, a trained formal rose standard or a large flowered hybrid tea, you’ll never regret including a rose plant in your garden.
When is the best time to plant roses?
The best time to plant bare root roses is during the autumn and winter. Planting during its dormancy gives the rose plant time to establish healthy root growth during the winter months and support healthy top growth in spring. Alternatively, buy your rose as a container grown plant in leaf to plant anytime of the year. Just make sure that all risk of frost has passed.
How to plant roses
As soon as you receive your container rose plant, take it out of its wrapping, place in a sunny spot and give it a good drink. If you received bare root plants, place them into a bucket with water to soak for 24 hrs before planting. Dig a deep and wide planting hole, mixing in a few handfuls of fish blood and bone. Place the rose into the hole so that the juncture between root and stem is flush with the soil surface. Firm the soil around the roots and water your rose well to settle the soil around the roots before adding a thick layer of well rotted manure as a mulch.
How to prune roses
Make sure you prune your rose bush in early spring. Focus on freeing the centre by removing any inward facing branches, and then on removing dead, diseased or dying stems and foliage. Remember to always use clean, sharp snips to make clean cuts and avoid passing disease between plants. As you prune, cut each branch you want to remove back to an outward facing bud, making an angular cut around one centimetres above the bud. Dispose of the twiggy cut material in your green waste bin.
