Anyone who loves flowers will choose roses for their garden or balcony. And, by making a smart choice from the assortment, you can have roses in bloom from May until well into autumn. Their long flowering period is unique. Enjoy the beauty of roses all season long!
Until frost
Roses can be classified into three groups depending on the flowering period of roses: single flush, repeat flowering and perpetually flowering. Roses in the first group flower profusely for a number of weeks. Next are the roses that produce a first flush of flowers, take a break, and then give you an encore. Meanwhile, the perpetually flowering roses just keep on blooming all through the season. Although the frost usually makes an end to their long flowering period, you might be lucky enough to spot a few stray roses blooming in the middle of winter.
Encouraging the flowering period of roses
Producing gorgeous flowers year in, year out takes a little doing. This means that fertilising your rose plants is a must for a lavish display. The best times to apply an organic fertiliser are in March, June and mid-July. Stop fertilising after mid-July, however, so that your roses will be properly hardened off in preparation for winter. You can also encourage longer flowering by frequently removing spent flowers. This will keep your plants investing their energy in producing new flower buds. Many rose plants also need to be pruned in the spring to ensure proper growth and flowering. More information and inspiration as well as tips for pruning and fertilising are available at www.roses4gardens.nl.
Interesting facts about roses
- The variation in roses is enormous: from single-flowered roses as tiny as the tip of your little finger to double-flowered roses the size of your fist.
- In addition to white, pink and red roses, there are yellow, orange, purple and even coffee-coloured and striped varieties.
- The fragrance of roses ranges from sweet as honey to pungently spicy.
- You can also dry rose petals: you’ll have time enough to make your own potpourri!
