Garden rose: enjoy enduring beauty for years to come
Whether it’s extremely dry or wet, roses bloom tirelessly. With a bit of love and attention, they will last for decades. These useful tips will help you enjoy beautiful roses in your garden year after year, in a fantastic range of sizes and lovely colours.
Extreme conditions
Roses will continue to bloom magnificently in gardens even after prolonged dry or hot periods. The secret? Roses have deep roots, which enables them to withstand extreme conditions as long as the soil isn’t too wet for too long. The oldest rose is probably the one growing against the cathedral in Hildesheim, Germany. It is estimated to be as much as 700 years old. During the Second World War, the cathedral was destroyed by a fire but the rose (Rosa canina, a wild rose) survived the blaze.
Tips & tricks
- For good growth and flowering, plant roses in a spot that gets at least 4 hours of sun and sufficient water-permeable soil.
- Water them during the initial period after planting to allow the plant to settle.
- On drier soils, apply a mulch layer of organic matter (e.g. leaves or compost) of about 5 cm thick to keep the soil from drying out too quickly and improve the soil structure.
- Most roses need pruning to maintain their shape. For example, shrub roses should be pruned back to 5 – 7 centimetres above the ground every spring.
- Fertilise them in spring with organic rose manure and do it again in June and July.
- During an extended dry period, the groundwater can drop and cause the root hairs to dry out and the leaves to wither. If this happens, water the roses generously – preferably in the morning.
- Potted roses need water a little more often, as the soil dries out more quickly.
- Do not fertilise after August, so your roses are properly hardened off heading into the winter.
