Garden with rose-tinted glasses
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION: DON’T HESITATE TO TRANSPLANT IF THE PLANT NEEDS IT
Gardens can encroach on rose beds that were once perfectly positioned.
It is easy to see when a rose is happy. It seems to grow and flower effortlessly. The reverse is also true and a struggling rose is usually a very miserable specimen. Even in the rose world it is all about location, location, location. A rose that is in the right position, where it receives plenty of sunshine (at least six hours), and doesn’t have to compete with nearby plants for water and food, seems to weather all the challenges, including drought.
Sometimes we take chances and plant a rose in a spot where we know there isn’t enough sun. Mostly, however, the garden overtakes the rose. Trees grow and shrubs cast shade and encroach on rose beds that were once perfectly positioned.
Don’t hesitate to move the rose, and if there isn’t a better place in the garden, plant it in a container that can be moved into the sun.
June is the month to do this because the roses are going dormant and the temperatures are milder, which makes the whole process far less stressful for the plant. It also means the plants can settle in over winter and sprout in spring.