Drought killing your garden? Never mind, everything’s coming up roses!
THE unpredictable British sum- mer is often a thorn in the side of rose growers – but not this year.
For the rare long spell of hot, sunny, dry days has created the perfect conditions for some spectacular and long-lasting blooms.
At Hopton Hall in Derbyshire, the Georgian walled garden is a sea of dazzling red, yellow, bluey-purple, pink and peach.There are 23 varieties among the 2,000 rose bushes and owner Julie Thomas says they are ‘the best they’ve ever been’.
Mrs Thomas, 59, added: ‘They love the dry, hot and sunny conditions and we don’t even have to water them. We haven’t watered the roses since the heatwave began, all we’ve had to do is dead-head them.’
RHS Garden Rosemoor, in Torrington, Devon, and the David Austin rose garden in the West Midlands – which has 700 varieties on display – have also exploded into colour, while at Kew Gardens in West London the air is full of the scent of vibrant fuchsia roses.
Well- established roses do not require watering in hot weather because they have taproots reaching down two or three feet to get all the moisture they need.
So this year makes a change from the typical damp British summer that either sees buds rot before they bloom or knocks the petals off once they come out.
Jonathan Webster, curator at Rosemoor, which has two spectacular rose gardens, said: ‘We have a great rose collection with 200 varieties and 2,000 plants, and I would say that this year the display has been stunning for several reasons. We had a cold winter which has helped to kill pests, and some plants perform better following a cold dormant season. And there’s been less rain and wind, which both blemish and give shorter life to the flowers.’
Guy Barter, chief horticulturist at the Royal Horticultural Society, said: ‘Roses come from climates where there’s a lot of light and warmth so this summer suits them down to the ground.
‘Even more importantly, like most trees and shrubs, roses are much less affected by dry soils and extreme heats compared with herbaceous perennials such as flocks.
‘If you try to dig a rose out you will find the roots are remarkably strong and deep, as they go down a long way to get the moisture they need. Roses also have small and glossy leaves, and both these features serve to limit moisture loss.’
Mrs Thomas bought Grade II listed Hopton Hall near Ashbourne with her husband Bill, a retired IT executive, in 2010.
Their head gardener Spencer Tallis, 52, who worked at the house under the previous owners, has transformed the neglected walled garden from ‘a derelict mound of earth’ into a classic rose garden. He planted the first rose in 2003. Varieties include Blessing, Queen Elizabeth Birthday Girl, Moment In Time and Indian Summer.
‘Without a doubt, the roses are the best they’ve ever been this year,’ Mr Tallis said.
Mrs Thomas added: ‘With the weather we’ve been having this summer, instead of having three or four flourishes of roses, they are all holding – and all the bushes are vibrant at the same time.’