Plant roses that will keep on blooming

Try our top tips to get as many flowers as possible after planting

When roses are at their best, they provide some of the highlights of summer in the garden. With intricate flowers in an array of gorgeous colours, roses are an essential part of the cottage garden look that so many gardeners crave. And for all rose lovers, November’s the most exciting month of the year, because it’s the perfect time to treat yourself and your garden to some new ones.

Now’s the right time because the choice of roses is wider than in spring and summer, when roses are sold in pots. Specialist suppliers list hundreds of different varieties, all sold as bare-root plants, without any compost around their roots. Therefore they’re cheaper too!

Planting now allows your roses to settle into the soil without the danger of summer heat and drought. A bare-root rose has a ‘fresh start’ too –because it’s a young plant it won’t be carrying any diseased leaves or dead wood, which may not be the case if you buy a potted rose which may be a much older plant.

Just remember a few things before you get stuck into ordering, to make sure you get the most flowers. Roses grow best in rich, bulky soil (clay soil is ideal) in a position that gets at least four hours of sun a day. So identify the best places in your garden and then start planting. When summer arrives and those first flowers open, you’ll be glad you did!