Martin Fish makes room for plenty of roses
Nothing beats picking your own from the plot for an indoor display
Roses are one of the most traditional summer-flowering plants in the garden and their blooms are both attractive and, in many cases, fragrant. Although we can buy cut roses from supermarkets and florists all year round, there’s something special about picking some from the garden to have in the house.
They come in all shapes and sizes, from compact floribunda and hybrid teas to large shrub roses, climbers and ramblers. The flowers from all of these can be used as cut blooms, but if you want them with long stems then hybrid teas are probably the best choice. You’ve only got to browse through a catalogue to discover the hundreds of assorted colours, shapes and forms available.
In my garden, roses are planted for decoration in the main garden and not in my cutting garden patch, but we always pinch a few scented blooms to use in the house. With repeat flowering types, the more you pick, the more buds will develop, so I can happily justify picking from the garden!
If you do plant a selection of roses especially for cutting, prune them hard in spring and feed well to promote strong growth and plenty of flowers on long stems.
To get maximum vase life, cut the flowers when buds are less than half open and remove most of the foliage, leaving just a few below the flower. With very thorny varieties you can also snap off the thorns if you wish. Make a sloping cut on the base of the stem and stand in deep water with some plant food in to condition them overnight. This helps them drink in the water and extends their life.
Roses look good on their own or mixed with other summer flowers and foliage. Short stems also work well in small arrangements that look great on a windowsill or table.