Supersize roses are blooming grateful for wet, warm weather

ROSES are supersize this year due to the wet and warm weather, one of Britain’s leading growers has said.

Ray Fermor, the founder of Rumwood Nurseries, based in Kent, said it had been a bumper season with ideal conditions for large blooms.

“It’s one of the best years I can remember,” he said. “We’ve had a very dry period and then heavy rain, which is ideal. The level of growth is good and the size is good.”

Guy Barter, the chief horticulturalist for the Royal Horticultural Society, said that he expected roses to peak over the next fortnight.

“We experienced a dry winter. However, in the South East there was enough soil moisture for good growth this spring, and in fact recent downpours have come just at the right time to replenish surface moisture and to allow fertiliser to be taken up so we can expect good regrowth,” he said.

“The overall dry weather we have experienced since October means less leaf disease than usual and easier weed control. Cool weather in April would have held the pests back a bit and recent heavy rain will reduce greenfly numbers.”

Rumwood, which is the largest rose grower in the South East, has been focusing on its range of “nostalgic” roses, which are an old-fashioned variety.

“These conditions suit a lot of varieties – we’re using nostalgic roses now and they certainly have performed very well,” Mr Fermor added.

Michael Marriott, the rose expert at David Austin roses, a specialist grower, said that recent damp conditions were ideal for producing large blooms. While a late frost in April damaged other plant varieties such as fruit and vines, “roses bounce back”, he added.

Gardeners may also be reaping the benefits of the modern way of planting roses, which involves mixing them in with other plants and helps stop the spread of disease.