The secret of blooming perfect roses
Get all that classic old-school charm WITHOUT the diseases that ruin so many displays
MENTION old-fashioned roses and a novice gardener might conjure up an i mage of a shrub smothered in bright, blowsy and achingly beautiful blooms that fill the air with a wonderful fragrance in summer. More than any other plant, they are likely to be seen as an integral part of a romantic cottage garden.
Yet ask anyone who has ever grown one of those fancy-named, heritage types and they’ll paint a completely different picture.
Many varieties are martyrs to blackspot, a fungal disease that infects leaves and stunts growth. After allowing the plant to limp along for a few years, the owner eventually grubs it out.
In the early 1990s, discontent with the performance of his roses led to the late Christopher Lloyd ripping the entire lot out of the rose garden at Great Dixter. He was unsentimental about the event. ‘The noise of tearing old rose roots as they were being exhumed was music to my ears,’ wrote Lloyd.
The good news is that there is still a way to enjoy roses without the worry that they will succumb to disease.
So-called English roses have the looks and fragrance of old-fashioned roses but none of their bad habits. As a result they are vigorous, disease resistant and have a much longer flowering period.
English roses are the brainchild of rose breeder David Austin, whose nursery has introduced almost 250 different varieties since 1961, when pink climber ‘Constance Spry’ was unveiled. Many of his early creations are still around today, although some have been superseded by ones with better qualities.
Over the years, David Austin Roses has launched some absolute belters, such as yellow ‘The Pilgrim’, soft pink ‘Alnwick Castle’ and ‘Winchester Cathedral’, a 3ft-tall, bushy shrub with double white blooms. Perhaps the most iconic is ‘Graham Thomas’ from 1983, which was once voted the world’s favourite rose.
In the past, roses were grown in beds on their own with nothing to draw the eye when they weren’t in flower. It’s far better to extend interest by growing them alongside other shrubs, perennials, grasses and bulbs in a mixed border, or by dotting the odd brightly coloured variety within an exotic display.
Container-grown roses are available all year, but now is the time for bare-root plants. These are only up for grabs when plants are dormant, from late autumn to early spring, and can be planted at any point during this period as long as the ground isn’t frozen or waterlogged.
Prepare plants by pruning broken roots and removing any damaged shoots. Prior to planting, submerge roots in a bucket of water for about an hour to ensure they are fully hydrated. If planting is delayed, prevent plants from drying out by plunging into pots of compost or shielding roots within a plastic bag.
Dig a hole that’s wide enough for the roots to be spread out – never bend roots to fit a planting hole – and deep enough so that the graft union (the bulging bit where the stem meets the roots) is just above ground level. Prick the base and the sides of the hole to enable roots to penetrate easily.
Old gardening books often recommend spreading organic material in the base of holes, but this is best avoided as plants are likely to sink as it decomposes. However, if you are planting several roses, it’s a good idea to spread well-rotted manure across the entire planting area, forking it into the top 8in of the soil.
Place the plant in the centre of the hole and slowly fill with soil, gently bouncing it up and down to fill gaps between the roots. When full, firm down with your foot. Water well and mulch with a 3in layer of garden compost, leaf mould or composted bark – leave a 4in gap around stems to prevent bark rotting.
Sound of diseased roses being ripped up was music to my ears