Rose plants FAQs
Rose plants are wonderfully versatile. They make excellent candidates for the cut flower garden, focal features in their own right and provide lovely rambling colour in beds and borders. Here at Suttons, we are thrilled to be able to offer the lovely Rose of the Year 2021 rose 'Belle du Jour', a winning choice for any situation with golden petals and an ‘apricot and vanilla’ scent.
Species rugosa rose varieties like the purple flowered ‘Rubra’ or pure white ‘Alba’ make excellent hedging options. Their spikes deter unwanted intruders, the brightly coloured hips feed wildlife in autumn and their strongly scented summer flowers are a welcome feature during the summer months.
Floribunda roses give long, almost continuous flushes of multi-headed flowers during the summer months, whilst hybrid teas and bush roses are the best for fewer but larger flowers with long stems and scent perfect for cutting. The best way to cover a trellis or frame is with a climbing rose! Rose 'Scent from Heaven' is a climber with a fabulous fragrance whilst rose ‘Love Knot’ is an iconic, deep velvety red.
To add colour to a formal garden, plant a rose standard. Trained rose standards have a single, central stem topped with with a sculpted ball of green leaves and blooms during summer, the perfect centre to a knot garden, or potted and flanking a doorway.
When & where to plant roses
Plant your roses as cost-effective bare root plants from the autumn through into winter. You can plant bare root roses until the beginning of spring before growth starts again. Container grown roses are pricier but can be planted at almost any time of year and give an instant above ground impact. Avoid planting roses into frozen ground.
Choose a spot in full sun or partial shade for your roses. If your soil is very heavy clay, it’s a good idea to wait until after the last frost date to dig it over after the structure improves and mix in plenty of organic matter. Dig a deep planting hole, place in the plant and backfill making sure to leave the stem above the soil surface. Mulch around the base of your newly planted rose with well rotted manure and water your plants in well to settle the soil around the roots. Remember to label your newly planted rose with its variety.
How to look after a rose plant
Look after your rose in its first year until it establishes. Water your plant every week, more during hot summer weather. Make sure you water in the evening to give the water a chance to soak into the roots overnight. Feed your rose bush when growth starts in spring. Apply a liquid rose feed every week during the growing season and apply a fresh layer of mulch around the roots. Snip away blooms as they fade to encourage more to form later in the summer.
Prune your rose plant in early spring just as new shoots appear. This keeps your plants healthy and encourages flower production. Cut out any branches that cross or clog the middle of the bush using clean secateurs and remove any diseased or dying stems. Species roses or rambling varieties don’t need severe pruning; just remove any dead material.
