gardening

Roses have many uses and can be used in a variety of different ways to add interest and excitement to your garden. Within this section we look at a few creative ideas which may hopefully inspire you to take rose growing to a new level. MAKE YOUR OWN ROSE HIP TEA Did you know that you can actually make your own rose hip tea?The process is actually very easy and fun to try, plus it’s a great source of vitamin C!During the Second World War, at a time when oranges and other foods high in vitamin C were hard to acquire, schoolchildren were actually given rose hip syrup to keep them healthy. This was something that Peter Beales used to remember vividly telling stories about how he used to collect rose hips from the hedgerows as a boy. To make tea for two you will need 7 large ripe rose hips with the stems removed. Hips from the Rugosa family are the best for this. Just make sure you get your rose hips from a

After Purchase Keep compost moist.Harden off any soft growth occurring in early spring.   Planting Make sure the rootball is thoroughly moist before planting.Keep approximately 12”(30cm) away from walls and fences; 2-3ft (60 – 90cm) from shrubs or trees.Dig a hole large enough for the rootball and manure, and deep enough to cover stem bases.Add well-rotted manure or garden compost plus a good handfull of bonemeal into the hole. Mix well with the soil at the base of the hole. If dry, fill the hole with water and allow to drain. MIX ALL RAW  INGREDIENTS WITH SOIL.Loosen roots if necessary and plant in hole so lowest leaf joint(s) will be buried.Backfill hole and gently firm taking care not to damage stem bases. Carefully remove ties and cane and tie stems to support.Water well, then regularly, as necessary throughout the growing season, particularly during periods of dry weather.Clematis benefit from a mulch of

Pruning Shrubs & Climbers When first faced with the task of pruning Shrubs and Climbers it can seem like quite a daunting and confusing task, but once you start to understand the growing characteristics of the different Shrubs you have growing within your gardens, it should become easier over time to understand how each one needs to be pruned and the reasons why. Some might simply need a light prune to remove spent flowers if necessary or to shape the plant, whereas others may need regular hard pruning to encourage new vigorous growth to keep the plant healthy. The timing for pruning also varies and depends on flowering time, variety and placement. To make it easier to gain an understanding of what Shrubs and Climbers require pruning and also when and how they should be pruned, they are divided into 13 different pruning groups. These 13 pruning groups are detailed below:   Group One

Feeding Roses Roses are very hungry plants and should therefore be fed regularly throughout their lives to ensure maximum blooms and growth, from first year plants through to 50 year old ramblers. We recommend a good feed of a nitrogen high feed like “Top Rose Gold” after the late-winter prune in February, then feeding every two weeks throughout the flowering period with a high potash feed like “Tomorite” or "Uncle Tom's Rose Tonic". This photo shows just ho

Pests and diseases that affect roses As with all plants, roses can become infested with pests or damaged by disease. This should not however be a reason for not including them in the garden, as Peter used to say ‘what are a few black spots among friends?’Good husbandry is really a matter of common sense, a little bit of logical thinking in relation to the choice of variety and it’s situation, its care coupled with preventative measures will go a long way in maintaining a healthy rose.   Pests Pests can include a range of creatures that often feed off of the plant and can, if left untreated, cause serious damage to your roses. These can include Aphids, Caterpillars, Leaf Rolling Sawfly, Rose Slug Sawfly, Red Spider Mite and Thrips. Whilst traditional methods of control such as spraying with insecticides are often effective in controlling an outbreak of these pests, natur

How to Plant Bare Root Roses step-by-step video   How to Plant Container Roses step-by-step video We hope you found our video guides helpful. Please read on for more detailed information on planting roses...   Soil types and Preparation It is wise to think well

As the summer draws to a close, many gardener's start to look ahead to spring and the joy of the first flowers of the season starting to emerge. Spring bulbs are an essential part of any garden and have an amazing ability to lift people’s moods after the cold, wet and often uninspiring challenges of winter. To enjoy a truly spectacular display each year it is worth considering a few important things before planting. Preparation Fork the soil over well and mix in a slow-release fertiliser such as bone meal or fish blood and bone when planting bulbs. Especially on heavy soils, dig in horticultural grit and sand to prevent waterlogging, this can cause bulbs to rot.  

Whether you are completely new to roses or have been growing them for years, pruning them can seem like a bit of a daunting task, but it needn’t be. The first thing I would really like to stress is that no matter how bad a job you make of pruning your roses, you are not going to kill them! As the old gardener’s saying ‘Get your worst enemy to prune your roses’ suggests, roses are tough and can take a lot more abuse than people give them credit for. Just think about how badly butchered hedgerows look along the roadside after the farmer has hacked them back. It’s easy to look at them, resembling nothing more than bare broken and splintered sticks and wonder how these poor roses and hawthorns will ever survive, but they do. A trial was conducted several years ago at the Gardens of the Rose, St Albans, where some of their ros

Whilst many people think of June as being the month for roses, September can actually be almost as productive. This is the time that the majority of repeat flowering varieties will produce their second flush of flowers, bringing your garden back to life with a riot of colour in late summer. Flowers produced later in the season can often be stronger and more vibrant in colour than they were in early summer as well, adding further to the enjoyment of the second flush from repeat flowering roses. This is because flowers produced in June can become slightly bleached by the intensity of the scorching mid-summer sun, whereas come September the days and nights have started to become a little cooler, therefore allowing your roses to produce their flowers with more vivid, truer colours. Although your roses will most likely produce slightly fewer flowers for the second flush than they did early in the season. To achieve the best results, simply deadhead your roses as soon as they