Strange as this sounds, one of the reasons why Flower Carpet® roses have become every-gardener’s-best-friend comes down to the leaves, so sometimes we need to just stop and appreciate the foliage. That’s right – not the flowers but the foliage. Let’s be clear: no-one is saying that the flowers aren’t the main reason that the Flower Carpet rose has such a big fan club, and that’s because the flowers are the main reason. But it’s the green part of the plant that’s priceless in a behind-the-scenes way…

1. Looking healthy: Flower Carpet® roses look like they’re bursting with good health. Whether you’re standing in front of one in early spring admiring all those buds, or mid summer being wowed by the show of open blooms, or even during the colder times of the year when it’s easier to focus on the foliage, the result is the same. Pretty much year ‘round, these roses have robust, shiny green leaves that look like they’re hardly ever bothered by bugs or disease. Which is a fact, because part of the reason why Flower Carpet roses have been given awards by the rose boffins, is because their foliage is so healthy. Awards aside, it also means we home gardeners don’t need to worry about fighting off the aphids and black spot that attack our other roses. Plant a Flower Carpet rose and the battle is over before it began – we’re free to stand back with nothing to do.

2. Hanging in there: The other major bonus factor to do with Flower Carpet® rose foliage is the way it hangs around in most gardens all year around. If you’ve grown other roses you’ll realise that this is a massive tick in its favour. As gorgeous as any old style rose bloom is, there’s no getting around the fact that for a few months each year in winter, most rose plants look like wet cats. They are all bony and have no ‘fur’ aka foliage. In short, they are ugly. Not so the Flower Carpet rose. In winter, it sits in the garden as a very respectable green bush, as pretty as any evergreen shrub. Of course their wow moment comes in the warmer months when it’s flower time, but they never look as terrible as a gangly granny rose. We should say however that there are two situations where Flower Carpet roses aren’t catwalk ready: 1. the day after you’ve given your Flower Carpet rose a casual all over trim with the hedge clippers, and 2. if you live somewhere where winters encourage the menfolk to grow beards, as growing in these regions even Flower Carpet roses will decide to shed their leaves in winter.