How to care for your roses

You love roses. You’d love to grow your own roses, but you’ve heard roses can be tricky. Here’s some rose tips, so you can learn how to care for your roses, starting with tip number one…
1. The right spot: it’s a basic move and it makes sense. Roses prefer a sunny spot so put them in a sunny spot. Whether you’re planting them into a garden bed or dragging a planter into position, make sure there is plenty of sunshine for your new roses. The science behind plants means the more hours of sunlight, the more flowers you’ll be enjoying. The plants will also be bushier and healthier. So don’t fight the science – plant where it’s sunny.

2. The right rose: it’s a sad truth but many roses can be disappointing. They might not produce many flowers, and these may only appear over a few weeks. The plants themselves can often be an ugly shape as well as being prone to pests and diseases. (Do black spot and aphids ring any bells?) The best move then is to only grow roses that are disease resistant, bushy, and long flowering. To see what this looks like, check out the Flower Carpet® roses as a start.

3. No fuss or bother: keep plant care simple and manageable and success will follow. If you’ve followed rose tips 1 and 2 you’ll have picked the right rose, planted it in the right spot, and maintenance will be a breeze. Once a year you’ll cut your rose bush back (before winter). In spring you’ll toss a handful of fertiliser around each plant. And if your summer ends up being a bit dry you may do a bit of watering.

4. Maximise the rose vibe: if you’re growing roses it’s because you love roses. And with these tips on how to care for your roses you know which ones to plant and how to grow them with no effort. If you have acres of land, you can grow lots of roses massed in glorious beds. And if you have a tiny patio, you can still get that surrounded-by-roses feeling but you’ll need to be more strategic. Plant a rose that will flower for the longest period (this is probably the Flower Carpet® roses mentioned earlier). Fill three large planters with them and keep up the water and be sure to fertilise in spring. Arrange the planters so that your outdoor seating is surrounded, then when you sit down you’ll be neck deep in rosy blooms.

