Roses are easily the world's favourite bloom. With a rainbow of colours, a plethora of shapes, sizes and types, the most challenging thing with a rose isn't its thorns, it's choosing which ones to grow.
Over the past year, numerous events have hit the country so hard that,
for some, life may never be the same again. It's heartening to see so many plants, and roses in particular, have been planted, given as gestures of remembrance, support and love.
Roses are forgiving plants, they can, and do, survive the wettest of winters and driest of summers. With a little TLC they reward you with an abundance of blooms.
The flowers, many perfumed, are the quintessential flower of friendship, love and support.
As winter wraps its arms around the country, it's time to think about planting new season's roses which are available at garden centres now.
Don't forget to prune your established roses to ensure a blooming display next season.
Winter care for roses
Tidy up and pack up: Clear the decks, remove all dead and diseased leaves from around your rose plants. Burn or compost these well. Pack up and walk away until mid-winter.
Sharpen up: Prune in mid- to late-winter and use clean sharp tools. Prune on a clear, warm day. Prune to remove all dead and diseased stems. Cut main branches back by half, clear the centre of the plant to allow good air movement, leaving at least three to four main stems.
Follow Up: Prevention is the best form of attack on pests and diseases. After pruning, spray with copper to prevent any diseases carrying over to the next season. Later, apply Eco-fungicide or lime-sulphur to clean up powdery mildew. Leave several weeks between spraying with copper or lime sulphur.
Cover Up: Cover the beds with a thick layer of mulch. Rose compost is ideal to use for bare-rooted roses and deciduous trees. It can also be used for planting potted roses and shrubs.
