Flaming June has arrived at last, it was a long time coming and it took some of the roses a while to get going but the display now is glorious.
A garden feels incomplete without roses and I always look to include some in my garden designs and being a lover of climbing and rambling roses in particular I plant numerous wherever possible. They are great on walls, pergolas, obelisks, arches, over sheds and even scrambling into trees.
Planting roses on a house wall really helps to soften the outlines of the building and allow it to settle comfortably into the landscape, bringing the house and garden together.
There is a vast array of choice with flowers all shapes, colours and sizes. A few of my favourites are:-
Rosa Perennial Blue – a small rambler with clusters of red/purple flowers with yellow centres.
Rosa The Generous Gardener – Large soft pink blooms on a vigorous climber that will clothe a large wall.
Rosa The Lady of The Lake – Small pink/apricot/white flowers on a short rambler with lovely deep red stems, dainty and delightful.
Rosa Bathsheba – Many petalled apricot flowers, a lovely soft colour with very dense healthy foliage.
Rosa Francis E Lester – Soft pink and white single flowers which look like apple blossom on a large rambler, excellent in a country setting.
The display given by the climbers and ramblers can be breath taking when in full bloom so it is worth the effort early in the season to tie the growing branches to their supports. This can feel like a never ending task at times but the end result is worth it. Also training the branches on the horizontal will encourage growth and more buds.
Deadheading also helps keep the display looking fresh and a feed at the start of the growing season will also boost the plant’s health along with a treatment for blackspot. Also keep an eye out for pesky bugs which can be dealt with swiftly with some timely spraying.
Clearly roses aren’t a maintenance free option but they give so much for the care they receive.
I source most of my roses from David Austin Roses, the quality and variety is excellent and I am always confident that when planted in a client’s garden they are going to perform well. I also select different varieties from Peter Beales Roses another fantastic British rose grower.