Pictured here is David Austin rose 'Princess Anne'
and photo is courtesy of David Austin Roses.
There is a rose type to suit most gardens and tastes.
Come in and have a talk with the team at Thames Mitre 10!
Let's talk about roses!
For me, roses are a garden must.
For others, maybe not so much.
They are time consuming and labour intensive, however the rewards are some of the most spectacular of any garden plant.
Let's tackle the tricky, starting with planting.
Now is a great time to be thinking about planting new roses in the garden, or into a pot or container.
Find your spot, then look at soil prep.
You need a sunny spot, (roses like at least 5 hours per day),
and hopefully sheltered from the wind a bit.
Add compost and some sheep pellets.
(Dynamic Lifter is my garden go-to, it's full of sheep manure, blood and bone, seaweed and a few other nutrients).
Give this a good dig around to mix it all in nicely with the current soil.
You can also add Tui Rose and Shrub Mix for a more targeted mix.
When you think about hole size, think twice the size of the pot they're in. This gives them room to develop roots without being cramped.
When you are ready to plant, give your rose a really good soak in Seaweed tonic. This helps reduce transplant shock and is just a really good thing for all plants in general!
Now you're good to go.
Tease out the root ball slightly, pop your rose in its new home, pack the soil down around it gently and give it a good water.
As it's coming into Winter, don't expect anything to happen within the first month or two. Now is the dormant time, so your new rose is having time out.
It's easy when you break it down.
Pictured here is Absolutely Fabulous.
As you can see, she lives up to her name.
There is a rose type to suit most gardens and tastes.
Come in and have a talk with the team at Thames Mitre 10!
Roses and cooler weather!
Roses.....what next??Did you notice we had slipped into winter? Ironic that the temperature seems to have lifted!It's a fiddly time with roses at the moment, still warm and bushes are still blooming, but nearly ready for the big annual haircut!If your roses are still flowering, (my Abraham Darby is going gang busters!), just keep dead heading, or you can give a light prune back to start getting things ready for .... THE BIG CHOP! This is usually in the colder months, maybe July or August. The reason we do it then is once you prune, your rose will want to put it's energy into going new leaf. If we get a hard frost after that, it can cause damage to your bush. When you are looking at chopping back, target any dead, dying, diseased or spindly branches. Think about the shape you want as well. Make sure you wear some good gloves, and have clean sharp tools before you begin!It's also a good idea for a good winter spray of lime sulphur followed later by a copper spray to give your rose a perfect start to Spring. This helps control pests and diseases that maybe thinking of hanging around for a bit.Don't forget it's the perfect time to plant new roses, and ours have just arrived in store! Some real stunners in there!Come in and see the team at Thames Mitre 10, we can help you with all your roses and gardening needs!Pictured is Absolutely Fabulous. As you can see, she lives up to her name. These are in stock now.
Roses.....what next??
Did you notice we had slipped into winter? Ironic that the temperature seems to have lifted!
It's a fiddly time with roses at the moment, still warm and bushes are still blooming, but nearly ready for the big annual haircut!
If your roses are still flowering, (my Abraham Darby is going gang busters!), just keep dead heading, or you can give a light prune back to start getting things ready for .... THE BIG CHOP! This is usually in the colder months, maybe July or August. The reason we do it then is once you prune, your rose will want to put it's energy into going new leaf. If we get a hard frost after that, it can cause damage to your bush.
When you are looking at chopping back, target any dead, dying, diseased or spindly branches. Think about the shape you want as well. Make sure you wear some good gloves, and have clean sharp tools before you begin!
It's also a good idea for a good winter spray of lime sulphur followed later by a copper spray to give your rose a perfect start to Spring. This helps control pests and diseases that maybe thinking of hanging around for a bit.
Don't forget it's the perfect time to plant new roses, and ours have just arrived in store! Some real stunners in there!
Come in and see the team at Thames Mitre 10, we can help you with all your roses and gardening needs!
Pictured is Absolutely Fabulous. As you can see, she lives up to her name.
These are in stock now.