FAQs – Garden Roses

Q: Which roses are best for chalky soils?

Many roses will grow successfully on chalky soils but they do need feeding much more regularly than those grown on other soils. We recommend a monthly feed with a good rose fertilizer while they are actively growing. Choose a vigorous variety and you should not have too much trouble. Remember to water well during dry periods but not late in the day as water left on leaves overnight can encourage disease.

Q: Where can I buy good quality roses?

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="no" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" parallax_speed="0.3" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" overlay_color="" video_preview_image="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" padding_top="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" padding_right=""][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" background_position="left top" background_color="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" border_position="all" spacing="yes" background_image="" background_repeat="no-repeat" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" class="" id="" animation_type="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" center_content="no" last="no" min_height="" hover_type="none" link=""][fusion_text] We always aim to supply good quality roses and are members of the trade body The British Rose Growers Association (BRGA). If you're looking for a grower near you or a special variety of rose, buy a copy of Find That Rose (or search online for www.findthatrose.co.uk ) which lists all members of the BRGA* and the varieties they grow. *Available from the editor, 303 Mile End Road, Colchester, Essex CO4 5EA [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Q: Why are there so many new varieties of rose?

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="no" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" parallax_speed="0.3" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" overlay_color="" video_preview_image="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" padding_top="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" padding_right=""][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" background_position="left top" background_color="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" border_position="all" spacing="yes" background_image="" background_repeat="no-repeat" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" class="" id="" animation_type="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" center_content="no" last="no" min_height="" hover_type="none" link=""][fusion_text] Every year there seems to be masses of new roses launched. When a rose comes on the market it has to be something completely different or an improvement on an existing variety. Usually, new roses are healthier, more free flowering and generally easier to grow than their forebears. With these goals in mind, rose breeders set out to offer customers new varieties with these qualities, so it pays to look out for them. [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Q: I want to have a rose named for me. How do I go about it?

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="no" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" parallax_speed="0.3" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" overlay_color="" video_preview_image="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" padding_top="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" padding_right=""][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" background_position="left top" background_color="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" border_position="all" spacing="yes" background_image="" background_repeat="no-repeat" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" class="" id="" animation_type="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" center_content="no" last="no" min_height="" hover_type="none" link=""][fusion_text] Having a rose named for you or a friend can be expensive. A rose which has commercial potential would cost from £10,000. When it comes to naming, a good commercial rose could be a financial disaster if it doesn't have a good name. A much cheaper route would be to contact a member of the Rose Society and buy a seedling rose which can then be propagated. The Society can be contacted via its web page www.therosesociety.org.uk. [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Q: I want to cut roses for indoor decoration, any tips?

When cutting roses for floral decorations it is best to cut early in the morning before the sun has risen or in the evening. Cut stems should be immersed in water up to their necks. Place these in a cool shady room until you are ready to use them. A sloping cut should then be made just below a bud and any leaves that would be immersed should be removed. Arrange in water to which a flower life extender has been added. Do not crush the stems.

Q: I have a shady garden. Can I grow roses?

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="no" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" parallax_speed="0.3" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" overlay_color="" video_preview_image="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" padding_top="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" padding_right=""][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" background_position="left top" background_color="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" border_position="all" spacing="yes" background_image="" background_repeat="no-repeat" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" class="" id="" animation_type="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" center_content="no" last="no" min_height="" hover_type="none" link=""][fusion_text] Most roses need at least half the day in sunshine (around 4 hours). Some will tolerate shade, these include varieties from the Alba group, Rosa glauca and a few other specie roses. I have seen Iceberg growing and flowering in heavy shade. [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Q: How do you propagate roses?

We propagate our roses by T-budding, which is inserting a bud of the chosen variety into the neck of a seedling rose (rootstock). This bud then grows into a bush and lives on the rootstock's roots. However, for most people, taking cuttings is the easiest option, although not all roses perform well from cuttings (especially hybrid teas and floribundas). In November take a 30cm (12 in) pencil-thick cutting of the current year's growth and insert two thirds into a sand lined trench on the north side of a fence or hedge. Then wait for one year and hope for the best!