I love roses and I think my house suits them, but not my garden as there is a lot of shade, and I am a bit of a slow learner when it comes to their care. With the high summer rain fall it is said that roses don’t grow well on the mountain, but I am in for a challenge if it was too easy the results wouldn’t be rewarding!
What is it about roses? Everybody loves them, no wonder they are called the “Queen of the Plants”.
In my garden I am lucky to have many flowering plants even in the middle of winter, the pansies, begonias, primulas and the bulbs are coming into bloom. I am very proud of the large lush hyacinths and early daffodils that are all looking healthy and colourful.
But it’s my lone flowering Apricot Nectar rose that receives all the compliments from visitors to the cooking school! Out of about 20 roses that I planted 3 years ago, this one and its bed mates Brandy and Whisky are doing the best.
These compliments have reinvigorated my interest in roses, so I have been redesigning the beds where the roses are.
I have been advised that they should be in a bed with no other plants and in full sun but I like mixed beds, and I must admit that the perennials growing with the roses have taken over, so out they came and bulbs and annuals have taken their place.
I can see the roses breathe a sigh of relief! My next step is to include companion plants, so Society Garlic has been planted in between to deter aphids, and I can use the pink garlic flowers in the cooking school for salad decorations.
I am a devotee of seaweed solution and I believe that it makes leaves stronger if it is sprayed directly on to the plant, and since most diseases in roses affect the leaves it makes sense to keep the leaves healthy.
Next step was for me to buy ten new plants but what sort? Hybrid Tea, Heritage, Bush, Noisette, David Austin and many others are available.
But I have put all advice aside and have my own theory. I know that cream, apricot, coral and peach colours have been the best performers, so that make the selection of my new plants easy - anything in the orange/yellow toning, regardless of variety. I hope my logic pays off!!!
Rose petals can also be eaten. I will be using the petals to garnish cupcakes and deserts, particularly Middle Eastern ice creams and puddings. They also make a lovely jam and the rose hips are great for tea.
Pruning roses is a confusing task. Everyone has lots of advice but I live by the advice I once heard a lovely lady told me; “the best time to prune is when your secateurs are in your hand”. As long as you prune down to an outward facing bud on an angle, you can’t go wrong, and luckily roses are very forgiving plants.
Along with the weekly seaweed spray, a monthly organic fertilise, deep watering once a week, keeping an eye on aphids and removing any leaf disease, my confidence is growing along with the healthy new growth. Wish me luck!!!
This is why I like Seaweed
What Liquid Seaweed Does For Your Soil and Plants
Seaweed is rich in potassium, minerals, trace elements and naturally occurring growth stimulants.
It is one of the best things you can use in your garden and I use it on everything; roses, fruit and vegetables and annual and perennial flowers. They all benefit greatly from the addition of liquid seaweed as part of their regular care.
You can use diluted liquid seaweed in a watering can and water it into the soil at the base of your plants, or hold the watering can over the whole plant so it waters the leaves as well as the soil or just use it as a foliar spray on the leaves.
Liquid seaweed helps promote flowering, fruiting and robust health on every plant it’s used on. It stimulates root growth, and stronger root growth means better water and nutrient uptake to the plant from the soil. It also stimulates the production of more beneficial soil micro-organisms.