Boost Your Patio Roses Now

It may be boring but what better way to set off your garden than by getting everything neat, tidy, sorted,  spick and span.

Can you tell what this frosted yellow flower is that is starting to show colour and now getting into full scented blossom? It still thinks it is 2015 and our mild wet weather has contributed to a range of ongoing flowers.

Summer is over and we had the first Autumn frost last night 26th September. It was only a light frost and we have some cloud cover for the next few nights so it won’t be as cold tonight. Still I set-too to protect some plants.

This selection of top ten Roses to grow as cut flowers has been chosen for their scent and the length of the vase life. If Roses are picked as the buds are breaking they will last at least a week and if they are picked fully open it will be several days.

Late winter and unseasonal snow has left many garden soils cold and inhospitable. Spring is the time for new root growth and annual plants and vegetables need the best start possible. Vegetables and ornamental plants need a bit of warmth to get established and growing away. Clay soils is traditionally slow to warm through as they hold a bulk of water.

A prickly subject is our Berberis unless you pick with care.

The Brown Turkey fig, Ficus carica, produces large, sweet, juicy figs even in British conditions.

What is a Patio Rose if it isn’t a rose grown on a patio? Patio roses grow bigger and bushier than miniatures and are about 14 -24 inch high, yet they are perfectly formed. H.T. Bush and Floribunda roses grow bigger but Patio roses are easy and decorative.

This summer has been damp and the plants have grown lush. In some way this has contributed to a dramatic cut in the number of greenfly on my roses and other plants (perhaps they found other feeding grounds or did not mate as prolifically).

My perennial Phlox have been a good stalwart flower for cutting and filling a vase this last few weeks. I found the pink colours had more scent but all the Phlox seemed to drink copious amounts of water (I wondered if water and scent were related). The Penstemon in the same vase as the Phlox was not as successful as they had a far shorter life. Another successful long lasting cut flower is the Alstromeria. The Reds performed better than the yellows but both lasted over a week.

I saw this lion at our local garden centre. He was guarding the entrance and looked the ferocious part.

It is mid July and the Roses have performed very well with an abundance of flower, scent and leaf growth. With the June flush over here are some quick tips to boost your Roses for the rest of the season.