Planting more new roses.

 Each year we aim to improve the rose beds by planting bare root roses.  Some years we manage two phases, November and early March.  As you may already have read from previous posts, we are only planting roses using the cardboard box method.  This way of planting gives each rose its own fresh compost/topsoil mix, both within the box and directly outside of the box. Although the cardboard will disintegrate with time, using this method gives the roses the best possible chance to get established, free from any viruses which may be present in the rose bed from previous roses which have died.  It does appear to be a success, as evidence from other beds we have replanted indicates.

On Monday 9th March the gardening volunteers set to work planting up bed number 41 with eight new Rosa Hansa roses.  Compost/topsoil premixed had been delivered and with cardboard boxes and wheelbarrows to hand, as well as Rootgrow Myccorhizal Fungi granules, planting began.  These granules help the rose to establish a good root system faster than just planting alone. With the weather staying dry for once, all 8 roses were successfully planted during the morning.  This is one of the smaller beds so it wasn't  as much of a challenge for the team. Below you can see that this Hansa variety of rose is a lovely magenta colour with fragrance and also produces large rose hips in the Autumn which will be appreciated by wildlife as well as extending the season of interest. Hopefully, being a Rugosa species rose variety will also make it very resilient and long lived. 

Hansa rose

We have also purchased eight roses called Wild Edric from David Austin Roses.  Our volunteers will soon be planting them in another bed as soon as more compost/topsoil has been delivered.  This variety forms a large shrub with rich pink flowers but exposed yellow stamens for attracting bees and other pollinators.  It has a strong old rose fragrance. 

 Wild Edric rose

It is only possible for us to buy the roses and topsoil/compost ( Dandy's) by raising funds from the community through our plant sales, membership fees and any extra donations.  Your support is essential for us to be able to carry out these works to maintain and improve the Rose Garden for everyone to enjoy.