How to choose roses and keep them disease-free. And NO chemicals involved
Building up a planting plan for your borders
A new collection of roses - and a new way to think about what to plant with them
Remember those garden to-dos and not to-dos? (Including this very important one about my many-pronged list of slug and snail defences which I highly recommend you start now).
Well, back in January I suggested it was time to get your bare-root roses in.
I have a confession.
This:
Yes, these are my bare-root roses, still heeled in temporarily in a veg bed, and no, they’re still not in, and yes/no, I have no excuses. So if you still have unplanted stuff making you feel a tiny bit guilty, you’re not alone.
But it isn’t too late, and that’s a job for this weekend. Those roses are going IN, and I’ve been working on planting companions which, as well as looking pretty, should do their bit to keep those pesky diseases away.
If you ever look at roses and just think DISEASE: blackspot, aphids etc et, then I’ve got news for you. You don’t need to spray. Nope. There’s a planting companion which will help, deterring pests and keeping these roses healthy.
I’m sharing my rose list with you, along with recommendations for excellent planting companions. There’s a very particular mood, too….
Thank you for pressing the heart button - all your ❤️❤️❤️ send this post to people who might otherwise miss it.
It’s publication week and I want to say a massive, heartfelt thank you to everyone who’s bought The New Romantic Garden - it’s had a really good reception and that’s because of YOU. Thank you.
(*Edit*: it has temporarily sold out at Bookshop.org and a few other places. You can still get copies here.)
The book events at the Garden Museum and The Generous Gardener have sold out, but there are tickets available for other events - you can find details in the PS section below.
In the UK we’re approaching the end of the week-long half term break, and I’m hoping you might have got to some of the events listed here. There are currently some absolutely gorgeous winter colour events happening at the moment - you can find more details about these in the PS section below. Plus there are details of a very special Live here on Substack next week.
On the Chat, I’m putting together a list of who’s coming on which day to this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show in order that we can arrange Gardening Mind meet-ups - again, more details later in this post.
Right. Let’s take a look at the roses for this year’s new bed
The planting around these is going to be an experiment in colour and pest control, all without the use of any chemicals. As ever, I’ve got way too many roses for the space, so goodness knows where, but the ‘leftovers’ (ie where I bought EIGHT of one variety of rose instead of three - WHY: was I fearing a world shortage???? The answer is probably yes) are going to have to be shoe-horned in around the rest of the garden.
It’s a rich range, in terms of both colour and shape, which offers so much potential. Think sumptuous and rich, all shaken up with a smattering of wild: the plants I’ve chosen to work with these roses will add to that loose, romantic, let-it-all hang-out feeling. And they’re going to do a job too, as well as looking pretty: