ROSE RAMBLER 19TH MARCH, 2020… Hello Dear Rose Friends as we find ourselves in unprecedented circumstances due to a world pandemic – first and foremost we hope you stay healthy and safe; take refuge in your garden or a park near your home for exercise and fresh air as this disease is not air-borne!
Smile as you walk or go around your garden snipping a bunch of roses for a vase indoors and perhaps you found a gap where you can plant a rose or two …? Here’s a great offer to inspire you:
Did you know that planting roses in autumn ensures any new rose settles really well as there is no great urgency to grow and flower which happens in spring and all new roots stretch out and deep down in the warm soil with sunny days and cool nights so typical of autumn.
You can expect continual flowering until the approach of winter and after a normal prune in late winter, the bushes will be beautifully established and flowering again in October.
Selecting varieties of roses now also ensures you’re getting one of the best-performing roses available because if it still looks fabulous in a pot now, it’s endured a long season of flowering until now.
In October/November, at the start of a new flowering season, all roses look good but aren’t necessarily great and enduring performers!
Spruce your garden up and add a few of the amazingly bountiful Delbard Roses which I know will delight you for years to come.
Q. How do light bulbs start a race? A. Ready, Set, Glow!
Speaking of bulbs, get all your new spring-flowering bulbs in the ground NOW … when you plant them into damp soil, don’t over-water them other than a good soak at planting to release air and settle the soil!
I don’t recommend you purchase out-dated or cheap packs of bulbs which are left-overs in supermarkets or large chain stores as you’re almost certainly destined to experience failure because those bulbs have been around for a good amount of time – fresh is best!
UPDATE OF KILMORE ART EXPO – This event and all associated programs have now been cancelled.
Please stay safe and enjoy moments in your garden if you are confined to working and being at home – get the kids outdoors with you and remember, fresh air and walking will go a long way to keeping you healthy.