Large Flowered Roses for Show and Garden
Growing roses not only gives pleasure to oneself, family and friends but also brings together people with a common interest. The Rhondda Rose Society is one such organisation. I have grown roses on and off for more than 35 years but it was the Rose Shows at the R.H.S. Westminster Halls that were held at the same time as the Chrysanthemum Show that brought me in contact with Mike Thompson. Although Mike and I had been friendly for many years, it was his Best Bloom with F. W. Ailsworth that was the tempting factor. I found it hard to resist and, after much persuasion from Mike, in 1993 I started to grow Roses for Showing.
Roses need fertile soil free from pathogens left from previous crops of roses. Therefore my vegetable garden proved to be ideal. This spring I have just replaced my original roses. This patch now returns to a vegetable garden, while further down the plot a part of the vegetable garden has been planted with rose stocks. I have found that roses budded in situ have proved far better than bushes bought in or transplanted from elsewhere.
We have been able to obtain ‘Rosa Laxa’ stocks at a very reasonable price. These are shield budded, a technique similar to grafting but using only single leaf bud petioles. I like to bud 50 each year and discard 50 old bushes after five years, which means I have about 250 bushes. This is more than enough to look after together with the vegetables and Chrysanths I grow.
I don’t need to prepare the soil any differently than I do for the vegetables. I like to dig in a generous amount of well-rotted farmyard manure. This helps with moisture retention. Nutrients, air exchange, micro-organisms and mychorhiza all help to produce strong vigorous growth.
The established bushes are pruned in late March and with my close planting which is only 38cm(15") between the plants in double rows 60cm(2’) apart with a 90cm(3") pathway between every double row. I prune to only 4 shoots, all others are cut completely away. Pruning to roughly (10cm(4") to 15cm(6") from ground level. When the plants begin to grow I get around 8 stems per bush.
After pruning I lightly disturb the soil surface incorporating 4oz per Sq.Yd. (113gm per Sq. Mtr.) of Vitax Q4HN. Then I mulch with 8cm (3") layer of rotted manure, which acts as a feed, a weed suppressant and a moisture retainer.
Spraying fortnightly with Systhane to combat Black Spot and Mildew, also adding an insecticide to control aphids and caterpillars.
I cover the buds when they come in colour using plastic beer glasses fixed with wire and a clothes peg. I saw this method when I visited Tony Bracegirdle in his garden at Ramsbottom in Lancashire. As the buds begin to crack I feed the bushes 2.5 litres (½ gal.) of liquid feed each, twice per week. I use Vitafeed 1.1.1., as I believe this promotes a little more size in the blooms.
I grow all Hybrid Teas or as they call them now Large flowered. I aim to have the flowers ready for the Rhondda Rose Show, Hampton Court, and the National Northern and Royal Welsh Shows.
After the summer flush is passed I cut the bushes back (harder than most people) and add a further 113gms. per sq. yd. (4oz.) per sq. mtr. of Vitax Q4HN and repeat the same spraying. Bloom covering and feeding in readiness for the Autumn Shows.
Red Devil. My Joy. Martha's Choice. Grandpa Dickson. Big chief. Hazel Rose. Admiral Rodney. Summer Lady. Silver Anniversary. Debbie Thomas.
Silver Anniversary. Darling Jenny. Wenche. Summer Lady. Pure Bliss. Valencia. Adriana. Queen Esther. Lady Mavis Pilkington. Selfridges.
Wenche. Neptunia. Sharon Francis. Pedras Aquarias. Silver Anniversary. Darling Jenny. Valencia. Pure Bliss. Summer Lady. Adrienne Burman.
I would like to make mention of how lucky growers in the South Wales area are to have such a fine Hybridist as Lionel Poole so near us in Cardiff. One of the highlights of the flowering season is a visit to his garden. I now grow many of his varieties namely, Joanne, Wenche, Gareth Davies, Darling Jenny, Predras Aquarius Sharon Francis, Helen, Healing Hands, Queen Ester, Adrienne Burman, Neptunia, Tom Foster, Hazel Rose and 9 unnamed seedlings.
One thing for sure there is no shortage of good varieties capable of producing top quality blooms.