Growing roses in Cornwall
The essential tips to follow especially for first time growers would be these:Choose varieties that have a high degree of disease resistance - these have been identified in our rose brochure and include varieties such as The Duchess of Cornwall, Rhapsody in Blue and Champagne Moment.
Feed your roses with a proprietary rose fertiliser regularly. When a plant blooms repeatedly for 5-6 months a year as many roses do now, this requires an enormous amount of energy. Without food the plant will still flower (after all we are encouraged to deadhead them to get more flowers!) and draw energy away from the foliage which is why disease sets in.
Prune every year - in the case of most bush roses cut them down to one third of their original height. Do not be concerned about pruning or about pruning to a bud - just hack them down and they will perform much better for it!
For more cultural information and a list of recommended varieties for Cornwall you can also visit www.garden-rose.co.uk
