It is still early in the planting season - so early in fact that many Canadians will not have even thought about planting in the garden yet. 
For experienced gardeners there is no secret to the fact that this is PRIME planting time for all of the winter hardy plants that we enjoy, like evergreens, flowering shrubs, perennials (that are not 'soft' from the greenhouse), trees and roses. I would like to focus on roses today and suggest that there is a great opportunity to get some new plants in the ground now in time for a fabulous show of colour come June.
But first, what about the roses that you have growing in your garden now?
In my opinion, there are two types of roses - those that need winter protection and those that do not.
Shrub Roses
The winter hardy roses that do not need mounding with soil each autumn are tough customers like the rugosa rose, Grootendorst shrub rose, many of the David Austin roses and our own Canadian Explorer roses. These merely need to be cut back to bring them under control: if they are out of hand or just looking a bit rank, give them a light shearing or be aggressive and cut off up to 1/2 of the growth.
When pruning shrub roses I like to reach into the middle of the plant to thin them out. This requires good gloves and long sleeves to avoid injury from the thorns found on many of our favourite roses ? especially shrub roses! Remove up to 1/3 of the old wood in the middle of the shrub in an effort to thicken the plant up.
All of the other roses...
The other roses that you have in your yard likely fall into the category of 'winterized roses'. These include, but are not limited to, floribunda, hybrid tea, grandiflora and miniature roses.
If you 'winterized' your roses last fall, now is the time to remove the winterizing protection and cut them back to about 10 cm. Make sure that the last bud on the rose cane is facing outwards: this will encourage an open plant that will allow maximum air circulation and light to filter into the middle of the plant.
Spray all of your roses now with Dormant Spray. This is a combination of lime sulphur and a high grade of mineral oil that will kill overwintering insects and diseases. It is safe for use around kids and pets and is benign on the environment.
If you are considering planting roses, now is a great time to do it. Not only will you get a jump on the planting season but you will get the best choice of plants at your local retailer. By June, often, the choice is limited.
Some of my favourite roses are:
- 'Mary' a David Austin rose (from England) that blooms most of the summer, produces a 120 cm (4 ft) rounded bush that seldom needs pruning and never needs winterizing in my zone 5 garden (I have one planted at the front of my wife's yarn shop in Unionville where it has performed beautifully for 5 years).
- Bonica shrub rose. A medium pink that grows to about 125 cm. or 4 ft high and looks fabulous in mass plantings of 10 or more together.
- Double Delight - THE best for fragrance. A gorgeous yellow/scarlet that grows to 125 cm. or 4 ft. Needs winter protection but it is worth it. Don't waist this rose out of doors - be sure to pick some and enjoy them indoors too, where the fragrance can be enjoyed even more!
There are many more roses available on the Canadian market that are well worth a try. I encourage you to plant some and to mix them into your other plantings.
Keep in mind that all roses require a minimum of 6 hours of sunlight to perform well.
I will offer more rose growing advice in this blog in the weeks ahead.
Meantime, get planting and keep your knees dirty!
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