In bloom! Secrets to the perfect flower garden at home
Growing a stunning floral paradise in your own backyard doesn’t have to be a task reserved for the pros. Here’s a step-by-step guide to a DIY rose garden.
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A beautiful rose bloom can instantly brighten any room or garden setting and growing these feel good flowers is a point of gardening pride, according to TV horticulturist Graham Ross.
But it’s not as hard as you might think.
The Better Homes and Gardens expert said roses are hardy plants that flourish with care and attention.
“Roses are truly one of the easiest, most forgiving and rewarding plants to grow with
different types for every situation from the balcony to the courtyard, the front garden, a big backyard and everything in between,” Ross said.
“It’s worth checking the label not only for the colour flowers you want but also the type of
rose you’re about to buy.
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“It might be a bush or shrub rose, a climber, a standard on a one metre stem, a carpeting ground cover rose, a miniature or a vigorous display plant.”
He said last winter’s bare-rooted roses will now be potted up at your local garden centre and are ready to plant and was keen to shares his decades of experience with Hibernation readers.
“Select a sunny spot away from tree root competition and other shrubs,” the TV green thumb advised those planting in a garden.
“Improve the soil by adding your own compost or bagged soil conditioning compost and a handful of an organic based rose fertiliser per plant.
“Remember roses grow on clay not in it so if your soil is heavy, clay mound your garden bed or create a Mt Fuji-like mound and plant into that.
“Dig the hole to a little more depth than the pot to enable extra improved soil to go into the
hole.”
Once planted Ross said give the plant a drink with water with an added seaweed solution before adding a sprinkle of fertiliser and watering that in too.
Ross said roses grew well in good sized pots making them perfect for balconies.
“But select a container that is a little broader than it is deep to encourage good root development,” he added.
“Then treat as in garden beds but remember watering is more critical in hot weather.”
He warned against emptying tea leaves or coffee grounds onto your roses, something that maybe tempting in these housebound COVID-19 times.
“Add them to your compost heap or worm farm,” he said.
“A fortnightly spray with an organic horticultural oil like EcoOil, Eco Neem or PestOil with
added Eco Fungicide will keep pests and diseases away.
“The alternate week I spray our roses with Harvest or Seasol and Powerfeed, to keep the
leaves healthy and strong and resistant to disease.
“Only fertilise once more in autumn then let them go dormant for winter.”
Ross said shrub or bush roses were best pruned in late winter and noted that feeding them helped produce robust blooms.
“Roses are hungry plants and require feeding every two months to keep them vigorous, healthy and flowering,” he said.
“As the weather warms up keep them well mulched to keep the weeds at bay and soil moist.”
He said patience and care would pay off with roses planted now expected to flower and bring joy in spring.
fiona.byrne@news.com.au