Still our favourite flower, the rose is found in almost every garden. These pages are for Rose Lovers, for those looking for a rose for their planting scheme, and because they are quite simply gorgeous to look at! Our Rose Pages are to be enjoyed.
Summer and roses. Whether you are a fan of heritage roses or their modern cousins, summer is your time.
Good care will give you healthy roses and more enjoyment of your roses, still our favourite flower.
Water and Routine Care Regular watering is key in summer. Dry and stressed plants are far more vulnerable to disease, and they won't flower at all well.
Deadheading will encourage repeat flowering; weeding removes plants competing for moisture, food and light.
A Summer Feed A mulch with compost, foliar feed or solid fertiliser to give hard-working roses a boost. (If using chemical fertiliser, follow the directions.)
Disease Wet Weather Roses can turn into mushy lumps in wet, miserable weather. When the outer layer of petals is soaked, and then dry hard, they preventing the flower from opening. Remove them!
Pruning Pruning should be left until late winter. In cold areas, wait until the last frosts have passed as pruning early encourages new growth that is vulnerable to frost.
Confused and, well, flummoxed by the prospect of pruning your roses? See our pruning advice and gear up now.
More Rose care Rose care through the seasons, or to tackle now.
Madame Alfred’s large, double creamy white flowers, touched with yellow at the base of the petals, appear in clusters in early summer and a second flush in autumn. However, there seems to be a bloom on this wonderful old rose almost throughout the year in all but the coldest winters. Late season flowers have a pinkish tone that can confuse those unfamiliar with this rose. The foliage is a light green, contrasting well with the pale flowers, and the fragrance is light, sweet and delicious.
Although her parentage is not known, Mme Alfred is considered to be a noisette, and was bred in France in 1879. Overwhelmingly voted the 'Best Climber' by the National Rose Society of England in 1908 she has stood the test of time and is still widely grown today.
A strong growing, healthy climber with good disease resistance, Mme Alfred is suited to gardens throughout New Zealand. A relatively trouble-free and comparatively thorn-less rose that is a good candidate for archways and pergolas where thorny roses pose a safety hazard. The flowers can become spotted in wet weather but will not ball. The canes are easiest to train early in the season when they are more flexible, becoming stiffer as the season progresses.
Sources Generally available
Cultivation Good soils and a position in sun fro best results, although tolerant of poorer soils and partial shade. Grows to 4.5-6.0 x 3.0-4.5m (15-20 x 10-15ft). Pruning: remove damaged or diseased canes each year and cut out one or two old shoots to encourage renewal. Shortening main shoots is not recommended as it results in a mass of re-growth at the cut, not a good look!
Propagation Cuttings, budded
The rugosas and many species roses are carrying spectacular hips now. 'Fru Dagmar Hastrup' contrast these with colourful foliage while 'Scarbrosa' continues to produce cerise-maenta blloms alongside bright red hips. The double rugosas generally don't bear hips.
Rose Profiles Photographs and information on lovely roses to choose for your garden Rose Care From planting onwards ...
