Pick a rose to suit any location

11:54am Thursday 10th July 2008

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JULY is a time to sit and enjoy the fruits of your labours, the garden should be at its peak now with plants in full flower, but remember to keep young plants well watered if the weather is hot and dry – you can recycle washing up or bath water to do this, particularly in any water shortages.

Patio pots and hanging baskets are particularly susceptible to drying out, and should be given a good soak at least once a day in hot weather. Don’t forget to feed them once a week unless there is a slow release fertiliser in the compost. Dead-heading will also encourage more flowers, especially roses.

PlantforLife (www.plantforlife.info), an initiative launched by the HTA (Horticultural Trades Association) that promotes the psychological and physical benefits of plants, flowers and trees has selected the rose as its plant of the month for July – and you can understand why.

There is practically a rose to suit every garden situation – climbers, ramblers, shrub, old English, floribundas and hybrid teas. Roses like open, well-ventilated areas without too much shade and need to be correctly pruned, well fed and watered. Organic feeds such as bone meal or well-rotted mulch will do the trick and result in healthy, happy plants that grow well and, depending on the variety, give off subtle fragrances.

The scent from aromatic herbs is particularly noticeable now in the early evening. If you do not have room for a herb garden it is worth planting some lavender, thyme or sage in a mixed border, close to path edges, so that some of the foliage is crushed or brushed against as you are walking past, this releases more of the perfume. Or just plant one or two in a trough or other container close to your kitchen door. Rosemary makes good middle or back of border plant, as it is can make quite a large shrub, and is very beautiful in spring when smothered in small blue flowers.

Many pests and diseases also like the warm weather and you will need to keep watching for any sign of pests such as aphids, and diseases such as mildew or black-spot. If you catch these problems early enough, you can often pick off the offending part of the plant and destroy it.

If you do need to use an insecticide, make sure you choose one that will not harm beneficial insects such as ladybirds and hoverflies, whose larvae feed on aphids and help to keep the infestation in your garden down.