With the RHS garden shows in full force, we know that spring is slowly edging into summer. Yet as Chelsea Flower Show often reveals, you don’t need acres of space to create a backyard idyll. In fact, you only need a balcony for some of our favourite flowers. The last weekend in May sees the RHS London Rose Show. With a wide range of beautiful rose displays. tips to take home for your own garden it’s a great way to learn how to care for roses and grow them yourself. Roses inject immediate colour and scent but they can be a little temperamental. Here’s our guide to growing roses in even the smallest spaces.
Easy to grow
If you’re a rose beginner start with some of the simplest breeds to grow. These roses are ideal for small borders or a corner plot if you need a colourful bloom. Little Mischief loves a sunny space, the flowers last all season and you’ll have red to pink shades the whole summer. They’re not bothered by disease either so little spraying is needed. If you want a rose bush to cut the flowers for indoors, look no further than the Snowdrift. It’s easy growing and has white flower all season. If you want ultra low maintenance to opt for the Firecracker. Masses of cherry red flowers it’s in flower all summer long.
Climbers - ideal for yards!
When you have a small courtyard you often turn to pots for planting but climbers can be an ideal solution. Covering a multitude of sins uses a trellis, fence or wall to guide the rose along as it grows. It’s easy to grow in English Rose and train them as a climber. Tie the stems in place and remove the twiggy stems at the base. This will focus growth upwards as the plant will concentrate on growing the stronger stems. The New Dawn Climbing Rose has a beautiful scent while the Renae Climbing Rose is vibrant and explodes in a pinky hume in late spring early summer (although as it matures keep it under control!). The ballerina is a classic and grows well from a small base. I It can also be trained into a hedge if you need extra privacy (on a balcony, for example)
Pots
Roses are ideally suited to be grown in pots and containers so even those with the smallest space can have a go. Put them as close to the house as you can to enjoy the scent. Water regularly (with your Colapz watering can, of course) and you’ll see repeat blooms return every summer. Shorter varieties are ideal for pots like the Anne Boleyn in a beautiful pink, traditionalists favourite Harlow Carr, the deep crimson Munstead Wood or the delicate Wildeve which is a robust flower
