NEW ROSE BEDS

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 92, 20 April 1933, Page 18

NEW ROSE BEDS

EARLY PREPARATION

Bose.plan ting is mostly done in June and July, and gardeners who propose to make new beds this year should foe busy preparing the beds. Eose beds should be well out in the open as the plants will \riot succeed as they should if planted uuder trees or in shade. Eoses will grow in any well-manured soil, but they will do much better if the ground is properly trenched, and has had a few loads.;of; Vgood' loamy soil incorporated with the bottom spit where the roots will be kept cool and jnoist during the, hot summer months.. A start now will-give the ;beds a.,chance to settle down, which/is'so necessary, as roses require firm' planting. AVhero new ground is being used for the beds a good supply of cow manure may be mixed into the lower spit of soil with advantage, while a fairly heavy dressing of agricultural lime mixed with the top soil will help to sweeten it and at the same time1 release the plant food in the soil and make-it available for the plants. "While spine plants resent much attention, doing best when.: left (severely alone, roses respond very no-, ticeably to kindly treatment. Frequent forking of the soil round the bushes, systematic watering during hot, dry Weather, and-the'removing of dead blooms and-superfluous growths will do much, to keep the plants'in vigorous growth during the growing season and assist them to produce abundance of

good blooms. Some varieties are more or less delicate, and unless the gardener is prepared to give the attention necessary are hardly worth the trouble of growing, as there are good strong varieties in all the varied colours.