READY TO GO IN THE GROUND

READY TO GO IN THE GROUND NOW – HERE’S HOW TO PLANT Bare-Root Roses

Bare-root roses are now ready to plant for a riot of colour next year. Hannah Stephenson offers a step-by-step guide to planting them...

Bare-root roses may not look as pretty as the traditional containerised varieties when they arrive on your doorstep, but they should supply huge amounts of colour when flowering next year. For me, the beauty of bare-root varieties – roses that have been grown in a field, that are then dug out between autumn and spring –is you can plant them during the dormant season with little fuss, leave them to bed in over the winter and watch them burst into life in spring and summer.

They have a wider root spread than many containerised plants and tend to be cheaper than their container counterparts too. So, how do you go about planting them?

WHEN THEY ARRIVE…

You can order bare-root roses throughout the year, but they will only arrive between the beginning of November up to spring, which is the dormant season; the time when they don’t use up energy producing new growth. When you unpackage them – they usually come in waterproof, plastic-free and eco-friendly packaging, and as they are soil-free, are much lighter to handle – you will find soilless roots and some healthy green stems. They don’t look beautiful now, but your patience will be rewarded next year. You need to plant them as soon as possible, as the bare roots cannot be allowed to dry out. If you can’t plant them straight away because the ground is frozen or waterlogged, lay them on their side, keeping the roots under a mound of slightly moist compost, and plant them as soon as conditions allow.

GIVE THEM A DRINK

Before planting, submerge the roots in a bucket of water for a couple of hours to rehydrate them and keep them moist, giving them a head start when planting.

DIG A HOLE

While the roots are submerged, dig your planting hole, which needs to be at least 40cm (16in) wide by 40cm (16in) deep. Use a fork to loosen the earth in the bottom of the hole, and remove weeds and stones.

The roots like to be able to spread out, and loosening the soil will help them spread more easily. Add some some well-rotted manure to the bottom of the hole and a little more to help secure the plant when you are positioning it.

ADD MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI

Boost the roots with mycorrhizal fungi before planting. It is a powder you sprinkle directly on to the roots. Do it over the hole, so the excess powder falls into the planting area. The powder stimulates root growth which will hopefully lead to healthier, more prolific roses.

POSITION YOUR ROSE CAREFULLY

When ready to plant, position your rose in the centre of the hole, with the bottom of the stems sitting around 5cm (2in) below the top of the hole. Once you have done this, backfill in around the roots using the dug-out soil and heel it in lightly around the plant to remove any airholes underneath and firm in the plant. If you are growing a climbing rose, make sure the planting hole is as close to the wall or fence the plant will be scaling as it can be, and direct the stems towards the fence.

WATER IN WELL

Bare-root roses need to be kept hydrated, so water the rose in well. Hopefully the autumn and winter rains will help things along.

WHERE CAN YOU BUY BARE-ROOT ROSES?

Good, reliable suppliers include David Austin Roses (davidaustinroses.co.uk), Peter Beales Roses (classicroses.co.uk), Harkness Roses (roses.co.uk), Trevor White Roses (trevorwhiteroses.co.uk) and Future Forests (futureforests.ie).

NOVEMBER with the Herb

Whisperer

Words and images by Sally Roberts

The name of The Herb Whisperer was given to me last year by someone watching me give one of my talks in the beautiful herb gardens at Samares Manor, and I smiled. I liked it because it’s true, I do talk to the plants, and I listen too. For me, it’s simply a natural thing to do, and I am at my happiest being amongst them.

To be able to encourage other people to engage with and enjoy them is simply a pleasure.

We all know that herbs have been used for thousands of years as both food and medicinal sources, for dyeing materials, and last, but not least, for their wonderful scents. So it is a delight to have been asked to share some knowledge of them with you on a monthly basis. It is a part of my lifestyle to follow the seasons as they change, tuning in wherever possible to the rhythms of nature. November is the month that autumn comes to an end, and we roll into winter as the nights grow still longer and the days colder. Many of the plants are settling in for their winters rest, but there are still some berries around, and seeds being blown on the wind, plenty for collecting to use.

The seeds I am writing of today are fennel seeds – they are strongly aromatic and have been chewed to soothe the digestion and ease wind in the body throughout history in many cultures around the world. Some people will know that it was a main ingredient in gripe water that was given to babies to ease their colic. It is a fact too that they relieve anxiety – the link between a settled stomach and a calm mind has long been scientifically proven. So in today’s anxious times, drinking fennel tea or scattering fennel seeds over vegetables to roast, adding them to curries and so on, could be a helpful idea.

Many of the berries will have been harvested by now, (or eaten by the birds!), but it is this month that the berries on the myrtle bush darken to their blackest, ready to harvest. Myrtle has become one of my favourite herbs – an evergreen, the leaves can be dried and used like bay leaves, and the berries are commonly used in the Mediterranean to make jams or liqueurs, or dried, when they make a peppery spice. Dedicated to the goddess Aphrodite, and always associated with feminine love and beauty, I love how the deeply scented white blossoms of summer turn to the rich, black nutritious berries of late autumn. They are also used to make thick, dark cough syrups as they contain expectorant and antiseptic ingredients.

We all want to build up our immune systems at this time of the year, and two of the useful herbs which will still be there for picking in the garden are sage and thyme. Thyme can be used in all sorts of warming soups and stews, with roasted meats and vegetables. It is wonderful for bad chests and coughs, and can be bought as a cough medicine. Make a sage tea with honey and a slice of orange to soothe sore throats, scatter the leaves over roasted pumpkin and squashes – delicious. If you are lucky you may still find some rose hips to collect, and making rose hip syrup is simple, and a high source of Vitamin C. Taken by the spoonful each morning, or drizzled over yoghurt, pancakes or porridge.

So wrap up warm from the wind as the earth quietens down, and nourish yourselves with warm dishes enhanced with the seeds, berries and herbs that you find.