The sun is shining, the garden is beginning to dry up after being ankle deep in mud - and I am thinking of roses! In fact, I planted a new one yesterday after being forced to wait for the ground to dry a bit.
The first time I came across Hybrid Tea roses was when my parents decided to buy a dozen to line our front garden - more years ago than I care to mention! Before that - roses were roses - we had several ramblers in the garden and these were the ones with which I was familiar. Having been involved with the choosing of the new roses I was keen to see how they developed and I have loved them ever since.
The first Hybrid Tea rose was produced by Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Guillot in 1867. He crossed a tea rose with another garden variety and produced an entirely new type this was called "La France". The new shape quickly became a favourite throughout the world and is the one we all recognise today..
The Hybrid Tea rose is the one used by florists as it has single flowers quite often on very long stems and usually fragrant. This also makes it a popular plant for the garden where it will happily flower right through the summer and, in fact, we have had them still blooming at Christmas.
There are a great number of HT roses and growers that sell them - and a huge variety in prices. You can buy pot grown bushes or bare root ones - and spend a fortune to get the latest variety or as little as £1.49 for a named older type - which I have proved are quite capable of being just as spectacular as their more expensive cousins - having bought both.
They are very hardy and don't seem to mind what type of soil in which they are planted. Ours suffer heavy clay quite happily and I have seen others growing in sandy soil just as successfully. The bushes are about 70-96cm (28-38 inches) although some will grow a lot taller if left, and should be planted 45-90cm (18-36 inches) apart. I choose to prune mine early in the year whereas a lot of people say autumn is best. As I also 'deadhead' the bushes right through the flowering time I feel that they are kept well in control. By removing the dead blooms (deadheading) it encourages the bush to produce more, thus extending the flowering season. It is suggested that by planting lavender between the roses that it will deter greenfly - I haven't proved this one way or the other.
There is a huge range of HT roses - with colours from white through to a deep red almost black. There are a few known as 'blue' although I have never managed to produce one in my garden - they all seem to look thoroughly dirty and I prefer to stick with the colours that look really good. I really can't say that I have one favourite - several, yes! For instance, I have grown several varieties of white roses but the one I like best is Polar Star which is a good clear white, has a perfect shape, darkish foliage and a nice perfume. Of the dark roses I love Deep Secret, no longer the darkest red you can get, but very vigorous and with a lovely strong scent. This is one of the bushes that will happily grow to about six feet - if you let it! Of course, most rose bushes will grow large if not pruned - but some, like this one, seem to grow much quicker than others whether they are cut back hard or not.
I really don't know (without going out to count) how many roses I have in the garden. I can say that there are bushes of one kind or another in every part of the garden. I can see at least three from the window beside me - one of which is Deep Secret, another being Just Joey which is a clear orange colour - again with a lovely perfume. I love to be able to go out and cut enough for a good display indoors - or to give to a friend who has none. There IS one problem however; I just can't resist buying more!
I hope that this will be of help and that you have enjoyed reading of my experiences.
Thank you for reading -
Hazel
Pictures of Hybrid Tea Rose
Deep Secret 2
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Position: full sunSoil: fertile, humus-rich, moist, well-drained soilRate of growth: ... more
fast-growingFlowering period: July to SeptemberFlower colour: creamy-whiteOther features: excellent cut-flowersHardiness: fully hardyLarge, fully double, slightly scented, creamy-white flowers from July to September and dark-green leaves. This award-winning bush rose is perfect for a sunny border with fertile, moist, well-drained soil. Offering good resistance to disease, the handsome, high-centred blooms on sturdy stems make excellent cut-flowers.Garden care: Before planting shorten thick roots to 25cm (10in) and reduce top-growth to an outward-facing bud 8-15cm (3-6in) above ground-level. Plant during a frost-free spell, incorporating well-rotted organic matter and a balanced fertiliser into the planting hole. Ensure that the'bud union' (the bulge at the base of the shoots) is 2.5cm (1in) below the soil.All our roses are field grown. In October/November they are dug up and potted. However, they will not produce any new roots until spring, so don't be surprised if the compost falls away from the roots when winter planting. Some suppliers send out'bare root' plants unpotted, but we don't as it is easier to manage them on the nursery in pots.
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Position: full sunSoil: fertile, humus-rich, moist, well-drained soilRate of growth: ... more
fast-growingFlowering period: July to SeptemberFlower colour: ruby-redOther features: excellent cut-flowersHardiness: fully hardySubtly scented, double, ruby-red flowers from July to September and masses of glossy, dark green leaves. This vigorous, repeat-flowering bush rose is perfect for the front of a sunny border with fertile, moist, well-drained soil. An excellent gift for a 40th wedding anniversary, the beautifully shaped blooms on stiff stems make excellent cut-flowers.Garden care: Before planting shorten thick roots to 25cm (10in) and reduce top-growth to an outward-facing bud 8-15cm (3-6in) above ground-level. Plant during a frost-free spell, incorporating well-rotted organic matter and a balanced fertiliser into the planting hole. Ensure that the'bud union' (the bulge at the base of the shoots) is 2.5cm (1in) below the soil.All our roses are field grown. In October/November they are dug up and potted. However, they will not produce any new roots until spring, so don't be surprised if the compost falls away from the roots when winter planting. Some suppliers send out'bare root' plants unpotted, but we don't as it is easier to manage them on the nursery in pots.
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Position: full sunSoil: fertile, humus-rich, moist, well-drained soilRate of growth: ... more
averageFlowering period: June to OctoberFlower colour:soft pinkOther features: excellent cut flowersHardiness: fully hardyA recently introduced hybrid tea rose, which has classically-shaped, pink blooms that have an intense and delicious scent. The flowers appear for an extended period throught summer and often keep on coming until late autumn. The soft colouring makes it an easy rose to place in a mixed or herbaceous border, and it has good resistance to troublesome diseases. Place a handful of these gorgeous roses into a vase and they will fill your home with scent.Garden care: Plant during a frost-free spell, incorporating well-rotted organic matter and a balanced fertiliser into the planting hole. Ensure that the'bud union' (the bulge at the base of the shoots) is 2.5cm (1in) below the soil.All our roses are field grown. In October/November they are dug up and potted. However, they will not produce any new roots until spring, so don't be surprised if the compost falls away from the roots when winter planting. Some suppliers send out'bare root' plants unpotted, but we don't as it is easier to manage them on the nursery in pots.
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Position: full sunSoil: fertile, humus-rich, moist, well-drained soilRate of growth: ... more
fast-growingFlowering period: July to SeptemberFlower colour: coppery-orangeOther features: excellent cut-flowersHardiness: fully hardyFiery, fully double, coppery-orange flowers from July to September and masses of glossy, dark green leaves. This award-winning, bush rose is perfect for a sunny border with fertile, moist, well-drained soil. Vigorous and disease resistant, the handsome, high-centred, slightly fragrant blooms make excellent cut-flowers.Garden care: Before planting shorten thick roots to 25cm (10in) and reduce top-growth to an outward-facing bud 8-15cm (3-6in) above ground-level. Plant during a frost-free spell, incorporating well-rotted organic matter and a balanced fertiliser into the planting hole. Ensure that the'bud union' (the bulge at the base of the shoots) is 2.5cm (1in) below the soil.All our roses are field grown. In October/November they are dug up and potted. However, they will not produce any new roots until spring, so don't be surprised if the compost falls away from the roots when winter planting. Some suppliers send out'bare root' plants unpotted, but we don't as it is easier to manage them on the nursery in pots.
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Position: full sunSoil: fertile, humus-rich, moist, well-drained soilRate of growth: ... more
fast-growing Flowering period: June and July Flower colour: blackish-redHardiness: fully hardyOpulent, fragrant, fully double, blackish-red flowers on stiff stems from June to July and leathery, dark green leaves. This vigorous, repeat-flowering, climbing rose is perfect for an open, sunny site with fertile, moist, well-drained soil. The dramatic, dark-crimson blooms are best displayed against a light background, such as a white-washed wall.Garden care: Before planting shorten thick roots to 25cm (10in) and reduce top-growth to an outward-facing bud 20-30cm (8-12in) above ground-level. Plant during a frost-free spell, incorporating well-rotted organic matter and a balanced fertiliser into the planting hole. Ensure that the'bud union' (the bulge at the base of the shoots) is 2.5cm (1in) below the soil.All our roses are field grown. In October/November they are dug up and potted. However, they will not produce any new roots until spring, so don't be surprised if the compost falls away from the roots when winter planting. Some suppliers send out'bare root' plants unpotted, but we don't as it is easier to manage them on the nursery in pots.
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Position: full sunSoil: fertile, humus-rich, moist, well-drained soilRate of growth: ... more
averageFlowering period: July to SeptemberFlower colour: apricot-tinted, salmon-pinkOther features: excellent cut-flowersHardiness: fully hardyA profusion of fully double, apricot-tinted, salmon-pink flowers from July to September and dark green leaves. This repeat-flowering climbing rose looks lovely displayed against a sunny wall. Best on fertile, moist, well-drained soil, it produce several flushes of beautifully shaped blooms, renowned for their superior scent.Garden care: Before planting shorten thick roots to 25cm (10in) and reduce top-growth to an outward-facing bud 8-15cm (3-6in) above ground-level. Plant during a frost-free spell, incorporating well-rotted organic matter and a balanced fertiliser into the planting hole. Ensure that the'bud union' (the bulge at the base of the shoots) is 2.5cm (1in) below the soil.All our roses are field grown. In October/November they are dug up and potted. However, they will not produce any new roots until spring, so don't be surprised if the compost falls away from the roots when winter planting. Some suppliers send out'bare root' plants unpotted, but we don't as it is easier to manage them on the nursery in pots.
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Position: full sunSoil: fertile, humus-rich, moist, well-drained soilRate of growth: ... more
fast-growingFlowering period: July to SeptemberFlower colour: pink-flushed, primrose-yellowOther features: excellent cut-flowersHardiness: fully hardyFragrant, fully double, pink-flushed, primrose-yellow flowers from July to September and glossy, dark green leaves. This popular, large-flowered bush rose is perfect towards the back of a sunny border with fertile, moist, well-drained soil. The enormous blooms remain beautiful until they're fully blown and make excellent cut-flowers.Garden care: Before planting shorten thick roots to 25cm (10in) and reduce top-growth to an outward-facing bud 8-15cm (3-6in) above ground-level. Plant during a frost-free spell, incorporating well-rotted organic matter and a balanced fertiliser into the planting hole. Ensure that the'bud union' (the bulge at the base of the shoots) is 2.5cm (1in) below the soil.All our roses are field grown. In October/November they are dug up and potted. However, they will not produce any new roots until spring, so don't be surprised if the compost falls away from the roots when winter planting. Some suppliers send out'bare root' plants unpotted, but we don't as it is easier to manage them on the nursery in pots.
Postage & Packaging:refer to website Availability:refer to website
Position: full sunSoil: fertile, humus-rich, moist, well-drained soilRate of growth: ... more
fast-growingFlowering period: June and JulyFlower colour: pinkOther features: excellent cut-flowersHardiness: fully hardyLarge, fully double, sweetly scented, salmon-tinted, rose-pink flowers from July to September and leathery, dark green leaves. This vigorous, climbing rose is perfect for covering a sunny house or garden wall. Best on fertile, moist, well-drained soil, it produce several flushes of'old fashioned' flowers, renowned for their resistance to rain.Garden care: Before planting shorten thick roots to 25cm (10in) and reduce top-growth to an outward-facing bud 8-15cm (3-6in) above ground-level. Plant during a frost-free spell, incorporating well-rotted organic matter and a balanced fertiliser into the planting hole. Ensure that the'bud union' (the bulge at the base of the shoots) is 2.5cm (1in) below the soil.All our roses are field grown. In October/November they are dug up and potted. However, they will not produce any new roots until spring, so don't be surprised if the compost falls away from the roots when winter planting. Some suppliers send out'bare root' plants unpotted, but we don't as it is easier to manage them on the nursery in pots.
Postage & Packaging:refer to website Availability:refer to website
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