So here we are already in June and Roses are the highlight of this month.  When I was living down in the Fraser Valley I tended to steer clear of growing roses due to the many diseases they incurred as a result of heavy rainfall, i.e. black spot, rust, mildew to name a few.  Now that I have been living in the Okanagan for a while it is a whole different scenario as the roses seem to love the dry conditions and are generally very healthy.  I have slowly been building my rose selection.  Last year I added a tea rose called Redgold Rose, ‘Rosa DiCor’ and this year I recently bought a David Austin rose named ‘Abraham Darby’.   

Other roses blooming in the Findleberry Garden were already here so although difficult to name I still need to share.  The front arbour climbing rose never ceases to amaze me each year with its abundance of single red roses.

Here again are some tips on how to care for roses.

1. In the fall, clear away old foliage and clean up dead leaves on ground.
2. Keep pruning tools clean and sterile.
3. Prune the roses hard in the fall.  Cut back to 6 of the best stems.  Keep centre open.   Cut at an angle just before leaf bud.
4. Prune again in early spring to encourage strong growth.
5. When first planting a rose, have a good soil base, i.e. soil mixed in with 1/3 compost or manure.
6. Roses can be prone to black spot, rust, mildew (particularly in areas with high rainfall).  There are products to help prevent this (preferably environmentally friendly ones).
7. When buying a rose, try to look out for disease resistant varieties.
8. Throughout the blooming season, continuously deadhead to encourage further blooms.