The first part of a new monthly series on gardening and the designing and planning of green spaces
There is something magical about watching a plant grow, more so when you are connected to the process. Whether you enjoy the feel of soil, or work with a gardener, gardening is both therapeutic and addictive.Your garden may be in a large area around your house, on a terrace in a city apartment, or even in your workspace. This time, we discuss that universal favourite — roses. Few other plants are more versatile or prized, or can be specially picked to suit any garden and location.
Keep in mind the size, location and design of the house and garden. Look for a sunny location — roses need at least six hours of sun — at some distance from tall trees.
Purists believe that roses should be grown only in a rosarium; however, this is practical only for a large garden with space for a separate rose garden. Here, a formal rose garden with Hybrid Teas and Floribundas in a variety of colours, can be planted symmetrically with a border hedge. Near a patio, raised beds with blocks of miniature rose bushes can be planted en masse, bordered by wide strips of grass.
For a smaller garden, planting floribundas, shrub and miniature roses in groups of three or four, or with other flowering shrubs in a mixed bed, is an attractive option. Mixing different types of roses with other flowering plants ensures a colourful display through the year. Delphiniums, gypsophila and chrysanthemums are good companions for these perennials provide colour when the roses are not in bloom. When planting a mixed bed, do not use more than four types of flowers or they will overpower the roses.
Climbing and rambler roses with fragrant clusters of light pink blooms, the Rosa Banksiae Luteas with tiny yellow clusters, and the larger clusters of white Sanders roses, can be trained up trees and along walls and trellises.
Though roses are best grown in the ground, container grown roses do well with regular maintenance, good sunlight and some extra care. If you have space on a sunny terrace, you can grow roses successfully in pots with a minimum of 30 cm depth and width, and good drainage. Floribundas and miniature roses can be grown in groups in larger containers.
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Soil preparation
Roses thrive in well aerated, humus-rich soil which is periodically enhanced with manure and mulch. Prepare the soil for planting, with neem cake, well-rotted manure, forest soil and a good measure of crushed dried leaves and twigs. This magic mix, which builds up healthy soil, can be used for beds and potting, but should be left to mature for at least a week before planting. If you already grow roses, enhance the soil in your rose beds and pots with this soil mix at least twice a year.
Choosing your roses
Plant nurseries in India now have a wide range of roses, including some of the world’s popular varieties, and will ship them anywhere in the country. Try different types and don’t be afraid to experiment.
Almost any rose can be grown in cooler climes which are naturally suited to rose cultivation. For gardens in the plains, rosarians recommend some of these, which come in a variety of hues.
Among Hybrid Teas, the fragrant red blend Double Delight and yellow blend Peace are considered among the world’s great roses. Try the Orange blend Folklore, ruby mauve Paradise, deep pink Queen Elizabeth, the dark red Black Lady and the brilliant white John F Kennedy, Floribundas like the light pink Kasturi, mauve Angel Face, greenish white Green Ice, pure white Summer Show, medium yellow Sunflare and red blend Charisma.
In the range of Miniature and Polyanthus are the medium yellow Rise n Shine, light pink Sweet Fairy, mauve Narataki, pure white Jet Trail, the apricot Chipper, medium red Flamboyant and the orange Starina.
Looking after your roses
The older the plant, the more resistant it is to pests and disease; while restoring an old English garden some years ago, I was delighted to find hardy rose bushes and climbers, some over 80 years old, still producing the fragrant healthy blooms as when they were brought over from England by the previous owner. While older roses are virtually pest resistant, newer rose plants of any type need to be protected, preferably with organic solutions.
The trick is to gradually convert your soil into a pest deterring zone, by preparing, weeding and periodically enhancing your soil. The resulting humus-rich soil promotes healthier plants which in turn, are less likely to harbour pests. The soil should be kept enriched with well-rotted compost, and kept disease free with regular doses of natural pesticides.
The plants should be dead-headed periodically, and pruned once a year. Weeding and hoeing to aerate the soil, and regular watering, especially during the hot summer months, are essential.
| KNOW Hybrid Teas: large upright bush with multi-petalled flowers Polyanthus: hardy rose plant which produces large flowers, singly or in clusters Floribunda: medium-size rose bushes with a large number of flowers Miniatures: diminutive rose plants with miniature leaves and flowers |
| EAT (Summer rose salad) Wash and dry the petals of 10 large roses and some tender lettuce leaves. Make a dressing of 1 tbsp honey, one tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp prepared mustard, ½ tsp orange zest, ¼ tsp lime juice and salt to taste. Lightly toss the salad with the dressing. Sprinkle with toasted sesame and/or blanched almond slivers. |
| VISIT Delhi: National Rose Garden Chandigarh: Zakir Hussain Rose Garden Ludhiana: Nehru Rose Garden Ooty: The Rose Garden |
| CONTACT K.S. Gopalaswamiengar & Sons in Bangalore, have an India-wide delivery network. Tel: 080-20620440 ksgson@vsnl.net |
Environmentally friendly options
As more responsible gardeners turn to eco-friendly solutions, they look back to age-old remedies for natural pesticides and fertilisers that were once used by farmers and gardeners. Some gardeners swear by the effectiveness of companion planting to keep pests away, adding marigolds, thyme, onion and garlic bulbs near rose plants.
Fertiliser
Compost, that glorious mix of kitchen waste, manure and grass cuttings, is the best supplement for all plants. Cowdung , bonemeal and used tea leaves steeped in water, also make an excellent liquid feed.
Pesticides
A brew of neem leaves steeped for about a week can be strained and sprayed onto the plant periodically and the leaves used later as a mulch. A soap and tobacco solution is another effective natural spray against aphids. Turmeric, tulsi, thuja, and thyme — all natural pesticides — can be safely sprayed onto plants, or powdered and added to the soil.
Pruning
This should be done once a year, to encourage new growth, while removing superfluous or dead branches. In the plains, rose plants should be pruned in October, while March is the best time to prune in the hills. After pruning, the open cuts should be coated with a thick paste of manure and neem. In my salad days, pruning was a daunting task that I left to my gardener Yesu. His simple technique of chopping away “weak and no good” branches, soon convinced me to try my hand at it; now a few dead hydrangeas (used as guinea pigs) later, I can prune.
Gardening, like life itself, is an ongoing project. Seasons change, rain falls, aphids fly, earthworms wriggle up. And the gardener dreams on.
Lathika George is a writer and landscape designer based in Kodaikanal
