Knight’s Roses, 44 Jack Cooper Drive, Gawler

Saturday, 14th June, 2025 from 10am-2pm

You are invited to our Winter Open Day on 14^th June and this year we have added two free rose pruning demonstrations held in conjunction with the Rose Society of SA.

This is a well-timed opportunity for you to brush up on your rose pruning skills and learn from the experts who will be running demonstrations at 11.00am and 12.30pm. Rose pruning rejuvenates your rose plants, shapes the bush and increases flowering. Of course, our Open Day will provide the ideal opportunity to purchase bagged and potted roses and meet members from the Rose Society who will be in attendance to provide helpful rose growing advice. We hope to see you there!

The Knight’s Roses Team

View our extensive catalogue which includes many favourites and hundreds of varieties and order online or phone (08) 8523 1311.  We are proud to present our new release roses for 2025 and our wonderful special cause roses which provide fundraising for well-known and worthy charities. This year we are celebrating 15 years since our Special Cause Roses were first introduced. Speaking of “special roses” read on to discover the special roses in Daniel Knight’s life.

We often associate the winter months with cold, wet conditions and a time when we can ignore the garden assuming “nothing much is happening”.  However, for rose enthusiasts, this period can be busy with planting new roses, pruning existing roses and the removal of old foliage and generally cleaning up.

The average daily temperature in Adelaide in June is 16.1°C, in July 15.4°C and in August 16.6°C. These months are usually wet with an average rainfall of about 78mm in June, 75mm in July and 68mm in August.

Temperatures and rainfall vary significantly over the State during this period with it being colder and wetter in the Adelaide Hills, the South-East and Southern Yorke Peninsula and Eyre Peninsula. Frosts are also common in regional areas. Evaporation rates are very low and sunshine hours decrease.

So, what does this mean for our roses and how can we care for them during winter?

Watering

This is the only period in the year when rainfall usually exceeds evaporation. Therefore, there is no need to water our roses. The two exceptions which will require water are roses in pots and when planting bare-root roses.

Potted roses, particularly those undercover, need to be continually monitored and watered when they become dry. We suggest that you check them weekly.

Bare-root roses should be given at least a full bucket of water with Neutrog Liquid Seamungus added at planting time, this ensures new roots are damp and also removes air pockets in the hole.

Mulch

The easiest time to apply mulch is immediately after pruning when rose stems are bare and after the old fallen leaves and cuttings have been removed.

Generally, this will be late winter and before the roses begin to produce shoots. New shoots are very fragile and canbe accidently broken off.

Neutrog’s ‘Whoflungdung’ has emerged as the “Mulch of Choice” for rose growers. An annual application of 5cm of mulch is recommended. While it can be applied immediately around the base of well-established roses (3 years and older) it is advised not to apply mulch closer than 15cms to new, one or two-year-old plants as occasional damage can occur to young basal shoots.

‘Whoflungdung’ comes in 20kg compressed bales. Apply water after application to settle the mulch in and reduce the initial odour which lasts a few days.

Mulch significantly reduces evaporation from the soil surface in spring, summer and autumn, saving up to 40% – 50% of the irrigation otherwise required; it cools the root zone and introduces beneficial bacteria and good microbial activity in the soil.

Fertilising

As roses are not actively growing in winter, they do not require feeding. However, immediately after pruning is completed and the ground has been cleaned up, roses benefit from an application of Neutrog ‘Seamungus’. This is a soil and plant conditioner, manufactured from seaweed, fish, humid acid and manure. It stimulates the roots into strong healthy growth in late winter and early spring. This assists the rose’s growth and ensures emergence from its winter dormancy is sustained by its root mass.

We recommend the use of pelletised Seamungus, as these pellets will breakdown with winter and spring rains over the next few months, enhancing root growth. It is also recommended that Seamungus is applied prior to mulching.

Pests and Diseases

As roses lose their leaves in winter, it is logical to assume that there is no need to control pests and diseases. In fact, the opposite is true. Once roses lose their leaves and assuming most of the fallen leaves are gathered up and disposed of together with any discarded rose prunings, winter is a great time for pest and disease control.

Fungal spores and pest eggs will be present on the bare rose stems, especially in cracks and crevasses. These will also be left on the ground under the plants. As such, they can readily be treated with winter dormancy sprays, for example oil sprays or Lime Sulphur. Copper Oxy Chloride sprays can also be used; however, these can be detrimental to earth worms.

Winter spray regime is the most important pest and disease control and will ensure significantly reduced problems in spring.

Planting New Roses or Transplanting a Rose

Planting is best done in June, July or early August. Allow ample space around each rose. Labels indicate indicative rose size. Choose an area which receives at least 5 to 6 hours of direct sunlight each day and is free of tree and shrub root competition. Full sun is recommended.

If it is a bare-root rose, remove the plant from its bag, shake off any sawdust and soak it in a full bucket of water for at least 6 hours or overnight. You can add either 20mls of Neutrog Liquid Seamungus or Neutrog GoGo Juice to the water, while the rose is soaking. If the new rose has been established in a pot, there is no need to shake the soil off prior to planting.

Dig a square hole at least 30cm square and deep. Place a small handful of Neutrog Seamungus pellets in the hole and cover with 2cm of soil. Trim or remove any broken or damaged roots with sharp secateurs. Broken roots can result in suckers (root stock) which can rapidly dominate. Position your rose in the hole so that the bud union (woody knob in stem where the branches emerge) is approximately 1 to 2 cm above the natural soil level. Observe where the roots fan out from the base of the plant. Remove the plant label from the plant as the label’s tie can quickly “strangle” a plant as it grows.

Remove the plant and create a mound (inverted cone of soil) in the hole such that when you place the rose back into the hole (at the correct depth) the base of the rose stem rests on top of the mound and its roots can be “fanned out” evenly from the shank of the plant. Back fill hole to approx. half full and fill the hole with a bucket of water. You can gently wriggle the rose to remove air pockets. Wait until the water drains away, backfill the hole to the natural soil level. The height at which the rose is planted is important. The bud union should be 1 to 2cm above ground level.

Winter rains should be sufficient to keep the plant damp until spring when supplementary watering may be required. It takes about 6 – 8 weeks for new roses to become established, therefore do not let the soil dry out completely.

Winter is the best time to transplant existing roses. This can be easily done until the rose is about 10 years old. To transplant a rose, use a sharp shovel or spade and dig all around the rose approx. 30cm out from the base to at least a spade’s depth (approx. 30cm).Remove rose and shake off all the soil. Reduce the top of the plant by at least 75%, leaving 3 or 4 canes about 60cm long. Remove any broken or damaged roots. Soak in a tub with Liquid Seamungus for at least 12 hours. Replant as per instructions above.

When planting a “standard”, “stem rose” or “weeping rose”, ensure the support (stake or hoop) is placed in the ground prior to planting. Locate the rose on the south-east side of the support which will provide shading to the stem from the hot sun. The rose should be tied to the support with recycled stocking or cloth ties. Do not use wire or non-flexible ties as these can choke the stem.

Rose Pruning

Start with climbing roses, followed by bush roses. Pruning is not a difficult task if you use the right equipment and follow a few simple rules. Pruning in July is recommended and avoid the temptation to prune too early.

Wear old clothes and all leather gloves – preferably gauntlets. A high-quality pair of bi-pass secateurs, like Felco or Fiskars is essential. You will also need good loppers and a pruning saw. A pruning saw is ideal for cuts over 2 ½ cm and removing old canes. Make sure your tools are sharp.

For a bush rose, don’t bother looking at the top third to half – this will be removed. Focus on the bottom half of the plant. Ideally, you want to retain strong, healthy, young canes and remove all dead wood, twiggy growth and weak branches. If sufficient new canes have grown from the base (water shoots), then you can remove old canes from the base. Also remove canes crossing over into the centre of the plant. Ultimately, you want the rose bush to resemble a vase shape. The outer rim canes should be reduced to one-third to half of their original height and cut to 3mm above an outwardly facing bud (eye). Remove all leaves.

Climbing rose trained onto trellis

Guy Savoy – Climbing

For climbers, the plant almost “tells you what to do”. First, look at the base of the plant. If it has performed well in the growing season, there will be a number of new canes (these are still green with no side shoots) emanating from the base. These are called “water shoots” and will provide the best flowers in the spring. Therefore, do not remove these.

Secondly, move up from the base of the plant, following older canes (those which were left following the previous years’ pruning). Some of these will have strong new canes emerging partially along the old stem. Others will only have short stems all along the cane. These would have produced the flowers during the previous year.

Determine how many stems you require. As a guide most climbers need at least 12 canes in order to wrap 6 canes onto a trellis on each side of the plant.

Pruning and training Pillar Roses is easy. Ideally you need approximately 6 to 8 canes growing from the base to train them up. Every winter at pruning time remove as many older canes as possible and retain all the young, one year old canes (last season’s new growth). If you need to retain some older canes, spur prune the side shoots, like you would with a climbing rose. Ensure you have 2 to 4 canes to reach the top of the pole, the next 2 to 4 canes should be reduced to reach two-thirds up the pole and the last 2 to 4 canes to reach one third up the pole. This will ensure vertical colour the full length of the pole when therose comes into bloom.

Then simply wrap the canes around the pole, one at a time, half in a clockwise direction and the other half in an anticlockwise direction and then tie them securely at the top. A fine nylon rope which will not rot works best.  The remaining canes can be wrapped around the pole and the ends fed under the already tied canes. This will hold them in place. Old foliage should be removed and fallen leaves and pruning remnants placed into green waste.

For beginners, contact the Rose Society and attend local Rose Pruning Demonstrations and see experts at work.

Other Winter Tips

Check your plant labels are still legible and in place. It is recommended that all roses be labelled and a map is kept showing where roses are planted.

Paprika

This rose produces clusters of blooms in vibrant brick red, creating an eye-catching display. It produces long-lasting, bright red, cupped-shaped flowers with a slight fragrance. A dense, bushy shrub rose, up to 1.3m tall, with repeat flowering over the entire season. Extremely resistant to fungal rose diseases.

Silver Flash

A beautiful top performing rose with great disease resistance. Luminous red blooms have amazing flashes of white on the petals. A bushy, well-shaped hybrid tea featuring fully double flowers enhanced by an intense fruity fragrance. It  flowers all through the season and grows 1m tall.

The Sacrament Rose

Fragrant and beautiful, this Hybrid Tea rose is a tribute to the Sacraments of the Holy Church. It has large blooms of pure white with a creamy yellow centre. The classic flowers have a mass of petals per bloom enhanced by a strong citrus, peach and myrrh fragrance. Upright bush with good disease tolerance, growing  to 1.2m.

Pink Moon

‘Pink Moon’ was discovered at Knight’s Roses and surprisingly we have had quite a few different Hybrid Teas where mutations (sports) have arisen. As the name suggests, this rose is a pure pink  ‘sport’ of ‘Blue Moon’, a famous Hybrid Tea introduced in 1965, bred by Tantau and known for its intensely fragrant lilac blooms and vigorous growth. I must add, ‘Blue Moon’ is still a very popular rose today.

‘Pink Moon’ was released in 2016. It has large, very fragrant, beautiful blooms on a vigorous, free flowering, healthy bush reaching approx. 1.2m.  When I’m out in the rose fields and look down the rows, I can easily spot Pink Moon as it never fails to catch my attention and impress me with its bright colour and bountiful blooms. It’s always a “standout” from all the other roses surrounding it.

Amazing Mum

‘Amazing Mum’ was another fortunate “find” on our property. This Hybrid Tea rose is a sport of ‘Perfume Delight’ which came from the United States and introduced in Australia in 1977.

We have been growing it since it was released.

‘Amazing Mum’ has large, classic shaped, hot pink blooms with a strong damask rose fragrance on a vigorous upright bush. It was such a beautiful rose, I knew it had to be released with a very special name. The reaction from our customers has been fantastic.

Per-Fyoom Perfume

This is one of my personal favourites. Years ago, there was a time when many of the newly released roses lacked perfume, often a trade-off when breeders were concentrating on a longer vase life and other characteristics. I’m pleased to say that while many roses have fragrance to some degree, some rose breeders such as Rosen Tantau are striving to produce varieties that are highly fragrant. Interestingly, roses are scented to attract bee pollinators.

Introduced in 2016, ‘Per-Fyoom Perfume’ is one of the most fragrant roses in our collection. This multi award winning rose produces clusters of cupped shaped blooms with a glorious Old World rose, myrrh and apple blossom scent. The bush is dense and bushy, growing 1.4m tall, with good resistance to disease. If you are looking for fragrance, I highly recommend this wonderful rose.

Membership of the Rose Society of South Australia Inc. entitles you to:

• Four Bulletin magazines issued each year.
• The Australian Rose Annual – Produced by the National Rose Society approx. 160 pages of articles and rose information.
• Neutrog ‘Sudden Impact for Roses’ and other approved products may be purchased quarterly through the Neutrog on-line store at the Rose Society’s ‘members only’ special price.
• Participation in our Rose Shows

Regular meetings are held throughout the year and include where possible guest speakers, cultural Q&A and light refreshments. On occasions these meetings may take place in conjunction with a visit to a public or private garden and Rose Shows are held in April and October each year with a final Christmas luncheon in December. Information regarding meetings is published in the Bulletin and in the ‘meetings’ section of its website. If you have a rose you wish to be identified please bring it along, preferably with some foliage, to a meeting or rose show and our knowledgeable experts will make every effort to identify it for you.

Members and the General Public are most welcome to attend our Branch activities and meetings.  Contact the Rose Society’s Branches in regional areas directly for information about their activities. Chaffey Rose Club is in the Riverland; the South-East Branch covers Naracoorte Penola and Mt. Gambier and Roses on Eyre is located on Eyre Peninsula.

Annual Rose Pruning Demonstrations are held in June and July and everybody is welcome to attend and learn from the experts.

For more information visit the Rose Society of SA website http://sarose.org.au

To contact Knight’s Roses  – phone 08 85231311 or email retailsales@knightsroses.com.au or visit our website www.knightsroses.com.au

Autumn is the ideal time to take a good look at your rose garden and think about pre-ordering your Bare Root Roses for winter. It’s also time to remove any weak plants and prepare your garden beds!

Knight’s Roses are the Australian Agent for some of the world’s most renowned Rose Breeders – Rosen Tantau in Germany, Guillot in France, Harkness in England and James Cocker & Sons in Scotland. We are very proud to introduce new top quality roses every year and are now taking Pre-orders, so jump online and order now to avoid disappointment.

View our extensive catalogue online, listing many favourites and describing the varieties available or phone 1300 1ROSES or (08) 8523 1311.

Saturday, 3rd May, 2025 from 10am-2pm

All are welcome to join our Autumn Open Day to see beautiful roses, get inspired and have some fun.  Hosted by Proprietor, Daniel Knight, this is a chance to explore our large display rose garden which features the best rose varieties, both old and new, showing off their peak autumn blooms. Enjoy coffee or tea, sample delicious food and speak with some of our experienced team and Rose Society members.  We can’t wait to see you there!

Saturday, 14th June, 2025 from 10am-2pm

You are invited to our Winter Open Day which promises to be a hive of activity on 14^th June from 10am to 2pm. This year we have added two free rose pruning demonstrations, run in conjunction with the Rose Society of SA. This is a great opportunity to brush up on your rose pruning skills and learn from the experts. Rose pruning is an essential part of rose maintenance and will rejuvenate your plants for the next 12 months. The Open Day will provide an opportunity to purchase bagged and potted roses and meet members from the Rose Society who will be in attendance to provide rose growing advice.

Eisvogel

Just like the dazzling kingfisher bird, which is its namesake in German, this highly fragrant Nostalgic® hybrid tea rose is unique and enchanting.  The fully-double, rosette-shaped blooms open in a cool violet with a warm copper-orange coloured centre, then blending to pink. The exotic fragrance of the flower is equally stunning as its contrasting colours, showing notes of rose and lily with a base of sandalwood and musk. Ideal as a cut flower for arrangements, Eisvogel brings the charm of nostalgic roses and fragrance into your home. Growing up to 1.2min height, this new variety is easy to grow and has excellent disease resistance.

Paprika

This rose produces clusters of blooms in vibrant brick red, resembling paprika, creating an eye-catching display. Healthy, dark green foliage contrasts the bright red, cupped-shaped flowers. The large (6-8cm diameter) long-lasting blooms have a slight fragrance, a lovely velvety sheen and do not fade with age. This is a very floriferous, dense, bushy shrub rose, up to 1.3m tall, with a long flowering period over the entire season.

Ideal for mass planting, this rose is extremely resistant to common rose diseases, such as black spot and mildew. Its robust growth habit and attractive bright colour has made it very popular overseas. Awarded a Certificate of Merit at the National Rose Trial Garden of Australia in 2024.

Silver Flash

Such a striking rose deserves a spot in every garden. This new release is not only beautiful but a top performing rose with great disease resistance. These luminous red blooms have amazing flashes of white on the petals, making them a standout. Silver Flash is a bushy, well-shaped hybrid tea featuring fully double flowers enhanced by an intense fruity fragrance, growing 1m tall. Blooms are produced  singly and in small clusters all through the season. Awarded a Bronze Medal in the Adelaide Trial Garden in 2021.

The Sacrament Rose

Fragrant and beautiful, ‘The Sacrament Rose’ is a tribute to the Sacraments of the Holy Church. It has large blooms of pure white with a creamy yellow centre complemented by healthy, glossy foliage. The classic flowers have a mass of petals per bloom enhanced by strong citrus notes of lemon and peach with a heart of myrrh in its fragrance. It is an upright Hybrid Tea with good disease tolerance, growing  to 1.2m in height, producing both single flowers on a stem and lovely attractive clusters.

David Austin Roses are loved and admired around the world. David C.H. Austin OBE (1926-2018) began breeding roses as a hobby, on the family farm, in Shropshire England in the1940s. He decided his calling was rose breeding and not sheep!  David wanted to create an entirely new kind of rose with the look, fragrance and beauty of old world roses combined with the desirable qualities of modern roses, with their repeat flowering, wide colour range and improved disease resistance. It took many years but eventually he achieved his goal and he called them English Shrub Roses. He produced over 230 varieties and made a real impact in the world of roses. Here are six highly recommended cultivars to try in your garden.

Ambridge Rose – One of the best Austin performers with prolific repeat flowering.  It has medium-sized flowers in pure apricot with a lovely English rose myrrh scent. It has a neat bushy growth habit with attractive dark green foliage. Excellent cut flower. A tough, attractive rose  bush growing to 1m x 1m.

Sophy’s Rose –  This is a free flowering, strong and vigorous plant which excels in both hot and cold climates. It has large (12cm),rosette-shaped, rich cerise blooms with up to 80 petals complemented by a light tea rose fragrance and excellent repeat flowering ability.  It can be adapted to many garden uses, such as a mass planting, hedge or container. This rose grows to 1.5m tall x 1.2mwide with an upright and bushy growth habit.  Best Shrub Rose and Silver Medal in Adelaide Trial Garden.

Molineux   –  Healthy and easy to grow, Molineux has an even upright growth about 1m tall. It produces long lasting bright yellow blooms, with a musk and Tea Rose fragrance and flowers all the way to the end of June.  Named for David Austin’s local football club, ‘Molineux’ being the name of their Ground.

Troilus  – This rose has an unusual buff colour and is well suited to our climate. The large blooms are ideal to cut. Troilus has very attractive, large, globe-shaped blooms and a sweet fragrance. The top quality, honey-coloured blooms repeat well. The bush is well-shaped, up to 1.5m, with abundant dark green foliage. This rose is an excellent performer in our warm, dry climate.

Emanuel  – This Austin variety makes a colourful display, always blooming and it’s very easy to grow. It produces clusters of fragrant flowers on long stems for cut flowers, on a well branched bush.  The pale pink-apricot flowers fade to pale cream as they age.  Hardy, vigorous and moderately resistant to disease.

Eglantyne – Large, beautifully formed, saucer-shaped blooms with a strong sweet ‘Old Rose’ fragrance. The bush is upright and well-rounded and after deadheading can repeat flower throughout the season. Grows to 1.4m tall.

Fertilising

If an application of Sudden Impact for Roses pellets was not applied in February, ensure the rose plants receive it in March. Once applied, it should be “watered in”. If possible, and given favourable weather, apply just before forecast rain, which will assist in ensuring the fertiliser is taken to the root zone. If you can’t rely on rain or a sprinkler system, use Sudden Impact for Roses Liquid Fertiliser applied in fortnightly applications until the end of March. Neutrog Go-Go Juice will certainly provide an additional boost to plants after enduring a long hot dry summer.

Pests and Diseases

Our autumn seasons are generally warm to hot and dry until the end of April and these are favourable conditions for rose growing. As far as pests and fungal diseases are concerned, usually no preventative or curative remedies are required.  With the change in season to wetter weather, cooler nights and even heavy dews, in late April or early May, some fungal diseases may emerge. You can choose to do nothing and tolerate some infected foliage or apply a preventative organic oil or fungicide spray mid to late April to ensure plants remain clean well into late autumn and early winter.

Planting New Roses

Autumn is the best period to commence soil preparation for new roses, including the removal of underperforming old plants. Where a rose plant is to be removed, commence the process in April or early May by removing the old plant. Endeavour to dig-up as many of the old rose roots as possible. If you can, take a half a barrow of old soil out and replace with soil from elsewhere in the garden which has not grown roses. Then apply an application of10cm of Whoflungdung plus Neutrog Seamungus and Go-Go Juice to the area to be planted with the new rose(s). This should be dug into the ground to at least the depth of the spade or even deeper if possible. If the soil is lumpy from a high clay content, an application of gypsum maybe required.

Repeat the application of Go-Go Juice every few weeks until the end of May. Keep on digging over the soil to reduce weed growth and to encourage the earth worms and beneficial microbes to remain very active.

New rose beds or locations should be prepared in the same way, except the removal and replacement of soil is not required.  These should be in full sun and free of root competition from trees or shrubs. Preparation should commence on or before Easter.

Visit the Rose Show at the Adelaide Botanic Garden on

25^th & 26^thApril  – Free Entry!

Autumn is a great time for roses in South Australia. The Adelaide Botanic Garden will be buzzing with excitement as exhibitors stage their best roses.  The public always enjoy the charm and beauty of the roses on display and this year the community is invited to get involved.

The 2025 Autumn Rose Show will be held by the Rose Society of South Australia at the Noel Lothian Hall, Adelaide Botanic Garden, (near Hackney Road entrance) on Friday, 25 April from 12 noon to 4pm and Saturday, 26 April 10am to 4pm.

The public is invited to participate in the community class: “The Advertiser – Best Rose Competition” by staging their best rose blooms on Saturday 26^th between 10am – 11 am. Bring along your home-grown garden roses (in water) to enter your blooms with stem and foliage which will be placed in bottles ready for judging. The first prize will be $200 for the winner. For more information visit the Rose Society of SA website.

While at the Adelaide Botanic Garden, there is another competition (with prizes) being run by the National Rose Trial Garden of Australia, known as the People’s Choice Award. The public is invited to participate in the People’s Choice judging on Friday, April 25 from 12 noon to 4pm, Saturday 26 and Sunday 27,10am to 4pm. Simply choose your favourite five roses in the trial.  Roses are entered by local, interstate and overseas breeders and planted in the trial garden for two years where they are regularly assessed. The National Rose Trial Garden is located within the International Rose Garden in the north-eastern corner of the Adelaide Botanic Garden.

To contact Knight’s Roses  – phone +61 8 85231311 or email retailsales@knightsroses.com.au or visit our website www.knightsroses.com.au

Best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the whole team at Knight’s Roses. Thank you for your business – we can’t wait to serve you again next year.  Please do not hesitate to contact us with any enquiries.

Daniel Knight

We are busy planning our first “Autumn Rose Open Day” to be held on Saturday, 3rd May, 2025 from 10am for a 10:30am start.

The Rose Society of South Australia will also be onsite to discuss rose categories and types. Come and see our spectacular display of autumn roses at the entrance to our property at 44 Jack Cooper Drive, Evanston. More details to follow soon.

Dreaming of the perfect rose garden? Shop online at Knight’s Roses – we have many potted roses available for sale from our extensive collection with delivery Australia-wide. Pre-order your bagged roses ready for winter to avoid missing out.

Order roses by phone (08) 8523 1311,email retailsales@knightsroses.com.au or visit our website https://knightsroses.com.au

Considering there are thousands of rose varieties commercially available, it can be overwhelming to find the ideal varieties for your garden. Whether you are looking for distinct characteristics, beautiful colours or perfume, take a look at our top selling roses in 2024 for some inspiration:

1. Amazing Mum – has large fragrant bright pink blooms and repeat flowering.
2. Black Caviar – unusual deep red purple blooms with a old fashioned appearance and a superb fragrance, launched to support the National Jockeys Trust.
3. Mister Lincoln – an upright, tall bush producing long straight stems with classic large deep red velvety roses with a strong damask perfume.
4. Iceberg – a legendary rose and universal best-seller, well known for its hardiness, rapid repeat flowering all season long, healthy foliage and clusters of delicate white double blooms.
5. Firestar – clusters of fabulous bright orange blooms fading to raspberry, part proceeds support the CFS Foundation.
6. Mother’s Love – is named to remind us of the memories and love shared by all mothers. It has a vigorous bushy habit and is very hardy with large light pink flowers and a sweet rose fragrance.
7. Ebb Tide – compact bush with attractive, rosette style, dark mauve blooms and a delightful intense spicy clove fragrance.
8. Double Delight – a neat bush with flushes of bi-coloured red and white flowers famous for their lifted spicy scent.
9. Blue Moon – classic lavender blooms on long stems with a strong fragrance and still the most popular of all the ‘blue’ roses.
10. Winx – Easy to grow and very disease resistant with abundant lovely pure white blooms.

Landscape Roses were bred to be tough and hardy! One of the first was ‘La Sevillana’ in 1977. Since then, many landscape roses have been released and praised by professional landscapers, garden clubs and home gardeners alike. Adelaide has several locations featuring these roses.

Landscape and Groundcover Roses fit easily into any garden design, are low maintenance with continuous flowering and are gentler on the environment requiring little or no spraying.

Rose Breeders around the world focused on inventing new shrub and landscape roses which were capable of coping with hot, dry summers and harsh winters, provided a range of colours with strong repeat flowering all season long and, importantly, excellent disease tolerance. One genetic trade-off was generally little or no fragrance. They can be pruned mechanically if desired. The groundcover type “Landscape Roses” can grow more horizontally than vertically and look good when planted en-masse ingroups, borders or as a hedge.

La Sevillana  –   Orange-red clusters of non-fading semi-double flowers with petals dropping cleanly. The resilience, disease resistance and repeat flowering made this rose a worldwide hit. Grows 1.2m x 1.5m.

Bonica –  Clusters of pale pink blooms with very disease resistant foliage. A hardy and vigorous bush or standard rose. It sets hips in the autumn.

Hot Pink Bonica  – A vibrant pink sport of ‘Bonica’ with great repeat flowering, developing rosehips in the autumn. Can grow 1m tall.

Knock Out – Bred in the USA and introduced in 2000. Record-breaking sales have earned it the reputation as the world’s number one Rose Brand. Extremely hardy and drought tolerant with abundant and continuous flowering, producing cherry-red blooms and disease resistant foliage. It does not need deadheading like other roses do, petals drop cleanly. Height approx. 1m. There’s also a ‘Double Pink Knock Out’ on our list.

Flower Carpet – The first Flower Carpet® Rose was bred in 1988 and was one of the first to be marketed as a groundcover rose. ‘Flower Carpet Pink’ was introduced in Australia in 1991. It features small deep-pink double blooms produced in clusters throughout the season with arching, bushy and spreading growth (60cm tall and 1 to 2m wide) with glossy disease resistant foliage. In the past 30 years it has sold about 100 million plants worldwide.

Bees Paradise – A hardy and compact range of low growing shrub roses in Pink, Bi-colour, White and Red. These plants form a carpet of roses and are ideal for group planting, borders, rockeries and informal gardens. Deadheading is not essential.

Watering

Summer is all about the weather. Adelaide has experienced low rainfall for the past five months, almost 50% below average. Water your rose bushes deeply. In particular, pay attention to newly planted and potted roses which should not be allowed to “dry out”.  Young, newly planted roses will benefit from alternate, fortnightly applications of Neutrog’s Liquid Seamungus and GoGo Juice as part of their watering regime.

The amount of sunshine is very high, averaging around 300 hours per month. The UV readings are often high to extreme and evaporation rates, due to heat and low humidity, are very high. The most important ingredient for roses in summer is water. Generally, established roses need an average of 20 to 30 litres of water for each rose per week. It is essential that a rose is well hydrated prior to expected heatwaves above 35°C on average. If severe heat is forecasted in the week ahead, you should increase the rate of watering to 30 to 40 litres per plant. If a rose dries out, it is difficult to get it to recover quickly. Deep watering weekly is far better than small amounts daily. It is recommended to apply the water in one weekly application or, at most, twice per week preferably early in the morning. These watering recommendations assume you have a substantial covering of mulch. Without mulch, you will need twice the volume of water per plant.

Mulch is vital

It is recommended that you top up your mulch now. Currently most soils are still moist and mulching will keep that moisture in the soil. A generous layer of mulch will help conserve water and prevent the soil and plants drying out rapidly, it can cool the surface by 5-10°C,breaks down to feed the root zone, enables good microbial activity in the soil and also helps to smother weeds.

Neutrog’s ‘Whoflungdung’ is an excellent mulch recommended by the Rose Society. It’s a certified organic mulch which is biologically activated, nutrient rich and weed free. It comes in 20kg compressed bales. Make sure the ground is well watered before you mulch. Spread a layer about 5cm in depth and water in to reduce odour and settle it down.

Removing Spent Flowers

To encourage repeat flowering, remove dead blooms. Generally, remove the old bloom and a portion of stem down to the second five-leaflet leaf. Occasionally, some ‘blind’ shoots don’t produce flowers and these can be trimmed to encourage a new shoot. A non-performing rose bush is a sign that it is lacking fertiliser or may be diseased.

Fertilising Your Roses   

If old blooms were removed following the first spring flush, another flush will coincide with Christmas. Then there are two options. The first is to leave the spent blooms on the bush and reduce the watering a little, providing just enough to keep the plants alive, but not thriving – effectively placing them into a summer hibernation.  They can then be stirred back into strong growth with an application of Neutrog’s ‘Sudden Impact for Roses’ and a summer trim in late February or early March.

‘Sudden Impact for Roses’ is an organic based fertiliser recommended by the Rose Society of S.A.  It provides a full range of plant nutrients in a slow release pellet form together with water-soluble nutrients to maximise performance.

The second option is to keep the rose flowering with continuous removal of spent blooms, with plenty of water and applications of liquid ‘Sudden Impact for Roses’ every two weeks in January.

It is to be expected that the flowers in January, February and early March will generally be smaller with less petals compared to autumn flushes. This is heat related. In addition, due to high UV readings, dark coloured roses, such as red roses, can show scorched petals. Temporary shade can prevent this occurring if desired.

Pests and Diseases

Look out for Spider Mite which can appear when it is hot and dry. The lower leaves close to the ground may be pale in colour. Remove a leaf, turn it over and watch carefully (a magnifying glass may help). If insects, the size of pepper start moving around and/or a fine web is evident, Spider Mite are present. Organic oils (such as Eco-Oil or Eco-Neem)or one of the natural sprays (such as Natrasoap)can be used to control bad infestations – don’t use strong, toxic insecticides.

Water sprayed upward from under the leaves can also assist with the removal of early infections.  Spider Mite live under leaves and don’t like to be wet.

Shop online at Knight’s Roses – we still have many potted roses available for sale from our extensive collection with delivery Australia-wide.

To order roses either contact our office by phone (08) 8523 1311, email retailsales@knightsroses.com.au or visit our website https://knightsroses.com.au and place your order online.

With so many rose varieties, the world’s favourite flower can be confusing. There are 3 main categories of roses. There are species (wild) roses created by nature, Old Garden Roses and Modern Roses.

The rose has become the flower most hybridized and improved over time. One American database lists over 10,000 names. Wild roses are species found in the northern hemisphere. Old Garden Roses (both climbing and non-climbing) are those groups that were established prior to 1867, when ‘La France’ was seen to be the first of a group of Modern Roses. Well known Old Garden roses include Gallica, Damask, Centifolia, Moss, Alba, China, Tea, Portland, Bourbon and Hybrid Perpetual. Indeed, many rose groups, including Tea Roses and Hybrid Musks, performed better here than in their countries of origin as the hot, dry, low humidity environment ensured reduced fungal problems.

Modern Garden Roses are the predominant roses of today and new releases are launched each year around the world. The main groups are Hybrid Tea (also known as Large-flowered); Floribunda (also known as Cluster-flowered); Polyantha and Shrub roses which are described as David Austin English Shrub Roses; Hybrid Musk, Hybrid Rugosa and other shrub roses. Modern roses also include Ground Cover and landscape roses; Miniature roses and Climbing Roses. The Climbers can be Large-flowered, Cluster-flowered or Miniature.

Whatever garden design you are thinking of roses can deliver the range of colours, scent and disease tolerance required. Many varieties are exceptionally tough, suitable for our climate and are easy to grow. When you have them, they last for many years.

No other flower is loved as much as the rose. Roses can be placed in just about any landscaping situation and look great in formal, informal, cottage gardens and traditional gardens. What is succeeding for all of us is our ideal climatic conditions to grow roses.

Formal rose garden with English Box hedges

The formal garden is ideal for massed plantings. Orderly garden beds with border plants and shrubs. Roses usually have pride of place in formal gardens, sometimes in an oval or circular bed. For a really formal look, plant low borders such as English Box (Buxus), Dwarf Nandina or cottage perennials like Erigeron ‘Seaside Daisy’, Stachys ‘Lambs Ears’ or lovely white Alyssum Carpet. The right height for a border is all about the scale compared to the rest of the garden. Keep it simple. In garden design we really try to avoid straight lines.

Border with roses and perennials

Harmonise the colours. Pinks go very well with mauve and blue with a touch of white and can be complemented by grey and silver foliage plants. Shrubs and trees that have a neat, classic shape are best for a formal garden. Don’t fail to prune any of these if they start to dominate where they shouldn’t. Order, grace and proportion are the important elements.

For small areas such as patios, consider growing roses in pots – but remember they need regular watering and feeding. The containers can be highly decorative, glazed terracotta pots, wooden tubs or concrete urns. Choose two or three or more attractive pots and group them in one area where they look like a patio garden on their own. A sculpture should be in a position where it adds impact to the scene.

The charm of a rockery lies in the pleasing combination of different shaped rocks with an attractive blend of plants – this is where landscape and ground cover roses can look amazing. When building a rockery for plants, it needs to be well drained and filled with top quality, weed-free soil, then select ground cover roses to give colour for many months of the year, such as the well-known Flower Carpet collection.

Showing Cottage Garden elements

The next style is a Cottage Garden. More or less, they have always been in fashion, can look very beautiful and offer great scope to the enthusiastic gardener who can make a great cottage garden on a tiny plot or large space. Cottage gardens came from humble beginnings. In bygone years these plots had vegetables, fruit trees, herbs and plants grown from cuttings and seeds, often brightened by roses, lilies, hollyhocks, foxgloves, lavender and forget-me-nots providing beauty with usefulness, all grown together. The plants were trained to be eye-catching – roses were trained around verandahs and along fences to appreciate the scent in the air. The cottage garden is not rigid, it’s a manner of gardening flattering to a modern house as it is to an old one.

It is important to note that the higher Potassium and other trace elements in Sudden Impact for Roses is designed to increase resistance to fungal diseases and improve flowering.  If plants are not performing well, supplementary applications of Neutrog Seamungus and GoGo Juice should boost the plant back into strong growth or try the latest updated product ‘POPUL8’ containing a wide diversity of bacteria and fungi to enhance plant growth.

Watering

Water your rose bushes deeply.  Generally, watering will not be required until October. The exceptions are newly planted and potted roses which may require regular watering commencing September. These should not be allowed to “dryout”.

Irrigation systems should be checked in early September to ensure they are working effectively and fix any leaks or problems.

Young, newly planted roses will benefit from alternate, fortnightly applications of Liquid Seamungus and GoGo Juice as part of their watering regime.

Mulch is essential

It is recommended that you top up your mulch now, rather than wait for the hot weather. This needs to be completed in early spring to ensure new growth is not damaged. Currently most soils are still moist and mulching will keep that moisture in the soil.

A generous layer of mulch will help conserve water and prevent the soil and plants drying out rapidly, it cools the surface, breaks down to feed the root zone, enables good microbial activity in the soil and also helps to smother weeds.

Neutrog’s ‘Whoflungdung’ is an excellent mulch recommended by the Rose Society. It’s a certified organic mulch which is biologically activated, nutrient rich and weed free. It comes in 20kg compressed bales and can be easily spread. Spread a layer about 5cm in depth and water in to reduce odour and settle it down.

Removing Spent Flowers

To encourage repeat flowering, remove dead blooms. Generally, remove the old bloom and a portion of stem down to the second five-leaflet leaf. Occasionally, some ‘blind’ spring shoots stop growing and don’t produce flowers and these can be trimmed to encourage a new shoot.  A non-performing rose bush is a sign that it is lacking fertiliser or may be diseased.

Pests and Diseases

Unfortunately, pests and diseases can frustrate rose growers who want clean, healthy bushes. There are now many natural remedies for pests. These include the presence of predatory wasps to control aphids and bacterial laden sprays such as ‘Success’ or ‘Dipel’ to control both bad insects and grubs. Some initial outbreaks of aphids can be severe and these should be washed off or sprayed with a natural product, such as Yates ‘Nature’s Way Natrasoap Pest Spray’. Pest Oils can also be used to control insects and will also assist in fungal treatment.

Fungal issues, if left untreated, can severely impede the performance of rose plants. Prevention is better than acure and applications of preventative fungal sprays a fortnight apart in early spring will certainly stop major outbreaks of Mildew and Black Spot. Natural oil sprays, such as Eco Oil, and milk spray (1-part full cream milk to 10 parts water) are good “gentle on the environment”, preventative sprays. Mancozeb or Triforine sprays offer chemical treatments which have proven very effective. If a major outbreak occurs, regular fungal spray treatments will be necessary to get these diseases under control.

To contact Knight’s Roses  – phone +61 8 85231311 or visit our website www.knightsroses.com.au

Why were standard roses invented? This is a good question and there is a very interesting answer!

Standard roses were developed in the late 18th century in Europe, most likely in Germany. It is believed in the early 19th century standard roses were introduced to allow ladies wearing fashionable crinoline dresses to move more easily around a formal rose garden, as they are on a long rose cane a few feet off the ground with the variety of the rose growing on the top of the cane as below.

It is recorded that there were several nurseries in Germany that specialised in providing the root stock to propogate standard roses. Standard roses were extensively grown in France and England, popular in the Victorian era, where they were featured in the gardens of stately homes.

In the modern day era, standard roses are useful as architectural or structural plants. Patio (2ft or 60cm) and Standard (3ft or 90cm) roses are an ideal height for adding a focal point into your garden or verandah. Perfect for formal gardens, standard roses allow for smaller plants with light surface roots (such as annuals) to be grown underneath.

Standard and Patio roses are built to retain their distinctive ‘lollipop’ shape, however the shape can vary depending on the specific variety that is grafted onto the tall stem. Hybrid tea roses tend to grow in a ‘V’ shape, where as floribundas often maintain the round shape. A climbing or rambling rose when grafted onto a standard creates a cascading form known as a weeping standard – these are generally 5-6ft tall.

When planting standard roses into your garden, staking the stem is essential, as when a standard is in flower, it can be top heavy and can bend, break and fall over. If planting your standard in a row, we recomment planting approximately 1m to 1.2m apart

Email your roses questions to: retailsales@knightsroses.com.au

Contact Knight’s Roses for more information : 1300 1 ROSES or (08) 8523 1311

Order your bare root roses now while there’s plenty of stock. Visit our website https://knightsroses.com.au or phone 1300 1ROSES or (08) 8523 1311. We have a wonderful selection of both bagged and potted roses available. Retail Store operating at 44 Jack Cooper Drice, Gawler SA. Winter is the perfect rime to plant roses, fruit trees and ornamentals, such as Lavender, Lillies, Begonias, Geraniums and shade loving shrubs.

There’s an old saying, “It’s too soon to prune in June!” July is the month when most roses are pruned. Pruning too early risks damage from frosty nights. Some old-fashioned roses and some weeping standards are pruned after they flower in spring. However, these are a minority.  For all other roses, mid-winter is the best time to remove dead, old or diseased wood, shorten healthy canes to promote vigorous new growth and train your roses to a manageable shape and size to encourage flowering. In this process you are rejuvenating the plant to ensure it is productive year after year.

Consider the condition of your plants. Trying to resuscitate an older plant that has been performing poorly is a losing game– best to remove it and replace it. Pruning is not difficult with the right equipment. You need good bi-pass secateurs, good loppers and a pruning saw. Wear all leather gloves, preferably gauntlets. A pruning saw is ideal for cuts over 2.5cm and removing old canes. Make sure your tools are sharp.

When you prune a bush rose, focus on the bottom half of the plant. Ideally, you want to retain strong, healthy, young canes and remove all dead and damaged wood and twiggy growth. If sufficient new canes have grown from the base (water shoots), then you can remove old canes by sawing them off flush at the base. Look at the bottom of the plant and remove any ‘suckers’ those shoots coming from below the bud union.

Also remove canes crossing over into the centre of the plant. Ultimately, you want the rose bush to resemble roughly a cup shape, to allow air to circulate and light to penetrate.

The outer rim canes should be reduced to one-third to half of their original height and cut to 7mm above an outward facing bud (eye). Remove all leaves. Ideally cut at a 45-degree angle above the bud ‘eye’ where foliage was attached. Within a few weeks the dormant bud eye will begin to swell. In another three weeks the swelling will result in a young new stem.

Prune Miniature roses and patio roses slightly less severely than Floribunda roses, as hard pruning encourages the development of a few, strong shoots at the expense of the production of blooms.

Climbing roses and pillars are a great choice as they make use of your vertical space and can create a colourful attractive garden background.

When pruning climbers or pillar roses, first look at the base of the plant. If it has performed well, there will be a number of new canes from the base. These will provide the best flowers in the spring. Therefore, do not remove these.

Secondly, move up from the base of the plant, following older canes (evident following the previous years’ pruning). Some will have strong new canes emerging partially along the old stem. Others will only have short stems all along the cane. These would have produced the flowers during the previous year. Determine how many stems you require.

As a guide most climbers need at least 12 canes in order to wrap 6 canes onto a wire trellis on each side of the plant. Remove dead wood and unwanted old canes.

SAME LOCATION: Boundary of Pillar Roses shown in winter and spring

For a Pillar Rose, leave approximately 6 to 8 good green canes growing from the base, then wrap them onto the pillar, half clockwise and the other half anti-clockwise and tie on.

Remove any remaining old foliage from stems, fallen leaves and pruning remnants and place into green waste. Composting may not kill off spores and disease – best to dispose of it altogether.

Standard ‘Iceberg’ roses are very popular – they last for many years and produce an enormous number of blooms. Pruning is not difficult, although regular shaping is needed to make sure the head does not become too large as it may be damaged by strong wind. Also check that the standard is well secured to its stake. Cut out thin, dead or diseased wood. Prune back new shoots to 3 to 5 buds (about 15cm) and remaining lateral shoots to 2 – 4 buds (about 10 – 15cm). When the plant is about 3 years old, the head will be formed. These buds are sometimes known as ‘eyes’.

Once pruning is finished, a winter dormancy spray should be applied liberally – use Pest Oil, Winter Oil or Lime Sulphur. Winter Oil is considered best. If using Pest Oil double the dosage. This will effectively eliminate over-wintering aphids and spider mite eggs and fungal spores in cracks and crevasses on the stems and also on the ground under rose plants. Copper Oxy Chloride spray can also be used; however, it can be detrimental to worms. The Winter Spray regime is important for pest and disease control and will ensure significantly reduced outbreaks in spring.

FERTILISING

Roses do not require feeding in winter. However, roses benefit from an application of Neutrog ‘Seamungus’.This is a soil tonic and root conditioner, manufactured from seaweed, fish,humid acid and manure. It stimulates the roots into strong healthy growth inlate winter and early spring.

Pelletised Seamungus is recommended, as pellets will breakdown with rainfall enhancing root growth and should be applied prior to mulching. For stressed plants apply Neutrog POPUL8 to add beneficial microbes.

MULCH

Clean up old fallen leaves and cuttings then apply mulch. There are many types of mulch available, including pea straw, pine bark, wood chips and top quality commercial products such as Jeffries Recover and Neutrog ‘Whoflungdung’. Generally, apply mulch in late winter before the roses begin to produce tender shoots which can be accidently broken off.

Knight’s Roses recommend an application of 5cm of Neutrog’s ‘Whoflungdung’. While it can be applied immediately around the base of mature roses (3 years and older) it is advised not to apply mulch closer than 15cms to new, one or two-year-old plants as sometimes damage can occur to young basal shoots.

‘Whoflungdung’ comes in 20kg compressed bales. Apply water after application to settle it down. Mulch significantly reduces evaporation, cools the root zone and introduces good microbial activity into the soil.

PLANTING YOUR NEW BARE ROOT ROSE

Remove your bare root rose from the bag, wash off sawdust, soak in full bucket of water with 20mls of Neutrog GOGO Juice for 4 to 6 hours before planting. Dig a square hole roughly 30cm and add a handful of Neutrog Seamungus pellets into the bottom of the hole and mix thoroughly. This will encourage root development.

JOIN THE ROSE SOCIETY

Consider joining the Rose Society of SA and enjoy meeting other rose lovers and attending events and meetings throughout the year. Free rose pruning demonstrations will be held 30th June and 7th July. Visit the website for more information and lots of helpful advice:  https://sarose.org.au/about/membership

A reminder to email your rose questions to: retailsales@knightsroses.com.au

Contact Knight’s Roses for more information – phone +61 8 85231311 or visit our website www.knightsroses.com.au

What style of garden do you have? Do you follow a theme? This month for something different, we are promoting a Musical Inspired Garden, with beautiful new blooms and some tried and true ones for your collection.

Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire and span the transition from the Classical period to the Romantic era in classical Music.

Für Elise is one of Beethoven’s most popular compositions, and this rose was named after the Beethoven Anniversary Year 2020. This Gold Medal Winning variety of intense dark pink magenta has beautifully cupped blooms of a nostalgic character.

Slim Dusty, AO MBE, was an iconic Australian country music artist, celebrated for his talent as a singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer. Universally recognized as Australia’s King of Country Music, he became a cultural icon with a career spanning almost seven decades. Throughout his illustrious journey, he amassed numerous awards, establishing himself as one of the most revered figures in Australian music history.

The Slim Dusty rose is a compact floribunda rose with rich golden orange tones and is a fitting tribute to Australia’s legend of Country Music.

Dolly Parton is an American singer-songwriter, actress, and philanthropist, known primarily for her decades-long career in Country Music.

Dolly Parton rose is an upright, bushy, repeat blooming plant that grows up to 1.5m tall. This is the rose you want to lift your spirits when you have been working 9 – 5!!

This multi award-winning compact hybrid tea rose blooms abundantly at a steady tempo from spring to late autumn. Vibrant and distinctive flowers of ochre orange softening to coppery pink are music to your eyes. These warm, luminous colours are sure to bring harmony to any garden. Jazz Festival has excellent disease resistance and makes a strikingly beautiful cut flower with a delicate perfume. Ideal for garden and pot alike. Height 1.2m.

Soul Sister is a Floribunda with very unusual colouring of milk chocolate buds, opening to a coffee colour and fading to a soft lavender pink. It is a healthy rounded bush, with semi glossy, medium green foliage. Soul Sister has a light tea fragrance.

Add one to your garden for some much needed Soul, Sister!!

Experience the harmonious beauty of the Violina rose – a symphony for the senses. With glossy leaves and magnificent flower heads, the shell pink petals create a visual masterpiece. The fragrance that floats from this rose will fill your whole garden with the most beautiful perfume, especially when in a massed planting. Put a bunch of these flowers in a vase and it will flow through your house, awakening your senses.

We hope you have a wonderful Easter Break and where ever you may be, get to spend some quality time in your garden. Please feel free to share a picture of your garden to on of our Social Pages or email us a picture that we can share.

Happy Easter

from the Knight’s Roses Team

On behalf of Knight’s Roses, I’m very proud of our hardworking team, quality roses, continued expansion and especially our record-breaking sales over the past few years. Of course, this growth would not have been possible without the support of our loyal wholesale and retail customers, and I thank you for your business.

For us, our passion for roses has only increased as we pursue new ideas and work towards our vision for the future. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any enquiries.

As we celebrate Christmas, may your heart be filled with hope, peace and joy – wishing you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the whole team at Knight’s Roses.

Daniel Knight

Phone (08) 8523 1311, email retailsales@knightsroses.com.au or visit our website.

Each year The National Rose Trial Garden of Australia, which is located within the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, holds a public judging event. Rose Introducers in Australia place a great deal of importance on this coveted award purely because the rose is selected by the public and not by a panel of experts.

On 15 -16 April, the general public was encouraged to visit the trial garden to cast their votes for their top five roses. The voting results provide an excellent insight for rose breeders, rose introducers, growers and retailers as to the varieties and types of roses which are most popular with the public.

‘Forever Yours’ was announced the most popular rose receiving the 2023 People’s Choice Award after the public judging. Over 600 members of the public attended to select their favourite roses which had been trialled for nearly two years.  The velvety red Hybrid Tea, bred by Rosen Tantau, was the clear winner.

Forever Yours is a highly anticipated new release for 2024. Beautiful and fragrant, it features impressive, fully double, large red velvet blooms that are very long lasting and suitable as a cut flower. This rose has strong upright growth reaching 1.2m tall, produces abundant new shoots and has glossy healthy foliage with good disease resistance and excellent repeat flowering ability. Awarded the ‘Rose of Madrid’ in 2018 and Certificate of Merit (NRTGA) in 2023.

There is definitely a trend to have more disease resistant roses and a desire towards space efficient roses which use less ground space such as pillars, climbers and upright shrub roses.

If you ever wanted flowering walls to enchant and embellish your garden, then try growing ‘Camelot’ a new, attractive, uniquely coloured pink climbing rose from Rosen Tantau.

The beautiful medium-sized flowers are produced in clusters with fine, dark pink flecking on the petals. The flowers are loosely fully double and have a moderate citrus fragrance. When fully open the blooms are very bee friendly and self-cleaning.

Camelot has very vigorous growth and will reach approximately 3m tall x 1m wide. The plant continuously produces strong new canes, substantially from the bottom, which are ideal to train against a trellis or structure.

This new variety displays healthy foliage with excellent disease resistance to blackspot and mildew.

Awarded Best Climbing Rose Variety in Belfast, Ireland, in 2014 and Rose of the Year in Sweden in 2022. Order in advance to avoid disappointment.

If you have limited space, or a rental property or more plants than your garden allows, you can grow your roses successfully in pots. Potted roses are ideal for your verandah, patio, courtyard, balcony, along pathways and other areas where their beauty, colour and fragrance can been joyed. Another advantage is pots can be moved into feature areas while they are in full bloom. With their long flowering season, rounded bushy growth and fragrance, roses make highly effective containerised plants.

TIPS FOR GROWING ROSES IN POTS

1.         Choose a location which receives at least 6 hours of sunlight each day. The advantage of growing a rose in a container is that you can shift it to ensure it is in the right position for sunlight or move it under partial shade during heatwaves.

Courtyards which are open to full sun every day can get very hot in summer – it is suggested that some afternoon shade protection is advisable during heatwaves.

2.         Ensure the pot can be shifted. This can be achieved by having the pot on a low stand with wheels or use a sack-truck under it for easy relocation. Mark the side of the pot which faces north and when you relocate it ensure the pot is placed to face the sun in the same position.

3.         Container size – the bigger the better so plants can perform at their best!  But as a general guide a bush rose needs a pot 30 to 40cm in diameter. Half wine barrels make excellent containers for roses but shifting or repotting roses grown in these containers can be a challenge. Choose terracotta, ceramic, concrete, fibreglass or wood containers as they do not absorb heat like black plastic pots which should be avoided. Light coloured pots will stay cooler. They also need ample drainage holes.

4.         Choose quality potting soil. It must be a “premium mix” which is free draining but retains moisture. Roses should be repotted with new soil every 2 – 5 years. Winter is the best time to repot your rose plants. Clean pots as disease can spread easily in dirty containers. Add some Neutrog ‘Seamungus’ pellets in to the mix. Maintain a level of 5 – 10cm of mulch on the top.

5.         Roses in pots require regular watering, the soil must remain moist and cannot be allowed to dry out. Summer conditions are challenging for potted plants. Water the pot until water is freely draining through the holes at the base, then cease watering. The drainage holes cannot be allowed to block up as roses hate ‘wet feet’. If the container is the right size for the rose it will need a good watering 2 to 3 times per week in the summer and maybe daily during heatwaves. Watering can be reduced to 1 to 2 times per week at other times. You can put your finger 2cm deep in the potto test dampness, if your finger comes out clean the soil is dry.

6.         Fertilising is another important element. Feed the roots with a few Neutrog Seamungus pellets and Neutrog Sudden Impact for Roses pellets lightly scratched into the top surface. These break down slowly over 4 to 6 weeks constantly feeding the potted plant. They can then be replenished every 6 or so weeks. Sudden Impact for Roses is also available in a liquid form and its organic base provides a full range of nutrients in a slow-release form.

An application of Neutrog GoGo Juice (a pro-biotic and soil improver) every 6 weeks also ensures the potting mix maintains an active mixture of live microbiological organisms which help to break down compost and fertiliser into digestible forms for the potted rose and helps the plant withstand stress.

7.         The final point relates to pests and diseases. Potted roses can often get spider mite and to avoid this, thoroughly wet the foliage (both underneath and above)with a strong stream of water every 7 to 10 days. Similarly, aphids can be washed off or rubbed off the foliage. An occasional spray with Eco-oil or pest oil will control fungal problems and help with insect control.

CHOOSING WHICH ROSES TO PLANT

Generally, you should consider selecting varieties that have an even growth habit, maintain a regular shape and good repeat flowering throughout the flowering season.

In big tubs, standard roses can be grown with smaller annual flowering plants for colour. Good standard roses for pots include: Black Caviar, FireStar, Per-Fyoom Perfume, Double Knockout, Seduction, Friesia, Gold Bunny and Iceberg.

Or choose smaller rose varieties such as Bees’ Paradise Bicolour or Pink, Dream Chaser, Apricot Clementine, Hot Pink Bonica, Little Wishes and The Fairy.

Watering

The most important ingredient for roses in summer is water. Water your rose bushes deeply. Generally, established roses need an average of 20 to 30L of water foreach rose per week. It is essential that a rose is well hydrated prior to expected heatwaves, where the temp is above 35°C on average thus use 30 to 40L per plant. Its recommended to apply the water in one weekly application or, at most, twice per week preferably early morning. Deep watering weekly is far better than small amounts daily. These watering recommendations assume you have a substantial covering of mulch. Without mulch, you will need twice the volume of water per plant. Young, newly planted roses will benefit from alternate, fortnightly applications of Liquid Seamungus and GoGo Juice as part of their watering regime.

Irrigation systems should be checked to ensure they are working effectively and fix any leaks or problems.

Pests and Diseases

Given our hot, dry, low-humidity summers, most fungal issues disappear and pests such as Aphids and grubs also “back off”. Spider Mite may be an issue and when present, lower leaves close to the ground may be pale in colour. Remove a leaf, turn it over and watch carefully (a magnifying glass may help). If insects, the size of pepper, start moving around and/or a fine web is evident, Spider Mite are present. Water sprayed upward from under the leaves can assist with the removal of early infections as Spider Mites don’t like to be wet.

There are now many natural remedies for pests. Organic Oils (such as Eco-Oil or Eco-Neem) or one of the natural sprays such as Yates ‘Nature’s Way Natrasoap Pest Spray’ can be used to control bad infestations – don’t use strong, toxic insecticides.

For more information on rose growing, visit the Rose Society

To contact Knight’s Roses  – phone +61 8 85231311 or visit our website.

Contact Knight’s Roses for more information : 1300 1 ROSES or (08) 8523 1311

Pests and Diseases

Given our hot, dry, low-humidity summers, most fungal issues disappear and pests such as Aphids and grubs also “back off”. Spider Mite may be an issue and when present, lower leaves close to the ground may be pale in colour. Remove a leaf, turn it over and watch carefully (a magnifying glass may help). If insects, the size of pepper, start moving around and/or a fine web is evident, Spider Mite are present. Water sprayed upward from under the leaves can assist with the removal of early infections as Spider Mites don’t like to be wet.

There are now many natural remedies for pests. Organic Oils (such as Eco-Oil or Eco-Neem) or one of the natural sprays such as Yates ‘Nature’s Way Natrasoap Pest Spray’ can be used to control bad infestations – don’t use strong, toxic insecticides.

For more information on rose growing, visit the Rose Society

To contact Knight’s Roses  – phone +61 8 85231311 or visit our website.

Contact Knight’s Roses for more information : 1300 1 ROSES or (08) 8523 1311

Spring is in the air –  it’s time to get out into the garden. Your tasks are detailed in our ‘Rose growing notes’. Whether your garden is new or old, we all know there are still jobs to do.

Let’s celebrate spring – the season of renewal!

Buy roses online from Knight’s Roses – we now have potted roses for sale from our extensive collection with delivery Australia-wide.

Some varieties available to order include:

A Best Impression, Bees’ Paradise Pink, Aussie Magic, Winx, Dolly’s Rose, Fairy Godmother

To order roses either contact our office by phone (08) 8523 1311, email retailsales@knightsroses.com.au or visit our website https://knightsroses.com.au

and order them online.

Compost is an easy way to recycle organic waste from your kitchen and garden and add nutrient rich humus to your garden beds. It promotes plant growth, helps depleted soil, reduces landfill and is simple to make.

Compost has 4 ingredients: nitrogen, carbon, oxygen and water.  The secret to a healthy rich compost pile is to maintain a balance between carbon and nitrogen matter.

Carbon rich material includes dried leaves, peels, clean sawdust, coffee grounds and straw. Nitrogen, or protein rich materials, include green leaves, fruit and veggie scraps, crushed eggshells, green lawn clippings (used in thin layers) and kitchen waste.

Use about 1/3green material to 2/3 brown materials. Its best to avoid using citrus and onions in the compost as worms don’t like these! Avoid fish, meat, dairy, bone scraps or bread as these will attract rodents and pests. Also avoid composting perennial weeds (due to seeds).

Keep the composts lightly moist. It is important to have earthworms and microbes in your compost. A great way to increase the number of microbes is to apply Neutrog’s GOGO Juice or Seamungus Liquid, mixed in a watering can, and poured over the compost.

Set up your compost container on bare ground. It will allow worms and organisms to aerate the material. There are many compost container designs from a no-turn standard digester to a tumbler which rotates speeding up the process.

After about 4 to 6 months your compost will be ready.

Time to Mulch

It is recommended that you top up your mulch now, rather than wait for the hot weather to set in. Currently most soils are still moist and mulching will keep that moisture in the soil.

A generous layer of mulch will help conserve water and prevent the soil and plants drying out rapidly, it cools the surface, breaks down to feed the root zone, enables good microbial activity in the soil and also helps to smother weeds.

Neutrog’s ‘Whoflungdung’ is an excellent mulch recommended by the Rose Society. It’s a certified organic mulch which is biologically activated, nutrient rich and weed free. It comes in 20kg compressed bales and can be easily spread. Spread a layer about 5cm in depth and water in to reduce odour and settle it down.

Removing Spent Flowers

To encourage repeat flowering, remove dead blooms. Generally, remove the old bloom and a portion of stem down to the second five-leaflet leaf. Occasionally, some ‘blind’ spring shoots stop growing and don’t produce flowers. These can be trimmed to encourage a new flowering shoot.  A non-performing rose bush is assign that it is lacking fertiliser or may be diseased.

Pests and Diseases

Unfortunately, pests and diseases can frustrate rose growers who want clean, healthy bushes. There are now many natural remedies for pests. These include the presence of predatory wasps to control aphids and bacterial laden sprays such as ‘Success’ or ‘Dipel’ to control both bad insects and grubs. Some initial outbreaks of aphids can be severe and these should be washed off or sprayed with a natural product, such as Yates ‘Nature’s Way Natrasoap Pest Spray’. Pest Oils can also be used to control insects and will also assist in fungal treatment.

Fungal issues, if left untreated, can severely impede the performance of rose plants. Prevention is better than a cure and applications of preventative fungal sprays a fortnight apart in early spring will certainly stop major outbreaks of Mildew and Black Spot. Natural oil sprays, such as Eco Oil, and milk spray (1-part full cream milk to10 parts water) are good “gentle on the environment”, preventative sprays. Mancozeb or Triforine sprays offer chemical treatments which have proven very effective. If a major outbreak occurs, regular fungal spray treatments will be necessary to get these diseases under control.

For more information on rose growing, visit sarose.org.au  

You are invited to attend our special Open Days to celebrate Knight’s Roses’ 60 years of operation! Visit the home of Knight’s Roses at 44 Jack Cooper Drive, Evanston (near Gawler) on Saturday, 17th June and Saturday, 29th July from 10am to 2pm. Buy top quality roses, get expert rose growing advice from the Rose Society of South Australia, and see the FELCO stand for your precision gardening tools.

The Roseworthy CFS will also be in attendance, and Knight’s Roses will be donating 100% of all the sales of the Firestar Rose on the day to the CFS Foundation!

Knight’s are one of the largest rose producers in Australia offering a comprehensive range of climbers, standards and bush roses, in fact hundreds of rose varieties available. Whether you are starting a new rose garden or renovating an old one – you are sure to find some perfect roses.

Choose from our extensive collection of top-quality roses, bare rooted bagged roses and potted roses available, including many popular varieties and new releases. Visit our website www.knightsroses.com.au or phone 1300 1ROSES or (08) 8523 1311. Place your order now for delivery Australia-wide from June to August, 2023.

Free Rose Pruning Demonstrations are being run by experienced rose pruners from the Rose Society of South Australia. These are “hands on” workshops so bring your gloves and secateurs and train with the help of experts.

CARRICK HILL – 46 Carrick Hill Drive, Springfield, Sunday 18th June from 1:30pm to 3pm.

ADELAIDE – International Rose Garden, Adelaide Botanic Gardens, Sunday, 25th June from 12:30pm to 3pm. Free parking is available along Hackney Road.

EVANSTON (Gawler) – ‘Roses in the Heartland’ Rose Society Branch on Sunday 9th July from 1pm to 3pm at 3 Para Rd, Evanston. Enquiries: http://sarose.org.au

July is the month when most roses are pruned. There are a few exceptions, including certain old-fashioned roses and some weeping standards, which should be pruned after they flower in spring.

For all other roses, mid-winter is the best time to remove dead, old diseased wood, shorten healthy canes to promote vigorous new growth and train your roses to be a manageable size and shape and encourage flowering. It’s Important to rejuvenate the plant ready for spring growth. An annual cut-back ensure an attractive and productive plant, year after year. However, trying to resuscitate an older plant that has been neglected or a poor performer for many years is a loosing game – best to remove it and replace it.

Pruning is not difficult with the right equipment, You need good bi-pass secateurs like Felco, good loppers and a pruning saw. Wear all leather gloves, preferable gauntlets. A pruning saw is ideal for cuts over 2.5cm and removing old canes. Make sure your tools are sharp.

Felco’s instructions for sharpening, lubricating and adjusting blades are on their website https://felco.com/en_au/services/maintenance

When you prune a bush rose, don’t bother looking at the top – this will be removed. Focus on the bottom half of the plant. Ideally, you want to retain strong, healthy, young canes and remove all dead and damaged wood and twiggy growth. If sufficient new canes have grown from the base (water shoots), then you can remove old canes by sawing them off flush at the base. Look at the bottom of the plant and remove any ‘suckers’ those shoots coming from below the bud union.

Also remove canes crossing over into the centre of the plant. Ultimately, you want the rose bush to resemble a cup shape, free of growth in the middle to allow air to circulate and light to penetrate.