Rosa The Lark Ascending (‘Ausursula’) (PBR) (rose The Lark Ascending (shrub)) was £18.99 now £16.99
Position: full sun Soil: fertile, humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil Rate of growth: fast-growing Flowering period: June to August Flower colour: apricot Other features: excellent cut-flowers Hardiness: fully hardy Semi-double, cup shaped blooms in a delicious shade of golden-apricot, form in generous clusters throughout the summer. Their scent is light, with a touch of myrrh, and they will make excellent additions to the vase. A large and bushy shrub, it rarely succumbs to diseases. All our roses are grown in an open field and then dug up when the weather conditions are right in October or November. Some suppliers send out their roses as ‘bare root’ plants (ie without pots or compost), but we pot ours up as it helps to keep the roots hydrated and in good condition. As they are dormant throughout the winter, they will not produce any new roots until spring, so don’t be surprised if the compost falls away from the roots when you take them out of their pots. The roses can be kept in their pots throughout the winter provided they are kept well fed and watered, however ideally they should planted out as soon as possible. They will already have been cut back so no further pruning will be required, apart from snipping off any tips that have died back. Routine pruning can begin in late winter the year after planting. Garden care: If planting in winter, choose a frost-free spell when the soil is not frozen. Roses are quite deep-rooted plants so dig a deep hole roughly twice as wide as the plants roots and mix in a generous amount of composted organic matter. A top-dressing of a general purpose fertiliser can be worked into the surrounding soil and we also recommend using Rose Rootgrow at this stage to encourage better root development. This is particularly important when planting into a bed where roses have previously been grown as Rose Rootgrow is said to combat rose sickness (aka. replant disease). Remove the plants from their pots and gently spread out the roots before placing them in the centre of the hole. Try to ensure that the ‘bud union’ (the point where the cultivated rose has been grafted onto the rootstock, and from where the shoots emerge) is at soil level. You can judge this quite easily by laying something flat, like a spade handle or bamboo cane, across the top of the hole. When they are at the right height, back-fill the hole, firming the soil down gently before wate