GARDENS
Fresh from the plot
It’s a month of easy pickings, bounteous flowers and sun-warmed fruit. There’s plenty to do, though, to keep the show on the road...
by LUCY HALL
Revive... your roses
Wondering why your climbing roses don’t flower? You may have a rambler rose, which is typically more vigorous than the climber type and blooms once in June – if pruned at the right time. Now is that time, because next year’s flowers are formed on this year’s growth – so when you prune in spring, it’s easy to cut off buds. Prune to the base the oldest stems and leave at least 5-6 of the newest ones, reducing these by half, fanning them out and tying down horizontally on supports to stimulate buds. Add a granular rose feed, water well and mulch round the base with compost or rotted manure.