Roses
with Nancy Mountford
There are many beautiful, hardy varieties of roses that thrive in our Canadian climate.
These varieties are cold and drought tolerant and disease resistant.
The Canadian series of extra-hardy shrub roses, includes the Explorer,
Parkland, Canadian Artists and 49th Parallel series.
These roses are hardy down to -35 C with only snow as protection, are disease resistant,
flower repeatedly throughout the summer, require only minimal pruning
and come in a variety of colours and sizes.
Living in Kawartha Lakes, you may prefer to try these hardy shrub roses over the tender
bush roses, namely hybrid tea, grandiflora or floribunda roses, which can be
very challenging to grow successfully here.
When buying roses, always read the plant label which lists measurements and
descriptions of the plant’s fully grown size. This helps you plan placement in your garden.
• Height: Height is listed as a range from the minimum to the maximum average height.
This is helpful for designing your garden.
• Spread: The spread is how wide you can expect the plant to grow.
This helps when spacing plants in your garden.
• It’s best to plant roses in either spring or late autumn.
• Roses thrive in full sun. Choose a well-drained site that gets at least six
hours of direct sun daily.
• Once you have chosen your site, dig a hole deep enough so the bud union
(where the stem joins the rootstock) is 4" below ground level.
• Add your plant to the middle of the hole, then fill ¾ full with soil and
pack it firm around the rootstock.
• Water well, then finish filling the hole.
• Roses need about 1" of water per week.
• Always water early in the morning and try to avoid wetting the leaves by watering
around the base of the plant.
• In spring, feed your roses with a fertilizer formulated specifically for roses. For best performance
and blooms, apply the fertilizer every 2-3 weeks during the growing season.
• Be sure to water your rose before and after applying fertilizer as their roots are
susceptible to being burnt.
• Stop feeding your roses in late summer when they begin preparing for winter dormancy.
• The best way to keep your roses clean is by pruning off diseased leaves or canes. Be sure to tidy all debris from around the base and dispose of it carefully to avoid spread.
• Climbing and Shrub Roses should only have dead wood pruned out. Do not cut out much
healthy wood as this will interfere with flowering. Limit climbers to 3-5 strong canes
and prune out the rest right down to ground level.
• When roses start their blooming cycle, remember to remove spent flowers
(called “deadheading”), which will promote more flowers.
• Always remove injured canes or sucker growth from the bud union as soon as you see it.
With a little tender love and care, you can have beautiful roses to enjoy for years to come.
The Canadian Rose Society is an excellent reference with a number of fact sheets on proper planting, pruning, and general care of your roses.
