After last summer’s drought killed off the last of my grass in my front garden, I decided it was time to address the verge that runs alongside my driveway.
Front garden design feels quite daunting as everyone can see it. I’d debated entering into the world of grass reseeding and patch repairs, but when I saw bare root roses for sale in Sainsbury’s for 2 for £5 – making them just £2.50 a plant with a Nectar card – I suddenly had visions of a beautiful rose garden in front of our house.
Roses are typically an investment plant – prices start at £19.99 on Crocus – and buying enough to fill the border would be too much of a gamble, especially as the soil and position were suboptimal. I calculated that I needed about eight plants to fill the space (which, if purchased from the garden centre, would’ve cost me at least £160).
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I was a little hesitant about buying supermarket bare roots. I have bought a few David Austin bare-root roses to grow over the years, and they have thrived; however, Sainsbury’s bare-root roses were covered in wax. This was something I hadn’t seen before, and I didn’t know if they would flourish in the same way as the premium plants.
I started with two roses to dip my toe in. If they didn’t survive, then it was only £5 wasted. I looked for roses that already showed signs of life – hoping that these were healthy specimens. If it worked, I knew I had found the budget garden idea that I was looking for.
Having returned home with my impromptu rose purchase, I started to do a little research. The wax coating reduces moisture loss, keeping the plant healthy while it’s in the shop. I did wonder about peeling the wax off, but as the buds were already poking through, I left them be. Turns out this was the right approach as the buds will break through the wax as they emerge, and once summer arrives, the sun will completely melt anything that’s left.
Within a week, leaves started to appear, and the plants began to grow. This success made the rose garden seem a viable alternative to a dry and weedy grass verge. So, feeling emboldened, I returned to Sainsbury’s and added six more roses to my trolley – plus a pretty-looking bare-root standard that would top everything off.
Now a month in and all eight bare root roses are thriving (as is the standard) – of course, only time will tell whether my spindly canes will transform into a resplendent rose garden, but I’m looking forward to finding out.
While I wait, I now need to edge the border – I’m thinking of using this scalloped edging from Amazon – and top dress with some bark chip mulch to finish everything off and suppress the weeds naturally.
Why are bare root roses cheaper?
While I saved money by buying my bare root roses at the supermarket, bare root roses in general are a great money-saving trick in the garden.
‘Bare root roses are sold between the end of October/end of April. They are dormant (asleep) plants that are sent with just stems and roots. They are not actively growing, and there is no foliage or flowers when shipping,’ explains Liam Beddall, head rosarian at David Austin Roses.
‘Buying bare-root roses gives you access to a much larger range of plants, is a more sustainable gardening option and is the most cost-effective option. As they are sent out dormant, when planted they can focus on settling in a strong root system while there is plenty of moisture in the ground ready to support foliage in the spring, followed by flowers.’
‘Bare root roses are more economical than potted roses as they do not require a pot, compost, fertiliser, or the extra maintenance needed at the production level. It has no bearing on the quality or the garden benefit. I would encourage people to try both,’ adds Liam.
Planting bare root roses for success
Planting bare-root roses is slightly different from planting normal roses. The main difference is that you need to soak the plant for a few hours before planting – this helps to rehydrate the plant after having been sitting in the shop for days. With all the rain we’ve been having, I had a plant pot of water ready to go.
With the soaking done, the rest of the planting is relatively straightforward and not dissimilar from growing potted roses.
‘Dig a hole wide enough to allow all the roots to spread out, and the plant should sit no deeper than the nursery collar (where the roots flare out from the stem). If you mound the soil in the centre of the planting hole, you can get the level right whilst allowing the roots to be buried slightly deeper, which will help stabilise the plant,’ explains Ashley Edwards, head gardener at Crocus.
To give me roses the best start in life, I also took advice from Liam Beddall, head rosarian at David Austin Roses – the experts in rose care.
‘Sprinkle some mycorrhizal fungi onto the root system, this encourages nutrient and water uptake,’ advises Liam. I used this Empthay RHS Endorsed Mycorrhizal Fungi from Amazon.
‘We also recommend sprinkling some controlled-release fertiliser around the base of the rose and watering it in well. This will break down over the season and feed your rose. Always follow the advice on the back of the bag for application rates.’ Following this advice, I added a sprinkling of Miracle-Gro’s Premium Rose fertiliser, which I had bought last year when planting my potted roses in the garden, to the base of the rose.
I can’t wait to see how my £20 rose garden grows over the coming months. If you have a similar project in the works follow my advice and opt for bare root rose, even the supermarket ones to make some serious savings.
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