My roses are having their final fling, so I felt the need to make something to celebrate their beauty. A large casual arrangement in a vintage style jug fitted the bill perfectly.

Jo's Bouquet

This is a David Austin rose called Crown Princess Margareta, my current favourite. This year I have loved all shades of peach and apricot in the garden and this rose is stunning. I only have one bush at the moment, but am planning to add a few more in the early spring.

I always buy my roses bare rooted and have experimented with both spring and autumn  planting. On my wet heavy clay soil I have had more success with spring planting,  with the roses flowering in their first season. Autumn plantings haven’t gone as well, with more die back, weak growth and less reliable flowering. Once established I cut my shrub roses back by at least a third in November to protect them from wind rock through the winter and then I prune lightly for shape in early spring as new growth starts to develop.