Great British Garden Revival episode 11: Rachel de Thame shares her love of old roses. In her revival, she meets a nurseryman in Oxford involved in the restoration and conservation of old rose gardens, takes to the streets of Solihull with her pop-up rose garden and visits the most famous rose nursery in the UK, where a father-and-son team are at the cutting edge of rose breeding. Rachel guides us through the best old roses to grow in our gardens and shares her tips on how to plant a rose shrub.
Joe Swift wants to dispel some of the myths which have grown up around climbers and creepers and shows us that, with the right selection and a little bit of maintenance, they will suit any style of garden. On his revival, he meets a university research team investigating the effects that climbing plants can have on our buildings, sizes up the longest wisteria in the country and finds out that climbing plants can also be productive on a visit to a cooperative vineyard in London. Throughout the show, Joe guides us through some of his favourite climbers, including clematis, honeysuckle, passion flowers and roses, and demonstrates an easy and simple way to support climbing vegetables.
Great British Garden Revival episode 11
Roses
Roses (Rosa) are a classic and instantly recognisable plant, ideal for almost every style of garden. They flower abundantly from early summer in a choice of colours including pastel shades of pink, peach, cream or snowy-white; vibrant yellow and gold; orange, crimson or red. Many roses are fragrant. Some types flower in one flush of blooms while others flower all summer long. Some have colourful fruits (hips). Plants come in a range of forms, from traditional shrubs and climbers to miniature plants for patio containers.
Roses have upright, arching, scrambling or trailing, usually prickly stems. Their leaves are glossy and mid to dark green but occasionally grey-green. Flowers vary in shape and include flat, cupped, rounded, urn-shaped, button-eye, pompon and rosette. Roses grow best in moisture-retentive, fertile, well-drained soils in a sunny position. They are very responsive to mulching and feeding.
Climbing plants
Climbers and wall shrubs are a brilliant way to liven up dull walls, fences, obelisks and supports throughout the garden, especially when planting space is limited. There are many different types to suit all locations, and they provide shelter and food for wildlife too.
These plants clothe walls and supports in foliage and flowers. Climbers cling on using tendrils, twining stems, stem roots or sticky pads, while wall shrubs need to be tied to supports. Plants can be large and vigorous or neat and compact, some are evergreen retaining their foliage all year, while others are deciduous and lose their leaves over winter. Climbers love to grow upwards, and like sturdy supports to help them on their way. Wall shrubs are happy to be trained and pruned closely against a wall. There are planting options for every type of soil and growing location.
Most don’t like to dry out, but when growing close to a wall they’re often sheltered from rainfall, so you may need to water regularly. Some dislike shade, others dislike sun, so check plant labels and put the right plant in the right place.
