Rose Of The Year 2023Rosa Peach Melba

After a two-year trial undertaken by Rose UK (in which new roses are rigorously assessed), this climber, which came out on top, was voted by the judges as Rose of the Year 2023. The judges were impressed with the plant’s outstanding disease resistance, as well as its ability to flower prolifically and repeatedly throughout the season. The flowers themselves appear in large clusters, are adored by bees and have a subtle, perfume.

All our roses are grown in an open field and then dug up when the weather conditions are right in October or November. Some suppliers send out their roses as ‘bare root’ plants (ie without pots or compost), but we pot ours up as it helps to keep the roots hydrated and in good condition. As they are dormant throughout the winter, they will not produce any new roots until spring, so don’t be surprised if the compost falls away from the roots when you take them out of their pots. The roses can be kept in their pots throughout the winter provided they are kept well fed and watered, however ideally they should be planted out as soon as possible. They will already have been cut back so no further pruning will be required, apart from snipping off any tips that have died back. Routine pruning can begin in late winter the year after planting.