The summer months are fast approaching, and with them come Haddon’s spectacular roses, which cascade down the hall’s historic walls in their thousands, creating a wonderfully romantic ambience and a magnificent burst of colour.
To ensure Haddon’s roses return in spectacular fashion year after year, our talented team of gardeners spend the winter months pruning and training the roses, starting in November, and running right through until early March.
During this period, long laterals are pruned back to 2-3 buds and the main rose stems are then trained horizontally to form a curve. This slows down the sap flow during early Spring and helps to promote new lateral growth and flowers.
The winter months also see the removal of the dead and diseased wood and all the old foliage to prevent the spread of any rose diseases. If any pests or diseases are discovered, the team practice organic controls, including good pruning and training techniques, as well as old foliage removal and clean-up to reduce the spread of fungal spores, encouraging Haddon’s fabulous bird populations which help to control aphids and other insect pests.
Mulch is applied to the borders around all the plants and the roses in the spring to reduce weed germination, prevent black spot and also to retain soil moisture. It also provides nutrients and improves the structure of the soil. It’s a product called Lakeland Gold Clay Buster Soil Improver, it’s a peat free, vegan friendly product from Dalefoot Composts who produce a range of specialist compost products. Lakeland Gold is made from sustainably harvested bracken.
This year we have also applied biofertiliser by empathy called “biofertiliser after plant for roses”. It is a mycorrhizal enriched rose food for established plants, which helps increase more growth and more flowers.
In early March, active growth begins with new foliage appearing. New laterals start to appear on the curved main stems, producing flower buds ready for a splendid summer display, predominantly of pinks and whites, with accents of apricots, designed to complement the display of herbaceous perennials.
The best time to see the roses in full bloom at Haddon is June and July. And with the introduction of Haddon’s Summer Visitor Pass, allowing unlimited visits to the hall for £35 per person, you can enjoy them time and time again!
Haddon Blog