Our fabulous followers on Facebook often send in questions on roses for our experts here at Harkness to help them with. We thought what better way than to offer a regular Q & A, here’s our first one!

Wendy Brett
Do you do courses in pruning and what is the best way to get climbing roses to show their best?

Hi Wendy, we don’t currently offer courses, however we do offer a wealth of tips, here’s Philip on our Chelsea stand talking to Gardeners’ World on pruning climbing roses.

Tristan Loraine
Why is the Harkness Roses Dr Susan Michaelis rose the greatest rose ever?

Tristan is Susan’s husband! So clearly, it’s the best rose because it is named after the best lady! We also love it for it’s 40+ petals in each bud! As they begin to unfurl, we are treated to a vision of deep cerise pink, with flecks of silvery white which are a nod to the contrast that is revealed as the blooms open more fully. The flowers still look vibrant even as they begin to fade, with the cerise shade transitioning through a deeper purple colour. Benefitting from having few thorns, this rose is also attractive to bees, though more for its beautiful colour than pollen. What’s not to love!

Dorothy Murray
Love all my roses but the black spot has taken over this year. Will they recover if I cut them all back and spray earlier next year? I’m in Scotland and we’ve had rain all summer.

Absolutely, give them a good cut back and let them grow again. Be sure to pick up any fallen leaves as they can cause reinfection next year. Treat the plant and the soil around the plant for fungal spores. The wet damp conditions this year have made it very easy for black spot! We recommend this.