Dahlias and roses in spring

Ruth gets her popular perennials ready for the summer

- Ruth Hayes

ROSES and dahlias are the mainstays of many a summer garden and our AG post bag for ‘agony uncle’ John Negus is full of queries about looking after them and troubleshooting problems.

It is hardly surprising that both plants are so popular. Both come in an almost endless range of colours, shapes and sizes and are suitable for many situations, from patio planters to borders and, with roses, growing over walls and up arches and pergolas.

Early spring is the start of the growing season for dahlias and roses, and gardeners across the UK will be potting up tubers – either newly bought or overwintered – and pruning roses ready for a stunning summer of colour and scent.

I joined their ranks this week, and spent a very happy hour in the shed checking my dahlia tubers remained sound for potting up, before turning my attention to our roses.

My main concern has been a yellowflowered ‘Brownie’ shrub rose that has been struggling in a patch of garden where it has been gradually overrun by surrounding shrubs. It has not been able to grow properly, was being shaded out, and poor ventilation caused by surrounding vegetation created a perfect microclimate for pests and fungal diseases.

Roses thrive in a sunny spot in soil that drains well, is fertile and has been enriched with well-rotted compost and manure. They are hungry plants so need all the goodness they can find.

Spring is a good time for moving and planting roses as the soil is warming up and dampened by rainfall, so I have relocated the rose to another area of garden where it will get plenty of space and sunshine.

Dahlias originally came from South America and were first imported for their edible tubers.