Summer Roses & the Challenges of Extreme Weather
Summer has well and truly arrived. In fact, it has arrived with a vengeance.
When we lived in Queensland, people would often comment about how we coped with the heat. I have to say, though, that Summer in the Hunter Valley is a whole new experience with regard to heat. We never had temperatures as high as 45 Degrees Celsius in the Sunshine Coast like we do here in the Hunter Valley.
So it is a whole new learning curve as far as growing roses for cutting in extreme heat. Our garden grown roses are grown in the open air, and not in temperature controlled green houses, Handed down through the generations, our roses are sumptuous, timeless roses, with some dating as far back as the 1600s. So they're luscious and gorgeous, with exquisite blooms that bend and twist into luxurious shapes in bunches and bouquets.
However, growing old-time roses sustainably and without pesticides or other nasty chemicals to preserve them after cutting, has its challenges. It means that the vagaries of climate, especially extreme heat, impacts the blooms in ways I had never seen before, even when we grew them in our previous 'warmer' climate garden in the Sunshine Coast. Rose blooms crisping on the bush was never something I had experienced before in our previous garden.
So it seems there are more things to learn about managing extreme heat in this new climate. One of the first priorities is growing green hedges that mitigate radiant heat. When we first moved here, one of the first things I did was to plant Viburnam shrubs for evergreen foliage as well as seasonal flowers, such as V. Tinus.
Now I realise I need to plant even tougher green shrubs that cope with heat as well as limited water. This means that my efforts to propagate Australian natives such as Westringia and Leptospermum has now been prioritised. And planting more deciduous trees that give precious shade in summer has also been brought forward. These include crab apples that grow well here and provide fruit as well as flowers and foliage.
The old-time, heritage roses I grow have proven to be tough survivors over the centuries but the extremes in climate we're seeing now means doing everything I can to ensure they establish well. That includes deep watering in the establishment phase, as well as laying a good quality mulch around their root systems. Mulch has a two-fold effect, of retaining precious soil moisture as well as adding humus that ultimately feeds the roses. Growing gardens sustainably is more important now than ever as green space that provides cool respite for both people as well as fauna in urban areas diminishes as lack of affordable housing impacts more and more.
So, with Summer upon us, I'll be working harder than ever to not only grow our gorgeous, timeless roses for their scent and beauty, but to ensure that our country garden provides an oasis of green and shelter in this harsh Australian climate.
Happy gardening, and may your Summer and Christmas season be one of abundance and joy.
xxLillian
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