English Rose

Rosa William Shakespeare

• Position: full sun
• Soil: fertile, humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil
• Rate of growth: average
• Flowering period: July and September
• Flower colour: rich crimson
• Other features: excellent cut-flowers
• Hardiness: fully hardy
  
  A truly superb variety with exquisite blooms of the richest crimson, which gradually deepen to a decadent purple. The flowers are deeply cupped at first becoming flatter as they age and have a strong old rose fragrance. An excellent rose that has good disease resistance. Launched at the Chelsea flower show 2000 by the famous rose breeder David Austin.
  
  
• Garden care: Before planting shorten thick roots to 25cm (10in) and reduce top-growth to an outward-facing bud 8-15cm (3-6in) above ground-level. Plant during a frost-free spell, incorporating well-rotted organic matter and a balanced fertiliser into the planting hole. Ensure that the 'bud union' (the bulge at the base of the shoots) is 2.5cm (1in) below the soil.
  
  All our roses are field grown. In October/November they are dug up and potted. However, they will not produce any new roots until spring, so don't be surprised if the compost falls away from the roots when winter planting. Some suppliers send out 'bare root' plants unpotted, but we don't as it is easier to manage them on the nursery in pots.