Rosa Rhapsody in Blue ('Frantasia') (PBR)

rose Rhapsody in Blue (shrub)

• Position: full sun
• Soil: fertile, humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil
• Rate of growth: average
• Flowering period: July to September
• Flower colour: purple
• Other features: excellent cut-flowers
• Hardiness: fully hardy
  
  Iridescent purple, sweetly scented flowers that fade to slate blue from July to September. A new variety that is the closest yet to a blue rose and has already created a great deal of excitement around the world in rose trials. It is a tall, bushy shrub that repeat flowers well and is very healthy.
  
  
• 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 approximately 5cm (2in) 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.