The roses are making their first appearance, bringing glorious splashes of colour to the garden, discovers GINA PARKINSON.

THE first roses have opened in our garden. A yellow climber scrambles up a south-facing wall among winter jasmine, actinidia and ornamental hop. It has its work cut out to avoid being dominated by these three vigorous plants, but in May it holds its own.

The winter jasmine has finished flowering and has had a spring prune, while the other two plants are only just getting going. By July, the picture will have completely changed, with the rose and jasmine hardly in evidence, covered as they will be by the long stems and dense foliage of the hop and actinidia.

A second rose sits among the early herbaceous perennials and just manages to rise above a mass of cream and green variegated euonymus. The single stem has been supported upright so that it looks like a standard, although we have no idea if this was the original intention.

The numerous small branches at the top of this stem are covered in leaves and a number of buds, two of which recently opened, and we now have the most beautiful velvety red blooms that can be seen from the house.

The tinge on the new stems and veins of the foliage echo the colour of the flowers and buds. The climbing and rambling roses that collapsed in the wind in February have made an amazing recovery from their trauma. They had to be untangled and cut back pretty hard to free the broken arches, but a good soaking and feed has perked them up and they are covered in buds.

We are anticipating a fantastic show from them this summer, but must remember to enjoy the present moment too, as our yellow and red roses will soon be over for another year.

Gardeners are terrible for looking forward to the next thing and before we know it the summer is over.

In the veg patch

THE strawberries are well into flower and a few in the sunniest spot of the bed are beginning to form the minuscule green fruits that will plump up and redden.

Once strawberry plants are flowering, it is time to spread a generous layer of straw around the base of the plant. Lifting the stems and leaves above the straw and off the soil will stop the fruit rotting on damp earth, and also offer some protection from the attentions of slugs and snails.

Weekend catch-up

THERE is another Bank Holiday this weekend and for many of us this extra day will give us time to get the summer containers and hanging baskets planted up.

Home-grown plants should have been hardening off over the past couple of weeks out. Don’t worry if you haven’t done your own, garden centres, nurseries and market stalls have plenty to choose from.

It is a good idea to mix slow-release fertiliser in with the compost before planting. This will keep the plants well fed for much of the summer.

Open gardens

Sunday, May 29

In aid of Sue Ryder and Seaton Ross Village Hall

Seaton Ross Village Open Gardens, Seaton Ross, East Yorkshire. Ten village gardens open including Boundary Cottage, the garden Roger Brooks planted from scratch seven years ago. The garden now has two ponds and extensive borders and island beds filled with plants including the national collection of Dicentra.

The gardens are all different and visitors will find woodland walks and unusual trees and manicured plots and wild areas in gardens large and small. Teas will be served at the village hall. Parking at the hall and along the main street. Open noon to 5pm, combined admission £3.

In aid of the National Gardens Scheme

Creskeld Hall, Arthington, nr Leeds, LS21 1NT, on the A659 between Pool and Harewood. Historic 3.5 acre garden with beech avenue, rhododendrons, azaleas, gravel path leading to a water garden, woodland planting, kitchen garden and flower garden. Open noon to 5pm, admission £4.

Sleightholmedale Lodge, Fadmoor, YO62 7JG, six miles north east of Helmsley. A hillside garden with views over a North York Moors valley and a walled rose garden and herbaceous borders with species tulips and meconopsis in May. Open 2pm-6pm, admission £3.50. Also open today 2pm-6pm.

Monday

Cobble Cottage, Rudgate, Whixley, YO29 8Al, off the A59 between York and Knaresborough. Ever-changing cottage garden with architectural plants, water garden, containers, black and white courtyard garden, and Japanese style garden with a living willow screen. Open 11am to 5pm, combined admission with Tinkers hollow £3.50.

Tinkers Hollow, Church Field Lane, Great Ouseburn, YO26 9SG, off the B6265 between York and Harrogate. One-acre garden with ponds, waterfall, stream, pergola walkways, bog, perennial and shrub borders, and a natural area with a wild pond and folly. Open 11am to 5pm, combined admission with Cobble Cottage £3.50.

Gardening TV and radio

Saturday, May 28

7.30pm, BBC2, RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Alan Titchmarsh and Joe Swift bring their final report from the show with the last day plant sell-off and reveal which garden received the most votes in the People’s Award.

Sunday, May 29

8am, BBC Radio Humberside, The Great Outdoors. Presented by Blair Jacobs and Doug Stewart.

9am, BBC Radio Leeds, Tim Crowther and Joe Maiden.

2pm, BBC R4, Gardeners’ Question Time. Peter Gibbs and is team of experts answer listeners’ queries at Sparsholt College in Hampshire and Rosie Yeomans gives an update on the trial beds. (Repeated from Friday).

6.05pm, BBC1, RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Alan Titchmarsh and Joe Swift look back on the highlights of the 2011 Flower Show.

Friday

3pm, BBC R4, Gardeners’ Question Time. Matthew Biggs, Anne Swithinbank, Christine Walkden and chairman Eric Robson advise gardeners in Kirkcubright, Dumfries and Galloway. There is also a report from Logan Botanic Garden. (Repeated on Sunday at 2pm).

8.30pm, BBC2, Gardeners’ World. Monty Don make long lasting garden stakes and Carol visits a bee keeper to advise on appropriate nectar rich plants for a shady area.