Roses battle on

THE roses are coming out in our garden a little later than last year and in danger of being damaged by the rain. Nevertheless they are a welcome sign that maybe summer really is here.

A standard velvet red is one of the first open, growing through a ball of variegated euonymus, the deep red tinted leaves heralding the colour of the blooms long before they appear.

As with many standard roses, it is a little unsteady in the wind so the trunk has been strengthened by securing it to a tough metal stake.

The rich shades of the flowers and leaves of this rose contrast well with the pale green and cream of the shrub below, which also gives it protection from winter frost.

Just opening last week on its new arch is a wonderful mature rambler covering its support in small scented white flowers.

The cream buds fade to white as they open to reveal clusters of golden stamen at their centre and as the sun comes out the blooms attract numerous bees and other insects.

It is probably Rambling Rector and although ours grows in a sunny spot it is also a good choice to cover a north facing wall or for shaded woodland.

Although there is only one flush of flowers, the healthy leaves are attractive for several weeks before the flowers open, as are the large trusses of small buds that cover the plant from spring until they open in late June.

Later in autumn there will be a display of hips before the rose goes into its winter dormancy.

Weekend catch-up

GARDENS left battered by the wind and rain of the past month can be brought back to some kind of order by cutting back the last of the spring-flowering plants.

The flower stems of aquilegia can be cut back to their base, leaving the ferny leaves intact to from a clump of green.

The last of the forget-me-nots can be pulled up, they look messy and mildewed, and most will have dropped seed by now that will germinate over the next few weeks.

Shaking the flower stems as they are pulled up will add a few more seeds to the mix. Lupin flowers can also be deadheaded by taking the spent bloom off just above a leaf joint. New flowers may already be forming for a second flush.

Ours have been devastated by slugs this year, the leaves are shredded and the flowers covered in these pests overnight. So they have been cut hard back and we shall see if the plant manages to grow again this year.

The Great Yorkshire Show

THE Garden Show in Harrogate has increased in size over the past few years and this year will be providing visitors with a varied programme of talks and demonstrations, as well as the usual displays of plants and flowers from nurseries and designers.

Nine teams of gardeners will compete in the Feature Garden Competition which was introduced last year and has more than doubled in size.

Those taking part include Lizzie Tulip Garden Design from York, Harrogate-based Stepping Stones in Suburbia and the Northern Fruit Group. Landscape garden students from Askham Bryan College will design, build and plant a garden during the three days of the show in the hope of being chosen as a member of ‘Team UK’ for the 2013 Worldskills contest in Germany.

School children are also included at the show and the winners of the Children’s Vegetable Competition will be chosen by gardening expert Christine Walkden.

The Great Yorkshire Show will held from Tuesday, July 10 to Thursday July 12.

Gates open from 7.30am to 7.30pm (6.30pm on Thursday) and last entrance is 5pm on each of the three days. Tickets at the gate are £23 adult, £22 concessions, £11 child 5yrs-18yrs. More information at greatyorkshireshow.co.uk

Summer plant fair

Flower Power Fairs will hold a summer plant fair tomorrow from 11am to 4pm at Ness Hall, Slingsby, YO62 5XD, follow the signs from Nunnington.

The garden isn’t usually open to the public and the admission ticket costing £3.50 will include the opportunity to explore the three-acre walled gardens that have been created by three generations.

Full time gardener Alan Richardson will be on hand to offer advice and to take visitors on garden tours.

Fifteen specialists will be at the fair selling a range of plants including alpines, shrubs, perennials and climbers as well as garden accessories such as willowware and planters.

Homemade refreshments will be on sale in the kitchens.

Open gardens

Tomorrow

In aid of the NSPCC

Gowdall Open Gardens, near Snaith, Goole, East Yorkshire. Several village gardens open to the public. Maps and refreshments available at the village hall. Open 1.30pm-5pm, combined admission £3.

In aid of the National Gardens Scheme

Beacon Garth, Redcliffe Road, Hessle, HU13 0HA, 4.5 miles west of Hull. Three-and-a-half acre south-facing garden with a sunken rock garden, trees, lawns, herbaceous borders, topiary and views over the Humber. Open 10am-5pm, admission £3.50.

Coverham Abbey, Middleham, DL8 4RL. Gardens set with the grounds of 13th century abbey ruins in Coverdale with a large knot garden, mixed borders, parterre and yew rondel with rose arches. Open 2pm-5pm, admission £3.50. Millgate House, Millgate, Richmond, DL10 4JN, in the centre of Richmond. Enchantingly secluded, award winning, RHS associate walled town garden with foliage plants including ferns and hostas, clematis, old roses, trees and shrubs. Open 8am-8pm, admission £3.50.

Millview Cottage, 21 Church Street, North Cave, HU15 2LJ, 15 miles west of Hull. Long, narrow garden divided into different areas including terrace, raised beds, wooden walkway, water features, greenhouse and vegetables. Open 12pm-4pm, admission £2.50. The Ridings, South Street, Burton Fleming, YO25 3PE, 11 miles north east of Driffield. Cottage garden built on a reclaimed site with colour themed borders, roses, climber covered arches and pergola, potager, terrace with farming bygones and new border for 20112. Open 1pm-5pm, admission £2.50.

St Nicholas, Maison Dieu, Richmond, DL10 7EN. Seven-acre garden laid out by the Hon Robert James more than 100 years ago in a series of mainly hedged garden rooms, a style that has influenced gardeners ever since. The garden is one of the original 1927 gardens that participated in the first NGS openings 85 years ago. Open 1pm-5pm, admission £3.

The Walled Garden at Scampston, Scampston Hall, Scampston, YO17 8NG, five miles east of Malton. A modern garden designed by Piet Oudolf with a four-acre walled garden containing a series of hedged enclosures with many rare plant species plus a perennial meadow. Like St Nicholas, Scampston was also one of the original 1927 NGS gardens. Open 10am-5pm, admission £6 adult, £3 child.

Wytherston Gardens, Pockley, YO62 7TE, two miles north east of Helmsley. Eight acre garden divided by beech hedges into smaller interlinking areas creating feature gardens planted in a variety of styles and containing specimens not usually thought to be hardy this far north but which thrive in the free draining soil. Open 10am-4pm, admission £5.

Gardening TV and radio

Tomorrow

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

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

2pm, BBC R4, Gardeners’ Question Time. Friday June 29.

3pm, BBC R4, Gardeners’ Question Time. Eric Robson chairs the discussion from the Olympic Aquatic Centre in Stratford, East London and there is also a final visit to the Olympic Park before it opens to the public.

Tuesday

11am, BBC2, RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show. Monty Don, Rachel de Thame and Carol Klein report from the flower show in London on its opening day. Coverage continues on Thursday and Friday on BBC2 at 9pm. 8pm, ITV1, Love Your Garden. Alan Titchmarsh and his team visit a neglected garden in the Brecon Beacons. Owners Rob and Rachel have little time for gardening after caring for their five children including an autistic son and a daughter with cerebral palsy.

Saturday, July 7

7am, BBC Radio York, Julia Booth. Julia Booth and gardening expert Nigel Harrison hold their weekly plant surgery.