source

Roses in Spring

• This Bourbon type rose  De la Maitre-Ecole will have a fantastic scent when in bloom during mid-summer if you care for it from spring.
• Fertilize with rose fertilizer that has equal amounts of NPK  plus trace elements.
• Mulch new and young plants with well rotted compost or bark not grass clippings.
• Prune in spring to encourage strong stems in an open cup shape of branches.
• Prune at 45° slopping away from an outward-facing bud.
• If planting new roses some people put a banana skin at the bottom of the hole for extra potassium but I would be happy with bone meal.
• New trees need watering particularly if there is a dry spring.
• Spray with a fungicide in March or April
• Give roses space to develop but you can under plant with small bulbs or violets

Other Resources

Royal Horticultural Society RHS ‘Gardening for All’
National Council for Conservation of Plants and Gardens ‘Conservation through Cultivation.’
Garden Organic National Charity for Organic Gardening.
BBC Gardening