Did you know that in 2019 Coolings took ownership of Wych Cross nursery and garden centre? Established over 50 years ago as a traditional nursery specialising in roses, by the early 2000’s it had one of the largest retail selections of roses in the UK with over 1,400 varieties. We are excited to have restored the rose production nursery and are now growing roses on-site again to supply all of our garden centres. You can purchase Coolings home-grown roses online or in-store now.
Here are a dozen fun facts about the nations favourite flower:
1. Roses were originally native to China, it wasn’t until the late 18th century that cultivated roses were introduced into Europe.
2. There are over 100 types of rose including climbing, hybrid tea, shrub, patio, occasion and ground cover. We stock all of these and more, available to view here.
3. Don’t let the fact that roses are prone to disease such as black spot and rust put you off. These can all be treated but the best way to avoid them is to make sure your roses are well fed and watered. We recommend using Miracle-Gro Rose & Shrub Slow Release Food and Roseclear Ultra.
4. Technically, roses have prickles, not thorns! Thorns have deeper roots in a plants stem, but prickles only attach at the surface. Don’t forget to pick up a pair of gloves to prevent scratches when caring for your rose.
5. If you’re not sure if your rose is a shrub or a climber just look at the thorns. On climbers they point backwards to act as hooks to help the plant to climb!
6. There are over 4000 songs titled with the word ‘Rose’ in them.
7. It’s estimated that in the UK over 55 million roses are sent each year to arrive on Valentine’s Day. Roses make the perfect gift for any occasion and don’t forget we offer a delivery service.
8. You should never plant a new rose where an old rose has been dug up from. This can lead to replant disease, which roses are susceptible to. If you are planting a rose we recommend using Coolings Rose, Tree & Shrub Compost.
9. Mozart, Handel, Princess Diana and George Washington all have varieties of Rose named after them.
10. The world’s most expensive rose ‘Juliet’ was cultivated by rose breeder David Austin. Breeding the rose took a total of 15 years and cost 5 million dollars, making it the most expensive rose cultivar! Rose Juliet made its debut in 2006 at the Chelsea Flower Show.
11. Out of all colours, there are no black roses. What some might to refer to as a black rose is actually a very dark crimson colour.
12. The world’s oldest living rose is believed to be 1,000 years old! It grows on the wall of the Cathedral of Hildesheim in Germany.
For information on our Rose Festival click here.
