If there’s one person who’s famous for a good garden, it’s Monty Don. His garden at Longmeadow is sprawling, abundant and bursting with color and life, and especially in June, the roses look particularly spectacular.
Right now, one variety in particular is emerging—a soft, romantic climber that’s as productive as it is beautiful, prompting many to recognize it as one. The best rose While the plants themselves certainly deserve attention, it’s Monty’s approach to caring for them that really makes the difference.
That’s right, folks. As always, his advice keeps things simple, practical and easy to apply to any garden, making it easier than ever for anyone (regardless of their gardening knowledge!) to learn. How to grow roses Like a professional.
Monty Don’s Roses
If you’re looking for a Monty Don-approved rose that delivers romance, fragrance and repeat blooms in early summer, there’s a variety currently garnering attention in the gardening world.
continued His InstagramMonty recently shared that he grows The Pilgrim, £35 from Burford Garden Company.An English climbing rose Raised by David Austin rose – a soft, buttery yellow creeper known for its rich fragrance and generous flowering habit.
Check it out:
David Austin rose
Rosa the Pilgrim®
Rose herself is the undisputed star. Still, Monty’s advice to keep his performance going until June is pretty simple. In fact, it comes down to just one consistent function: Deadhead properlyAnd do it often.
Yes, in a post on his blog, Monty Don explains that the secret to extending a rose’s blooming season isn’t complex feeding regimes or specialist treatments – it’s Disciplined deadheading.
Don’t just pull off spent petals, but use secateurs (I recommend Spear & Jackson’s RazorSharp Advantage Bypass Secateurs, £12.81 at Amazon) and cut the spent stem immediately to the leaf or bud below it – even if it is far down,’ he writes. ‘This will stimulate side shoots, which in turn will bear more flowers.’
Buy the necessary items for harvesting
In other words, every spent bloom is an opportunity to reset the plant. Instead of simply adjusting the flower head, you’re actively shaping the next flush of growth. Or, as Monty Don puts it, ‘When gardeners are deadheads, they’re effectively deadheads. Pruning and thus stimulate fresh lateral shoots which will bear new flower buds and thus prolong the flowering season’.
The key detail here is precision. Monty recommends cutting the first leaf below the faded flower rather than cutting casually at the top. That small difference encourages stronger, more productive regrowth.
June is peak climbing rose season in the UK, when plants such as Monty Don’s The Pilgrim are in full bloom. At this stage, energy is constantly cycling between flowering and new shoot production. Deadheading with secateurs disrupts the seed-setting process and instead redirects that energy into fresh flower stems. The result is a longer, more sustained performance rather than a single heavy flush.
(Image credit: Getty Images/Maxim Grigoriev)
However, this is not a one-size-fits-all rule for every rose. ‘Some roses, especially shrub species, have magnificent hips in autumn, and will only develop if the flowers are allowed to set seed and fruit, so enjoy them while the flowers last and then wait for the autumn display they will produce from their fruit,’ explains Monty.
So while repeating-Flowering vines As pilgrims benefit from regular deadheading, other roses may be better left to develop their fall hips.
Shop for alternative climbing roses
Crocus
Rosa Golden Shower | climbing rose
Thompson and Morgan
Rose Banksy Var. Banksiae (Climbing Rose)
Gardening Express
Rose ‘Silhouette Lavender’ – Rambling Rose
FAQs
Is June the month of roses?
Ask any gardener worth their salt, and they’ll tell you in no uncertain terms that June is the month of roses.
‘In most UK gardens, June is when the roses really hit their stride. This is the month when wide varieties put on their first big flowers, particularly climbers and repeat-flowering shrub roses,’ says Christopher O’Donoghue of Gardens Revived.
With that said, he notes that there are a few things to keep in mind. ‘Once-flowering roses usually bloom heavily in late spring to early summer, with June being their main show,’ he says. ‘On the other hand, repeat-flowering roses are often at the end of their first flush in June, with more blooms during the summer. ‘
‘Basically, June is one of the main rose months, but it’s really the start of the main season rather than the whole story,’ concludes Christopher.
Can you get roses in June?
Yes, you can absolutely get roses in June – in fact, this is when many UK gardens and garden centers are at their best.
‘Container-grown roses are widely available and can be planted all summer long as long as they are well watered,’ says Christopher O’Donoghue of Gardens Revived. ‘Be sure to water them deeply and regularly, and mulch them to help retain their moisture.’
While buying bare-root roses is cheaper, there are advantages to getting roses in June. ‘You can see color, aroma and growth habit in real time, rather than relying on labels or catalog photos,’ says Christopher.
If you only do one thing for your rose this June, make it a Monty Don habit: step out properly with a pair of scimitars and a deadhead. cut back Under each faded bloom to the first healthy leaf or bud.
It’s easy, quick and, as Monty’s own practice shows, one of the most effective ways to keep beautiful flowers like The Pilgrim® blooming well into the season.
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