Gardening expert Monty Don has shared a simple daily task that he says is essential for gardeners to achieve the most beautiful roses this summer. The advice is quick and easy to incorporate into a daily routine.
Roses are a beloved flower found in gardens across the country, known for their distinctive shape and wide array of colours that bring dimension and depth to outdoor spaces. However, achieving their best appearance requires a certain skill, according to Don.
Monty Don's Daily Deadheading Advice
The well-known horticulturist, broadcaster, and writer, best known as the lead presenter on the BBC gardening programme Gardeners' World, frequently shares guidance through social media and his blog. In a previous blog post, he focused on roses and described June as "their time".
Don wrote: "So June sees roses blooming in every conceivable way and the borders filled with flowers - many of which are very early this year. It is as though summer overrides the weather. Even the rainy, grey days are beautiful. The British garden - and countryside - is at its very best and I adore every second of it."
The single daily job to guarantee roses thrive is deadheading, but in a fairly particular manner. Deadheading involves cutting away wilted, faded blooms from rose plants.
How to Deadhead Properly
Don explained: "The secret of keeping any rose flowering as long as possible is to deadhead daily. Do not just pull off the spent petals but use secateurs and cut the spent stem right back to the next leaf or bud below it - however far down that is. This will provoke a side-shoot which in turn will carry more flowers."
He added a caveat for certain rose species: "Some roses, especially the species such as rosa rugosa or rosa moysii, have glorious hips in autumn and these will only develop if the flowers are allowed to set seed and fruit, so enjoy the flowers as long as they last and do not dead head so that they can develop into fruit."
Monty Don's Background
Monty Don made his television debut in 1989 with a regular gardening slot on This Morning, which paved the way for additional work on various channels. An accomplished writer, he has penned more than 25 books since his debut publication in 1990. In 2003, following Alan Titchmarsh's recommendation, he assumed the role of lead presenter on Gardeners' World. He has also written and produced several of his own gardening series, including the upcoming Monty Don's Rhineland Gardens in 2026.
