My Valentine Hybrid Tea Roses

My Valentine Rose Bushes

My Valentine is a rose that conjures up memories of Snow White and Rose Red, the Brothers Grimm story of two sisters, one dark one blonde. Each had a rose bush (white for the blonde and red for the brunette), rounded, neat-as-pins shrubs covered with the most perfect rosettes. My Valentine is a compact bush rose that grows to around 90cm, so never straggly or too tall, and its flowers are picture-perfect, opening from shapely, pointed deep-red buds to full crimson blooms that are softly scented. The leaves are glossy and dark green, hinting at good disease resistance from ailments such as blackspot and powdery mildew. There's no doubt it would make a fine Valentine's Day gift, although there are others in romantic pastel shades that would also fit the bill – take a look at the rest of our range of UK grown roses for sale here.

Valentine's pairings

Keep My Valentine towards the front of a border; towards the back it's not tall enough to hold its own and might get swamped and overlooked. In fact, a dedicated rose border is a great idea, as is using My Valentine as a rose hedge. If you're combining it with other perennials, lime green flowers make a great juxtaposition to the rich silky red petals of this rose. Underplant with Alchemilla mollis, perhaps, or one of the more vibrant hostas, zingy Heuchera Lime Marmalade, maybe mixed with one of the shorter varieties of lavender, such as Hidcote.

Features

• Height: to 1m
• Colour: deep red
• Shape of flower: full rosettes
• Size of flower: medium
• Scent: gently fragrant
• Flowering: repeat through summer and into autumn
• Group: Hybrid Tea

Red is the colour of love

So why are red roses traditionally the gift of love? Apparently the red rose was the favourite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love. Of course the Victorians pretty much gave flowers their own language, roses signifying romance and love.

How to plant My Valentine Roses

Choose a spot with as much light as possible. Dig a hole sufficiently deep to allow the rose to be planted with the graft union at soil level and with plenty of room for its roots which should be spread out. Improve the soil from the hole by removing roots, weeds, large stones and other rubbish and mixing in about 25% by volume of well-rotted compost or manure. Position My Valentine so its roots are spread out, wet them and sprinkle them with Rootgrow mycorrhizal fungi.

If planting pot grown roses gently loosen some roots out of the ball before planting. Then backfill the hole with mixed soil and compost, firming it gently as you go. Keep the union at the level of the surrounding soil. Water in thoroughly. 

Feed and mulch with well rotted manure in spring and keep well watered during dry periods for the first year.

Hybrid Teas are pruned in late winter, when the strongest shoots can be cut back to an outward facing bud 30-40 cms above soil level and the weakest shoots are removed altogether. My Valentine should be deadheaded throughout the summer to encourage continuous flowering.