Neighbours roses

Hi everyone, my neighbour has asked me to water her garden while she is away for a week, I've been round today and noticed all her roses(which are in pots) have the crown at least 3" above soil level, I'm thinking it's best to tell her(in a nice way of course), named roses, breath of life, trumpeter and dreaming spires.

 

Yes by all means mention this to your neighbour. This area of concern often creeps into talks etc of Rosarians. Browsing variouse planting guidlines for roses, there often is a difference of opinion. This usually comes to lite with out-door planting, planting in the garden.
There are obviously various concepts here. Perhaps most logically is, to plant the rose with the crown or better described term, the graft or budded sight, just below the surface.

This has perhaps the valid explanation that. At this point where the graft/budding is and is so close to the root formation, that for reasons of stability, the closer to the soil of the branching growth, the better and if you carry out even a diagrametical sketch on paper, this makes sense.

 

I would just do as asked for now..Water them...that's all was asked from you. then mention it to her when she gets back and let her decide what to do. I wouldn't go managing the situation yourself for the time being at least.

 

Oh yes, only do what they requested, anything else, though you feel sure its the right thing to do or say, can cause all sorts of problems if they take it the wrong way, as we have found out to our cost !

Trouble is, in their eyes, its your fault either way

 

Thanks everyone, we get on really well so a couple of days after she gets back I'll just mention her pots could do with a top up.

 

If it was me I would want somebody to tell me that I could perhaps do something differently or I was doing something wrong. As she has trusted you with her plants you must be kinda buddies so she shouldn't take offence. Id probably say something like..... ooo do you know Ive found that by doing it this way I get many more flowers...…….or something along those lines.

 

My neighbour was back from her hols yesterday bearing gifts, probably mention the pots over the weekend, probably put the biscuits up for my wife's birthday in November