Head horticulturist at the Hunter Valley Gardens Sean O’Brien is about to see his hard work come to fruition as millions of flowers bloom.
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From October 10, the gardens at Pokolbin will hold the Rose Spectacular to showcase more than 35,000 bushes made up of more than 125 rose varieties.
“The weather and timing is right; they are starting to bud up now,” Mr O’Brien said.
“We have had cold nights and warm days. They are looking the best they ever have.”
Mr O’Brien has been at Hunter Valley Gardens for more than 11 years and has plenty of experience growing roses.
He said people often over estimated the difficulty of growing the beautiful flowers, with plenty of varieties for every gardener from the novice to the expert.
“The biggest thing is that people are too precious about roses,” he said.
“They are a very tough plant.”
He suggests the simply magic rose for people who are just starting out and want something durable and easy to keep, but this variety does not have any perfume.
For the more expert gardener, try the miniature chameleon rose.
“I am a fan of the senses,” he said. “It’s the perfume, the colour, I love it. It is a really inspirational time of year.”
Mr O’Brien said a gardener’s job is never done, but by setting small goals it can be very fulfilling to grow something.
The Rose Spectacular runs from October 10 to November 15 at Hunter Valley Gardens.
There are talks on the history of the gardens, the rose and helpful hints for home gardeners.
Visit www.huntervalley gardens.com.au online for more details.