Rosa "Blue For You", 2 l ruukku

• Type: floribunda rose
• Botanical name: Rosa 'Blue For You'
• Origin: bred by Peter J. James (UK, bred 2001, introduced 2007), registered as PEJamblu; RHS Award of Garden Merit 2012
• Height and spread: 75–120 cm tall, 75–120 cm wide
• Flowering: repeat flowering from July until frost; lilac semi-double flowers (13–26 petals) turning slate-blue as they open, with a pale centre and golden stamens, in large clusters
• Fragrance: moderate citrus-sweet fragrance
• Light: full sun, at least 6 hours a day
• Soil: fertile, loose, loamy, pH 6–6.5, free-draining
• Hardiness: USDA 6b; needs winter protection in Estonia: mound with soil and cover with spruce boughs
• Disease resistance: good resistance to black spot, powdery mildew and rust
• Use: beds, containers and patios, combinations with white and yellow plants
• Size: potted rose plant

Planting. Potted roses can be planted from spring to early October. Choose a sunny spot (at least 6 hours of sun a day) with good air flow and fertile, loose, loamy, slightly acid soil (pH 6–6.5) that does not stay waterlogged. Dig a 50×50 cm hole and set the graft union 3–5 cm below the surface. Space plants 40–50 cm apart.

Watering and feeding. Water deeply but infrequently — 10–15 L per plant once or twice a week in dry spells, at the base, not over the leaves. Feed with a nitrogen or complete rose fertiliser in spring, a complete feed in June–July, and from late July only potassium and phosphorus without nitrogen so the stems ripen before winter. A compost mulch keeps the soil moist.

Care. In spring shorten stems by a third to a half and remove weak, old and frost-damaged wood. In summer remove spent clusters entirely so the bush reflowers sooner. In late October–November, after the first frosts, mound the base with soil or compost 20–25 cm high and cover with spruce boughs; remove the cover gradually in April.

Gardener's tip. Needs winter protection in Estonia: mound with soil and cover with spruce boughs. To keep 'Blue For You' healthy (good resistance to black spot, powdery mildew and rust), plant it in an open, airy spot and clear fallen leaves in autumn.