Warning to anyone with roses in garden

They are one of the most iconic and well loved flowers in most British gardens, and come in all sorts of varieties and colours, from climbing to rambling, shrub, pink, yellow and red and beyond - but everyone who has roses in their garden is being warned not to make a very common mistake.

Given the recent spell of dry, clear we've been having recently without much rain, it's probably tempting to rush into the with a watering can each day and keep all your beloved flowers and raised beds hydrated. But according to experts, roses should not in most cases need to be watered once established, and in fact can actually fare much worse from overwatering in waterlogged soil.

According to the Royal Horticultural Society, roses only need watering during prolonged dry spells in high summer, and at other times, will be better off left to rely on the natural rainwater that falls.

If you do need to water them, such as during this spell of drought weather, you should water heavily once a week, not lightly every day, according to the experts.

The RHS says: "Established roses should really only need watering during dry spells in high summer - when you should water up to once a week, using 5-10 litres (about one large watering can) per plant. If the blooms or leaves start to wilt, then water immediately.

"Giving plants a good soak once a week, rather than watering lightly more often, encourages deeper rooting. This makes the plants better able to find moisture in the soil."

As The Rose Press Garden adds: "Roots are a big indicator when it comes to over-watering. We know that a huge amount of plants hate their roots sitting in water- this is becuase it can limit the ability of the roots to breathe, they will then drown and begin to rot.

"Plant root rot is a fungal disease that will cause the roots to turn grey, brown or slimy and will eventually cause the plant to wilt. If a plant has root rot it is best to remove it from any garden bed so it cannot spread the disease."

The other thing that will keep roses healthy and blooming well is weeding. Weeds around the base of your roses compete for water and compete for nutrients.

Ideally, you'll want to hand weed away any unwanted invaders in your rosebeds, as a hoe can damage roots too.

The RHS adds: "Try to keep the soil around your rose free of weeds. Roses produce some roots near the soil surface, so avoid damaging these by hand-weeding rather than using a hoe. Just take care to stay clear of the thorns! Cover the soil with a thick layer of mulch in spring to deter annual weeds from germinating."

One piece of good news for gardeners is that rain is forecast to finally return this Bank Holiday weekend (of course). Heavy rain is set to wash over most of the UK on Saturday, Sunday or Monday depending on where you live, according to the latest Met Office forecasts, which will also save you needing to water any roses this weekend too.