It’s Spring, leaves are unfolding, buds are opening, and just like a colourful art installation, our rose bushes are waking up from hibernation to enchant us and our guests until late autumn. But no pain, no gain: what does it take to create such an effortless, fairytale-like work of art? Accompany us through one year of caring for our roses!

Garden shears always at hand

“My secateurs are always at the ready”, says host Rolf Bertschi, who has become a passionate rose gardener thanks to his mentor, the well-known rose specialist Eléonore Cruse.

Probably the most delicate part of rose care is spring pruning; the perfect cut being one centimetre above a bud’s eye, at a 45-degree angle. Contrary to common belief roses are actually relatively easy to care for and as such, this noble flower perfectly reflects Château de Montcaud’s philosophy: “The luxury of simplicity”.

In general, roses inspire many stories: When Rolf Bertschi is pruning, tending and caring for his beloved plants, guests like to join him to talk shop, and soon digress to other beautiful topics. Old rose varieties are particularly interesting to talk about: they usually stand for decades of exciting garden stories. But this is not the only reason why the old varieties are predominant in Montcaud – in their simplicity they are simply more beautiful, more natural, and full of character.

And yet, of course, no two varieties are alike. “Some stand out because of their size, others because of their fragrance and still others because of their lushness – it is a pleasure to see the interplay,” says Rolf Bertschi. His favourite variety is “Blossom Time”, the first rosebush that was planted when him and his family became the new owners of the chateau. On the edge of the main water feature and therefore very exposed, it requires special care and, as a reward, blooms continuously until Christmas.

Heat and drought

Summers tend to be very dry at Château de Montcaud, and the roses feel this too. The only way to make sure that the more than 80 rose trees in the park get enough water is by drip irrigation, as their leaves should not get wet when being watered. The young rose trees are “trained” accordingly early and watered only sparingly after they have grown – this way they remain robust and can better withstand later dry periods.

In summer, too, the pruning shears are always at hand: withered plants are removed. On the one hand, to avoid rotting and diseases, on the other hand, of course, for aesthetic reasons. ” With the climbing roses its a bit more of a challenge”, laughs Rolf Bertschi.

The drought also has its good sides: Plant pests are very rare, so there is no need for wide-spread pest control. Should lice dare to rear their heads, a treatment with soft soap is quickly applied. But just like anyone, gardeners learn fastest from their mistakes: during one season, mulch was used to prevent weeds – successfully, but unfortunately this treatment also led to rotting around the plants’ roots. So weeding is not spared and here and there a blind eye is turned, and weeds are left standing. After all, Château de Montcaud’s park is a natural site, and not a sterile planting ground.

Little in autumn, a lot in December

The climate in Western Provence is so mild that winter protection can be dispensed with – so autumn is devoted to continued lively use of the pruning shears and enjoyment, but otherwise relatively relaxed. On the other hand, because of the climate, new rose trees are planted as early as December. Admittedly, this is a huge amount of work. Around 50 new roses are planted for the coming rose year, which sounds like an incredible amount. However, if you consider that to have a certain effect in such a large park at least five trees need to stand side by side, which quickly adds up to this number. As a result, the digging of the planting holes doesn’t seem to want to stop.

And finally, it does: a few well-deserved quiet weeks follow before the garden shears start again in the park and around the buildings and the joy of the blossoming clearly outweighs the effort of planting – as every year.

Is there a goal with the roses – apart from making every year a successful rose year? “Yes”, says Rolf Bertschi and adds: “Or rather, it’s a dream instead of a goal… Someday there should be a rose named after the château – “La Rose de Montcaud”. Will it succeed? Let’s wait and see!

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By the way, you can easily take the scent of our roses home – in the form of our own perfume “Ô Pure Contradiction”, created by master perfumer Antoine Lie and produced in the renowned Atelier Français des Matières.

A particularly picturesque insider tip: rose specialist Eléonore Cruse has created her very own wild rose landscape over the past decades – the Roseraie de Berty. These fairytale-like grounds are only open to visitors once a year and only for a very short time. A unique experience that is only an hour away from Château de Montcaud! This year’s opening dates are: from 18th May to 11th June 2023, daily from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.