Rose bush dying?

Hi, I got a rose bush in June and it had been doing so well, it's a Ruby Romance and when I bought it from the garden centre it had so many buds and was thick and beautiful. most of the buds blossomed and the flowers died off, it had a bit of an aphid outbreak and now it has no new growth (I got rid of most of the aphids using a tiny amount of soap in water, there are still some left), what leaves remain are all dry and shrivelled, and it looks lifeless.

I've never had a rose bush before, it's in a large pot and I've tried to keep it watered (using the gauge I have to water it, let the soil go dry, then water again).

Is the issue underwatering? Or is it because I had it on my balcony and it got too much direct sunlight, drying it out? or was it the aphids? I'm just so worried about it because I've never had roses before and my partner chose this one so I want to keep it happy and healthy for my partner more than anything. It's just sad to see and I don't know what to do. Any advice from anyone with more experience of rose bushes would be wonderful. It's the middle of August and we have been going through a bit of a heatwave in the UK for a few weeks now

 

It looks to me as if it needs water and also repotting. Roses need a big deep pot or preferably planted in the ground.
I would give it a good soaking as soon as you can, until the compost is wet through, and then do one of the things I said above.

You might also cut it back a bit.

 

Thanks, I have watered it heavily now and put a collection pot underneath since whenever I water it, the water just goes straight through the soil. I will get a larger plant pot and size it up and hope for the best! Fingers crossed I can save it because it's such a beauty when the flowers bloom!!! I live in a flat so unfortunately can't bury in the ground just yet. I'll do some research on cutting it back

 

I see its still in the pot it was bought in, roses sold in pots are not intended to stay in the original pot, it definitely needs a bigger pot or a permanent home in the ground.

It will take a while to recover, I agree, it would be best cut back, that is normally done at this time of year when you are dead heading.

 

A rose in a pot shouldn't be allowed to go dry. Once the compost is dry it's very hard to rehydrate it, the water just goes straight through. Roses don't like to dry out. They usually like sun.

When you bought it you should have bought a bigger pot and a compost with earth in it, John Innes 3 is good. Then in summer put a plant saucer under the pot, as you have now done, and water the rose on the compost around it's base. The roots will suck up any water that drains into the saucer. In winter you can remove the saucer as you don't want a dormant rose to get waterlogged.

The rose will also need feeding while it's in growth but don't do it while it it's poorly.

I agree that it would help to trim it back a bit.

 

The advice given was to soak your rose, not just "water" it. What do you mean by "water heavily"?