Roses (Rosa) are an instantly recognisable classic plant and one of the most ubiquitous flowers in UK gardens.

Flowering abundantly from late spring onwards, they provide bursts of colour and fragrance in your garden throughout the summer season and into autumn.  

These wonderful plants come in a wide spectrum of colours, including everything from subtle pastel shades of cream, pink and peach through to dramatic vibrant red, yellows and oranges.

With a range of forms, from climbers which are ideal for trellises, walls and fences; traditional shrubs to brighten up your flower borders; through to miniature plants which are ideal for containers to adorn the patio, there is a variety that is ideal for almost every style of garden.

In this post we provide a guide and a few timely tips on how to grow and care for your Roses.

 

Selecting the Rose for you

Choosing the perfect Rose for you can be a little overwhelming given that there are so many different types to select from. There are few things to consider to narrow down the options when making your choice.

Which Flower?

More often that not, the flower is the most important, deciding factor with roses, there are so many to select from, but choosing the right colour, fragrance and bloom shape ultimately comes down to your own personal taste.

A few things consider are, what scent do you like, some roses have a musk or tea scent whilst others are more fruity in fragrance. Are you looking for something with a delicate, refined flower like a Hybrid Tea rose or the more substantial opulent blooms of the old fashioned rose. Finally, and possibly the most important, what colour will compliment with the other plants in the the garden.

What Size?

It is important to consider the eventual size of the plant you select, roses can range enormously from extremely vigorous huge climbers to the more compact patio varieties, naturally it is important to choose a plant that will fit your space.

Where are you planting?

When deciding upon the choice of rose for you, it is important to consider the position and conditions you are planting in; Is it Shady, does the soil dry out in summer months or is the area particularly prone to frost? There are roses to suit almost every condition, but it is essential to research and look for a rose that will thrive in the conditions for your particular garden.

 

Types of Roses

Hedging Roses

Some roses are great hedging varieties (eg, Rosa rugosa (and its cultivars) – old species variety). Usually very thorny, repeat flowering, very fragrant, good autumn leaf colour and colourful flagon-shaped hips.

Patio Roses

Smaller growing, less thorny so they don’t snag clothes, repeat flowering, bright colours (less fragrant), little or no pruning other than dead heading. Suitable for pots or the front of borders.

Shrub Roses

Both modern (Austin varieties) and old species roses. The modern shrub roses are often repeat flowering, whereas the old species varieties only flower in spring, and occasionally towards the end of summer. Suitable for mixed borders, usually growing 100-200cm, depending on the variety.

Ramblers, Climbers and Pillar Roses

Ramblers are large growing and suitable for growing into trees, often not repeat flowering. Climbers grow to 400-500cm tall and are useful for growing on the gables of buildings and tall telegraph poles. Pillar rose are the smallest and are great growing over rose arches.

Hybrid Tea Rose

Bred for hardiness, vigour and classic looks, Hybrid teas have large, fragrant flowers held alone on single straight stems and bloom repeatedly throughout the summer. They generally do not blend well with other plants in a mixed border, but with their short, upright habit of growth they are excellent for rose beds, formal rose gardens and even narrow borders

Floribunda Roses

A cross between polyantha and hybrid tea roses, Floribunda roses create a mass of colour by bearing multiple flowers in large clusters. Ideal for growing in large flower beds and mixed borders; they are generally hardy, more robust and disease resistant than Hybrid Tea Roses and are generally easier to grow.

 

Planting

When to plant roses depends on the type of rose you purchase. Container grown roses can be planted all year round, whereas bare-root roses are best planted in late autumn, although this can be done in late winter and very early spring when the plants are not actively growing, in both instances it is recommended to plant as soon as possible after purchase.

Critically, do not plant roses when the ground is frozen, if it is waterlogged or during drought conditions.

When deciding on where to plant roses to get the most out of them,  it is generally preferable to plant them in a sunny spot, which gets at least four hours of sunlight a day. Also, try to avoid extremely exposed, windy positions and whenever possible allow enough space around the plant, approximately 60cm is recommended, this will mean the plants do not have to compete for light and water.

When planting roses, mix in at a bucket of manure per square metre of the area when the roses are to be planted, farmyard manure is ideal, forking it in to around 20-30cm of the the top of the soil. Apply a general fertilizer over the surface of the area and fork it in to approximately the same depth as the manure. For each plant, dig a hole approximately twice the width of the plants roots and roughly the depth of a spades blade, tease out the roots of container bought plants to enable them to extend out and establish more quickly. Do not plant too deeply, take care not to bury the stem, the top of the root ball should level with soil when placed in the hole. Back fill the hole around the plant with excavated manure and soil mixture and tread in gently with the ball of your foot.

 

Caring for your Roses

Watering

For new plants in their first years years after planting, regular watering, especially in summer and dry conditions is essential, until their roots and strongly established.

However, roses are deep-rooted plants, therefore once they have settled in they can generally survive on the moisture in the soil which is naturally present. That said, even with mature plants, in hot, dry weather conditions or when planted in sandy, dry soil type, they will require additional watering.

When Watering, aim the flow of the water onto the soil around the foot of the plant, try to avoid the foliage and the flowers. This will help to prevent fungal diseases on the plant and also avoid excessive use of water.

Feeding

Roses are extremely hungry plants and they will grow better and provide flowers if they are additional fee and mulched with a compost or manure.

To encourage abundant and stronger blooms, roses in the flower beds should be fed twice a year, firstly in Spring before flowering and again in the mid-summer after the first flowering, this is especially important for repeat flowering varieties.

To feed, sprinkle general purpose or a specific rose fertilizer around the plant and then mulch with manure or garden compost, leaving a gap around the base of the stems of around 10cm.

For container grown plants, you will need to feed more often as they have less access to nutrients than those plants grown direct into the flower beds. Feed pot grown plants fortnightly from mid-spring through to late summer, initially using a general purpose liquid fertiliser to encourage healthy growth, up until; the flower buds begin to form. Once the plants have started flowering, change to a fertiliser high in potash, this will encourage more flowers for longer.

Deadheading

An important task to encourage roses to flower for longer, provide more blooms and keep plants looking neater is to deadhead fading flowers using secateurs or simply pinch or snap of spent flowers with finger and thumb., this should be repeated once a week.

If you don’t deadhead your plants, many varieties will form give up making more flowers and begin to form hips. On some roses however the hips are particularly decorative and if you wish to enjoy these you should stop deadheading around mid-summer to give the hips time to form (these also provide a source of valuable food for some species of birds through winter months.

Weeding

Throughout the spring and summer especially, try to keep the soil around the plants free of unwanted weeds. As much as possible try to weed by hand as opposed to using a how, roses produce some roots near the surface of the soil and it is important avoid damaging these.

It is also advisable to cover the surface of the soil with a thick layer of mulch, such as bark in the spring, this will help suppress weeds and improve the soil around plants but it also gives your garden a neat, tidy appearance and can reduce the amount of time spent on tasks such as watering and weeding.

 

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