I added a 'Ghislaine de Féligonde' rambling rose to my garden last year and it has come back double the height and with even more blooms this spring. I've managed to achieve such a full and prolific display by keeping on top of seasonal tasks – and June comes with its own set to tick off.

If you also grow a rambling rose, you likely have a gorgeous, fragrant display right now (though, exact blooming time depends on the variety). This means some light pruning, tying in new growth, and deep watering is essential to do now for early summer care that extends your display until fall.

Here, I talk through exactly what to do with a rambling rose in June, so you can get the most out of this cottage garden staple.

1. Tie In Stems

While the main time to train a rambling rose (and indeed train a climbing rose) is when it isn't flowering (in spring and fall), you can do some light tying in June to protect any wayward stems that could snap in a sudden gust of wind.

One of the best pieces of advice I was given about my rambling rose was to train it into a fan shape on my trellis. The near-horizontal stems slow down the flow of sap and trick the plant into distributing energy all over, rather than rushing to the tips. This results in more bloom coverage and reduces bare, leafy patches.

It's best to use soft ties (like these from Amazon) or garden twine (like this from Lowe's) when attaching new growth to your plant support, leaving a finger's width between the stem and the support to ensure the ties don't cut into the plant.

2. Keep Deadheading

Although one of the biggest differences between climbing roses and rambling roses is that the former is much more likely to rebloom, there are some ramblers that have repeat displays.

This includes this 'Super Dorothy' rose from Amazon and 'Darwin's Enigma' rose from Amazon.

If your rambling rose is a repeat-flowering variety, then keep garden snips close to hand. These Fiskars gardening snips from Amazon are a good choice for the delicate rose stems.

You should deadhead your roses at the base of the flower stems, cutting at a node where new growth will emerge. This helps redirect the plant's energy into new growth and will extend your display.

If your rambling rose is a once-flowering variety, then there's no need to deadhead or tidy up the plant quickly. Leaving the spent blooms will often lead to the development of rosehips, which look particularly beautiful in fall.

You can find the best roses for rosehips in our expert guide.

3. Don't Fertilize Yet

There are a few rules to follow when it comes to fertilizing your rose (of any kind) to optimize its display.

If you provided your rose with a slow-release rose feed earlier in spring (March-April is the ideal window), then you don't need to top up with fertilizer in June – even if you are fertilizing the rest of your garden with an all-purpose feed (like this Miracle Gro one from Lowe's).

This is especially true for once-flowering varieties. In fact, fertilizing now could overload the plant, resulting in root burn, wilting, and a general decline in health.

However, for repeat-bloomers there is another opportunity to feed your rose. Once the first flush fades, you can use a liquid fertilizer (like this rose liquid feed from Amazon) to boost nutrients and support a second flush. You can also use a potash feed, like this tomato feed from Amazon.

This will happen later in the season, so for now just sit back and enjoy the early summer display.

4. Keep It Hydrated

With temperatures warming this month, it's important to keep on top of rose watering. Though, the age of your rose will determine just how much extra water it needs.

Newly planted roses will need some consistent watering as summer heat arrives to prevent heat stress and help them establish. Mature roses will be a lot more drought-tolerant, though weekly deep watering in warm spells will keep it hydrated and support its flowering.

Signs your rambling rose is underwatered include flowers fading quickly, wilting, and dropping leaves. Our guide to watering plants during a heatwave has more advice for keeping your rose happy through summer.

To ensure you also don't overwater your rose and cause root rot, use a soil moisture meter (I have this one from Amazon). I take regular readings to ensure my rose is sufficiently hydrated, as it helps me identify when to pick up my watering can without oversaturating the soil.

5. Check For Aphids

When I was watering my garden a couple of weeks ago I was horrified to see what's pictured in the image above: rose aphids all over new buds that are yet to open.

These spring and summer garden pests emerge around the same time as soft new growth on your rose, so now is the time to check for them (and other rose pests) and get rid of aphids as soon as you spot them.

You should inspect new shoot tips and the stems and buds just below them. These destructive pests cluster together and feed on soft growth, so also check on the underside of new foliage. They can be green, pink, or brown, depending on the species.

Some common signs of aphids on your rose include distorted and curling leaves, misshapen flower buds, sticky residue, and ant activity, as they 'farm' aphids for their honeydew. You may also spot the white cast shells of aphids as they shed their skin.

The good news is they rarely pose long-term damage to established roses, though blooms may be distorted in the short-term. They are also relatively easy to get rid of, especially if caught early.

I used my garden hose to blast them off my rose, which was effective and they didn't return. You can also pick them off and squish them or use a DIY aphid spray with dish soap and water to dry them out. You can also opt for insecticidal soap spray (available at Amazon).

I also relied on the natural pest control of beneficial insects to get rid of the aphids. I noticed quite a few ladybugs around my rose, which are aphid predators and help control their populations.

Keep inspecting your rose weekly throughout the summer months to catch aphid problems as early as possible.

What to Shop

The main thing to do with your rambling rose over the next couple of months is just enjoy. Light maintenance can help keep up aesthetics, but the summer isn't for major TLC. Once the end of summer rolls around, you'll want to prune your rambling rose and revive it after a tiring season of vigorous blooming.

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29 April marks National Peace Rose Day, celebrating the iconic 'Peace' rose which has become a symbol of hope and unity. In the garden, it's a beacon of light and joy to those who nurture it – and the good news is it's one of the most unproblematic cultivars to grow.

With large double blooms in creamy yellow and pink colors, this type of rose is a hybrid tea rose, originally cultivated in the 1930s and then becoming synonymous with the end of the Second World War. Today, it's a popular romantic flower, bringing a mild sweet scent, attracting pollinators, and putting on a blousy display with its 6" blooms that last from early summer into fall.

While rose care can seem complicated in many respects, 'Peace' rose (which is available to purchase as a bare root from Walmart) is disease-resistant, hardy (USDA zones 5-9), and robust. Here's why it's the best choice of rose for beginners and veteran gardeners alike, and what it really means to have one in your garden.

What the 'Peace' Rose Represents

'The 'Peace' rose is one of the most well-known and beloved hybrid tea roses, and it was named to commemorate the end of World War II,' explains Kelly Funk of Jackson & Perkins.

Originally cultivated in the 1930s by French rose breeder Francis Meilland (who had called it 'Madame A. Meilland'), the 'Peace' rose became a symbol of hope, unity, and peace at the end of the World War.

Its renaming was by the Conard-Pyle Company who had introduced it to the American market in 1945, coinciding with the Fall of Berlin. The rose was even given to each delegate at the inaugural United Nations conference in San Francisco.

Today, it's considered one of the luckiest plants to grow in your garden, representing light, hope, beauty, and, of course, peace.

But, the best way to make the most of it in your garden is by growing it correctly. Here are the key things to know:

How to Grow 'Peace' Rose

Just like growing other roses, make sure to steel clear of the general rose growing mistakes. This incudes a lack of pruning, not deadheading, and choosing the wrong spot for it.

• Growing habit: the 'Peace' rose is a bushy rose, with vigorous upright growth that typically reaches 4-6ft in height and 3-4ft in spread. It's the perfect centerpiece to borders for this reason. 'As the rose matures, the colors deepen and spread. Heavy, straight stems support these magnificent flowers, making them a great choice for cut flower gardens,' adds Kelly.
• Position: 'Blooming from late spring to late fall, these beauties thrive in full sun and good air circulation with moist, well-drained soil,' Kelly says. This undemanding rose variety can cope with a wide range of soil types, though it does thrive best in well-draining loamy soil that is nutrient-rich and slightly acidic. This soil test kit from Amazon can give you more insight into your soil. It's a sun-lover and will perform best when grown somewhere with 6-8 hours of direct sun exposure daily.
• Water: It's best not to let your 'Peace' rose dry out entirely, as this can result in wilting, leaf drop, premature death of buds, and heat stress if it's a particularly hot spell. 'They should be watered deeply and infrequently, about 1-2 inches per week, directly at the base of the plant to keep foliage dry,' says Kelly. Getting rose foliage wet can make it more susceptible to rose diseases like black spot and powdery mildew.
• Fertilizing: Just like other hybrid tea roses, 'Peace' rose is a heavy feeder and requires lots of essential plant nutrients to support its large blooms. A liquid rose fertilizer (like this from Amazon) can be applied once a month from spring to summer to support growth, or you can apply a slow-release granular rose fertilizer (like this from Burpee) in early spring to provide a constant supply of nutrients. It can also be a good idea to work some organic compost into the soil around the base of your rose in spring for a boost.
• Pruning: 'Give it a good prune once a year in early spring, typically between late February and mid-April, just as the buds begin to swell,' says Kelly. 'This will encourage new growth,' she explains. When it comes to pruning roses in spring, focus on removing dead and damaged branches, as well as overcrowding ones. You should wear thorn-proof gardening gloves (like these from Amazon) when doing this to protect your skin. 'Light maintenance, like deadheading, should be done throughout the summer to encourage more flowers,' Kelly adds. Whenever tending to your 'Peace' rose, using sharp and clean pruning tools to make clean cuts (these Fiskars bypass pruning shears from Amazon are a reliable choice).

Rose Care Essentials

FAQs

Can You Grow 'Peace' Rose in Pots?

Yes, it is possible to grow this rose in a pot. It's wise to choose a large container for a 'Peace' rose (this 18" terracotta pot from Amazon is a good choice). You should ensure the container has drainage holes, is filled with well-draining soil, and is positioned somewhere in direct sun for more prolific blooms.

If you only have a patio or balcony growing space but are keen to have roses in your garden, read our guide to the best roses for small spaces. It's even be possible to grow a mini rose plant outdoors when done correctly.

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Roses are a quintessential summer bloom, and every gardener dreams of bountiful flowers coming early in the season. If you follow these five expert-approved steps this month, those dreams can become a reality.

Early spring is a busy time when growing and caring for roses. A few key maintenance tasks done this month will make a big difference to your display, and the reward is a bumper collection of beautiful, fragrant rose blooms come June.

If you wonder what to do with roses in March, I chatted to some professional horticulturists to reveal what you need to do for better blooms. They discuss how pruning, fertilizing, mulching, assessing the growing conditions, and dealing with pests and diseases this month can guarantee you big blooms in early summer.

1. Prune Your Roses

To ensure your roses showcase bumper blooms in summer, proper pruning is essential. The majority of roses are pruned during dormancy, after the last frosts and just before the new buds start to swell.

This is often between late February and early April, depending on your climate. It may mean that March is the best time in your locale to prune roses. Don’t hold off on trimming; if you wait too long to prune roses, it can delay flowering by 4-6 weeks.

Wes Harvell, rosarian and horticulturist with Jackson & Perkins, claims that ‘proper pruning is essential’ to guarantee outstanding blooms come summer. He advises: ‘Remove any dead or damaged canes and open up the center of the plant to improve airflow and sunlight penetration.’

‘A well-pruned rose directs its energy into strong new growth, and that’s where your best blooms will form,’ adds Wes.

Always use clean and sharp pruning tools to make proper cuts and avoid spreading disease. It is recommended to wipe down your pruning shears with a sanitizing solution (such as this disinfectant spray at Walmart) when moving between rose bushes.

2. Ensure the Growing Conditions Remain Perfect

Roses like the sun and will perform their best when they get the light they want. Ideally, a rose will get at least six hours of sunlight per day. They can grow in light shade but will produce fewer blooms, though they will not thrive in full shade.

Over the years, conditions can change, and a rose may not get as much daily sun as it once did. As trees and tall shrubs grow, they can cast shade over other plants, so Lorraine Ballato, a professional horticulturist and award-winning author, recommends checking the current conditions.

‘Is there enough sun? Are the surrounding plants encroaching on the rose bush?’ says Lorraine. ‘If so, remove and/or cut them back.’

A sharp pair of pruning shears (such as these professional Felco F2 pruners available on Amazon) or loppers (like these Fiskars extendable loppers at Walmart) can be used to lightly trim trees and shrubs to ensure lots of sunlight reaches your roses.

A rose should ideally be at least three feet away from other plants, and this increases to five feet for larger shrubs. The right spacing ensures air circulation to prevent disease and stops shrubs from competing for sunlight, water, and nutrients.

These factors can all impact blooming, so when you wonder what to do with roses in March, checking and maintaining the spacing in spring can help your plants perform better.

3. Give Roses a First Feed of the Year

Once your roses start growing in early spring and the first leaves appear, it is time to give them their first feed of the new season. So March often makes an ideal month to fertilize roses.

This gets them off to a great start and gives them a boost of essential nutrients for strong growth and a flourishing start to blooming. It should be followed up with additional feeding throughout the flowering period for the best display.

An ideal product for an early-spring feed includes those formulated for roses or shrubs, like this all-natural rose food from Burpee. Lorraine Ballato recommends opting for granular, slow-release products as they are ‘easy and practically foolproof’ to use, and offer the advantage of feeding for several months.

Tyler Francis, April & Ashley’s Co-CEO and Co-Founding Member, highlights organic fertilizers such as rose tone, cottonseed meal, and chicken manure pellets as great choices to spread around the base of roses. He adds: ‘We typically use a 15-15-15 ratio, but don’t overthink it. Roses aren’t picky eaters – they just want to be fed.’

You can get bags of rose tone at Garden Goods Direct for use in early spring, or bags of organic chicken manure pellets at Amazon to add around your rose shrubs.

4. Combat Pests and Diseases Early

There are many rose diseases and rose pests that can rob you of summer blooms. Fungal and bacterial issues such as powdery mildew, black spot, rust, and more can affect any potential display, and early spring offers a window to get ahead and combat these issues.

As you shouldn’t spray roses when they are blooming, the period between pruning and new leaves and buds emerging is a chance to protect the plant from many common pests and fungal diseases.

Tyler Francis from April & Ashley claims that dormant spraying your roses in early spring creates an ‘unwelcoming environment’ that protects against pests and diseases.

‘You can use horticultural oil, lime sulphur, or copper-based sprays,’ claims the rose expert. ‘This is an important step in the springtime because of the cool, wet conditions that allow powdery mildew, rust, and black spot to thrive.’

Tyler adds: ‘Spraying just once should do the trick, but another round a couple of weeks later wouldn’t hurt.’

You can get Bonide all-season dormant spray oil at Amazon, which is approved for organic gardening, and can be applied to roses in early spring.

If you have any old leaves or canes on the ground around the rose, remove them as they can harbor bacteria or fungi that will affect new growth.

5. Mulch Them

Mulching roses with organic matter in spring is recommended if you haven’t already. It can help your roses later in the season by retaining valuable moisture in the soil, regulating soil temperatures to protect roses from heat stress, and smothering weeds that can otherwise steal water and nutrients from the plants.

Tyler Francis recommends adding a 2-3 inch layer of mulch as ‘extra protection’ after the first feed of roses in spring.

‘Mulch helps retain moisture and puts organic matter back in the ground. This will promote growth and suppress fungal development,’ he says. ‘The mulch will gradually break down, delivering key nutrients to your rose.’

When choosing the best mulch for roses, opt for organic materials, such as compost, leaf mold, or bark chippings. Where possible, use homemade compost, or get bags of quality compost, like this organic compost and manure at Lowe’s .

If you love roses, you can bring a personal touch to your garden by adding your birth month rose to your backyard rose garden. Alternatively, a birth month rose can make a great gift for a loved one. Our guide to birth month roses reveals the signature rose variety for each month of the year.

Now you know what to do with roses in March, you may be looking for more expert gardening advice.

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Roses are one of the most alluring shrubs, adored for their color and fragrance. Yet, despite their popularity, they do have a reputation for being finicky. They can be fussy when it comes to many aspects of their maintenance, but don’t be put off. Here I reveal what to do with roses in February, as it can be a make-or-break month.

February is a crucial time of year for gardeners growing roses, and those who have aspirations of doing so. Not only is late winter a perfect time to plant bare-root roses, but also a time for pruning, mulching, and clearing old debris to protect plants from troublesome diseases.

I have grown and cared for roses in all the gardens I have worked in, from shrubs part of large cottage garden borders to formal standard roses to dedicated rose beds in walled gardens. To help you get a stunning display of flowers this season, here I look at what to do with roses in February. I highlight four key jobs for the coming weeks, and one key task to leave to next month.

1. Plant Bare-Root Roses to Expand a Collection

February is an ideal time to plant roses to add flowers and scent to your garden. You can get bare-root roses in late winter, offering a convenient way to add roses to a yard.

Bare-root roses don’t look much when they arrive – little more than a stem and some roots – but they offer a more budget-friendly option than container-grown roses. They will burst into life come spring, produce a selection of blooms this year, and profusely flower for years to come.

To plant bare-root roses during dormancy, first ensure the ground is workable, not frozen or waterlogged. It is also advisable to soak the roots in a bucket of water for a few hours to rehydrate them before planting.

Dig over the area, removing weeds and large stones, and add some organic matter, such as compost or well-rotted manure. Place the rose in the hole, and before covering with soil, it is beneficial to sprinkle mycorrhizal fungi over the roots (you can get mycorrhizal inoculant from Amazon) to help the roots take in nutrients and water more efficiently.

Then refill the hole, making sure the base of the stem is an inch below the soil surface. Give the rose a deep watering to settle the soil around the roots and keep the soil consistently moist over the coming months.

You can get a range of bare-root roses at Amazon to add to your garden this month

2. Prune Shrub Roses for Stunning Displays This Year

You can prune many types of roses in February, including shrub, floribunda, hybrid tea, miniature, and groundcover roses. An ideal time for lots of rose pruning is towards the end of dormancy, just before new growth starts again for the new season.

It makes February a good window in milder climates, but gardeners in colder zones may need to wait until early March when conditions improve.

The exact techniques for pruning roses vary by type, so see this in-depth guide to how to prune roses for different pruning methods.

However, a few core essentials to remember to avoid rose pruning mistakes include using clean and sharp pruning tools, removing any dead, damaged, and diseased stems, and cutting to an outward-facing bud to develop an open shape.

A quality pair of pruning shears, such as these Felco 5 pruners at Garden Goods Direct, makes the ideal tool for pruning all manner of roses this month.

3. Remove Debris to Keep Roses Healthy

A bright, dry February day is the ideal time to tidy a rose garden or flower beds. Not only will it make your borders look tidy and ready for the new season, but also play a key role in protecting your roses from a common fungal issue – rose black spot.

Rose black spot is a serious fungal disease that infects the leaves, often appearing as dark or purple patches on the top of the foliage, and greatly reduces the vigor of the plant. The spores overwinter in leaves and stems left on the soil, only to wake up in spring and infect the roses’ new growth.

Take time this month to remove any lingering weeds, dead leaves, or old stems from the soil surface, as they may be harboring nasties. Mulching also helps bury the spores and reduce the chances of them splashing back up in the rain, infecting the plant.

Rose black spot can also be unwittingly moved from plant to plant by tools. Always sanitize your pruning tools after any pruning to avoid spreading spores. You need to regularly clean pruning shears and spray them with disinfectant when moving between plants (You can get disinfectant sprays from Walmart).

4. Mulch Roses With Organic Matter

Roses benefit from mulching, potentially twice a year. An application in the fall helps to winterize roses and protect the roots from winter frosts. However, arguably the most important time to mulch roses is in late winter or early spring.

The benefits of mulching roses at this time of year are that it retains moisture in the soil for the season ahead, suppresses weeds that can grow quickly in spring and rob water and nutrients, and the mulch boosts soil nutrients as it breaks down.

A thick layer of mulch is also a good preparatory way to protect the roots from intense summer heat.

The best mulch for roses is organic, biodegradable materials, such as compost, leaf mold, well-rotted manure, or bark chippings. Of all those, compost is potentially the best, whether you can make your own or buy bags of ready-made material, such as this organic compost at Lowe's.

Mulching is advisable after pruning and feeding roses, and anytime after planting roses. Spread a layer 2-4 inches thick, but keep any mulch away from the stem. Ensuring a few inches remain clear around the base prevents a mulching mistake that can cause rot.

FAQs

Do You Fertilize Roses in February?

February may be early to fertilize roses, unless you live in a warm US hardiness zone. The ideal time to feed roses is in early spring, once you see your roses starting to burst into life for the new season.

At this time, a balanced rose fertilizer like this organic granular rose food at Burpee can be given to plants to provide essential plant nutrients for strong growth and blooming in the months ahead.

Continue to feed roses during summer with a bloom booster liquid feed (such as this rose boost at Amazon) or a homemade rose fertilizer, which can be a tea made from comfrey or nettles, for a long season of flowers.

Now you understand what to do with roses in February, it may also be worth brushing up on your knowledge on one area that is key with the plant throughout the year, which is watering.

Roses require watering for the best displays, and will suffer when both under- and over-watered. Our guide to how to water roses looks at how much you need to water, and the right and wrong way to irrigate roses.

Roses may seem far from their summer splendour in November, though in warm falls, there may be a flower or two stubbornly remaining. If you want to guarantee another bumper display of those glorious blooms next summer and keep your precious roses healthy, there are some key tasks to do this month.

If you want to expand your display of flowers, it is an ideal time to plant roses. For established roses, November is perfect for mulching plants, protecting container-grown roses, and performing essential maintenance to guard against wind rock and black spot.

After pruning, watering, feeding, and deadheading all summer, you may think the hard work of growing and caring for roses is over for the year. However, there are a few jobs still to do, and the results are worth the effort. To keep your roses in tip-top shape, we highlight some important November rose care jobs that make a big difference come next year.

What to do with roses in November

A little work goes a long way. These November rose care jobs are simple to do, and won’t take up many hours of your day. Remember to add the following to your fall gardening checklist to ensure you have beautiful, healthy rose blooms to enjoy come summer.

1. Plant bare-root roses

Fall is an excellent time for planting roses, whether bare-root or container-grown plants. Bare-root roses are commonly available during dormancy from November to March and offer a convenient, more budget-friendly way to expand your collection of rose garden plants.

Provided the ground is not frozen, plant bare-root roses as soon as possible after receiving them. If the ground is unsuitable, you can keep plants in their packaging in a cool, dry place for a couple of weeks. Otherwise, you may need to heel-in plants until the time is right for planting.

It is beneficial to incorporate lots of organic matter, such as compost or well-rotted manure, into the site before planting. This will help improve the structure and boost soil nutrients, helping the new rose to establish strong roots.

Soak the roots for at least two hours before planting bare-root roses to rehydrate them. You then want to position the rose in the planting hole so the graft union at the base of the stem is an inch below soil level. Refill the hole around the rose, firm the soil down, and give the plant a good watering.

See the range of roses at Nature Hills

See the range of roses at Amazon

See the range of roses at Walmart

2. Mulch your plants

Mulching should form an integral part of winterizing roses. If you haven’t done it yet, add it to your to-do list for November.

Adding a layer of organic mulch two to three inches thick will insulate the roots and protect them from winter frosts. It also retains moisture in the soil, adds nutrients as it breaks down, and suppresses weeds.

The best mulch for roses includes garden compost, leaf mold, and bark chippings, such as this organic premium mulch at Amazon.

Mulch around the base of the plant in a circle as wide as the plant’s branches, but don’t pile it against the stems. Keep the mulch at least an inch from the stems to avoid rot.

3. Prune to prevent wind rock

Knowing when to prune roses is important. November is not a time to fully prune shrub roses, which should be done in late winter or early spring. However, it is a time to shorten stems to prevent wind rock if you have tall roses or a garden in a windy location.

Wind rock can damage roots as plants rock back and forth and, in extreme cases, cause roses to be blown over and ripped from the ground due to strong gusts.

As for how to prune roses so they don’t succumb to wind rock, it is as simple as cutting back tall stems by around a third. You don’t need to be too bothered about neatness, just cut to an outward-facing bud. You’ll return to the shrubs in late winter to do more detailed pruning.

What is important is ensuring your pruning tools are clean and sharp, so you make proper cuts and prevent spreading diseases. A simple pocket-sized sharpening tool like this on Amazon can be used to sharpen pruning shears while working in the yard.

4. Remove fallen leaves to prevent black spot

Rose black spot is a troublesome disease. You can use fungicides to treat the rose disease, but if your rose has had black spot for one year, it increases the chance of it getting infected next year. However, there are measures you can take in the fall to reduce those chances.

You should collect any foliage that has fallen from the bushes and dispose of it. Infected leaves left on the ground will harbour the fungal spores. These can overwinter in the soil and then infect the plant again next year, usually by being splashed up onto the leaves during rain or watering.

Collect and bag up any foliage showing signs of disease, including powdery mildew and rust, as well as black spot, and bin them. If diseased foliage remains on the plant, prune it off and then sanitize your pruning shears. Never use these leaves to make compost, as you can spread the disease around the garden.

Mulching is also helpful in preventing black spot. It buries the spores deeper in the ground, reducing the chance of them splashing up and re-infecting your roses.

5. Moves roses in pots to a protected spot

Shrub roses are hardy plants, but they are more vulnerable when grown in containers. The roots of container plants are more susceptible to frost, as there is only a thin layer of compost and pot between their roots and the cold.

If you grow roses in pots, move them to a more sheltered spot to protect them from the worst of the winter colds. Protecting pots in winter can be as simple as putting them next to a wall, moving pots close together for added insulation, or putting them into an unheated greenhouse.

However, if your roses are in large planters and are not easy to move, there are simple ways to protect plants from frost. The pots can be given extra insulation by wrapping them in burlap, bubble wrap, or protective winter covers, such as these frost protection bags at Amazon.

FAQs

Do I need to water roses in November?

It is unlikely you’ll need to water roses in late fall or early winter, unless the season is unusually mild or dry. You want to avoid overwatering outdoor plants, especially during colder weather, as it increases the risk of root rot.

Can I fertilize roses in November?

You should not fertilize roses this month. Doing so risks the development of fresh, new growth that will be damaged by winter frosts, leaving the rose susceptible to pests and diseases. Wait until early spring to give your roses their first feed of the new season.

Can roses bloom in November?

Some rose varieties, such as repeat-flowering cultivars, may still bloom in November in milder climates. If you are experiencing an unusually warm fall for your region, it may cause your roses to bloom for longer into the season.

Now you’ve got November rose care covered, it's time to add some more monthly jobs to your checklist. Luckily, we’ve got you covered. This guide to plants to prune in November reveals shrubs, fruits, and perennials that may need some TLC. And this piece on plants to propagate in November highlights some great opportunities to expand your collection by taking plant cuttings this month.

Shop rose care essentials:

I was recently gifted a mini rose plant and while I love having it on my kitchen windowsill, the thought of having it in my garden, alongside my other roses, did cross my mind. But, then I thought, can I actually grow a mini rose plant outdoors?

After doing some research, I was delighted to learn you can grow a mini rose plant outdoors. But, it isn't as simple as just placing it outside. It turns out you need to do a few things to ensure it is acclimatized before growing your rose in your garden.

It's also easy to make a few rose growing mistakes with mini rose plants, so it's important to take the time to first understand how to grow it outdoors correctly. To help you out, I've put together a guide on how to grow a mini rose plant outdoors with the steps I'm following to ensure it's a success.

How to grow a mini rose plant outdoors

Miniature rose plants are often intended to be indoor plants, usually bought from supermarkets or florists. Just like florist hydrangeas, these plants are usually forced to bloom or are grown from cuttings with weaker root systems.

This means transitioning them outdoors into a colder climate could shock them, stunt growth, or even kill them off. But, it isn't impossible to grow a mini rose plant outdoors. You just need to follow a few simple steps.

Something to be aware of, however, is that not all climates will be able to support a mini rose plant. They will do best across US hardiness zones 4 to zone 11, and will need winterizing to survive frosty winters.

1. Acclimatize your mini rose plant

Just like many of the easiest houseplants to grow outdoors, a mini rose plant needs acclimatizing to ensure it adapts to the temperatures, light, and wind of outdoor conditions.

To do this, I have gradually exposed my mini rose plant to increased sunlight (as it's blocked from sun indoors) by placing it in my yard.

First, I put it in a shaded, sheltered spot for a few hours of the day. When intense afternoon sunlight came out, I moved my mini rose plant back indoors, as to not cause leaf scorch or shock it.

Every few days, I moved my mini rose plant to a slightly sunnier spot for a longer amount of time.

While doing this, I monitored for any signs of stress, such as my rose leaves turning yellow or wilting. If your mini rose plant does show stress, move it back indoors to recover. You can prune your rose with these micro pruning snips from Amazon to remove any damaged leaves or blooms.

After several weeks have passed and your mini rose plant is showing signs of being happy and healthy outdoors, you can move it to its final spot.

These plants aren't likely to grow as big as rose shrubs or climbing roses, so it makes sense to continue growing it in a container garden, although you can also add it to a garden border.

2. Provide plenty of sunlight

Wherever you do decide to grow a mini rose plant outdoors, make sure it's a sunny spot. Just like regular roses, mini rose plants are sun-lovers, so they're less likely to perform well if you grow this rose in shade.

Aim to place it somewhere it will get at least six hours of direct sun a day and you'll watch it rebloom through the summer months.

If you're struggling to find a sunny spot in your yard, however, consider pruning tree branches that are casting shade. You might need essential pruning tools to do this, like these loppers from Amazon.

3. Water your mini rose plant deeply

It's also important to water your rose correctly to help it settle in to an outdoor environment. This means maintaining consistent moisture levels for your mini rose.

To avoid root rot and other rose diseases, it's best to water your rose deeply and less frequently. This will help encourage a stronger, deeper root system and reduce the likelihood of waterlogged soil.

At the same time, you should take care not to overwater your mini rose plant. I personally use this soil moisture meter from Amazon to check when my plants need watering and avoid watering mistakes.

FAQs

Should I fertilize my mini rose plant?

Yes, it's a good idea to fertilize your rose, even if it is a mini indoor plant. Roses are heavy feeders and fertilizing (with a rose fertilizer from Amazon) provides the essential plant nutrients needed for longer blooming and more profuse flowers. You should, however, only fertilize your mini rose plant when it is actively growing in spring and summer, to avoid roots burning and oversaturating soil.

Don't forget to winterize your mini rose plant when the colder seasons come round. I'm leaving mine growing in a pot, so plan to just bring it under cover for the winter, but you can also use frost cloths (from Amazon) or mulch to protect it from freezing temperatures.

Most rose fanatics grow roses for their flowers, but the more in love with roses you fall, the more their ornamental hips become just as exciting and hotly anticipated as the flowers themselves.

Whilst many rose varieties fruit into lovely, curvy hips, many do not produce rosehips at all. For the most part, the best roses for rose hips are those with single or semi-double flowers and those that don’t repeat flower. But, as ever with gardening, that is not a hard and fast rule. Hips can be rounded, oval, elongated, pear, flask-shaped, red, orange, yellow, chocolate brown, and even, astonishingly, jet black.

When I am selecting the roses to incorporate into a rose garden scheme, I tend to think first about the season of interest, and I always select at least one of these six best roses for rosehips, as they extend the season so dramatically with their ravishing hips, in my opinion just as beautiful, if not more so, than the flower itself.

6 best roses for rosehips

1. Master Hugh Rose (Rosa macrophylla)

The rosehips that this handsome wild rose produces have to be seen to be believed. It is the host to some of the largest hips to be found among roses.

These hips are preceded by bracted clusters of dog-rose pink blooms in June and July. Once flowering dwindles, plump flagon-shaped hips up to 2 inches in length erupt in a brilliant fiery orange-red color.

These rosehips persist into winter and make for the most stunning Christmas wreath or Christmas table decor when intertwined with sprigs of holly, ivy, and bay.

2. Scotch Rose (Rosa spinosissima)

The Scotch rose ('Rosa spinosissima') is a species rose of great antiquity, and one which enriches any garden scheme.

This low-growing rose makes for a terrific ground cover plant, with a profusion of cupped single creamy-white flowers in summer, all with a heady fragrance, followed by fat, inky black hips.

One of the very best plants for pollinators, Rosa spinosissima is always teeming with bees and butterflies in summer and aflutter with birds in winter.

If ever searching for rock garden ideas, this rose should be top of your list. Its compact habit (only growing to about one metre) means it works well at the front of a border, too.

Covered in pronounced thorns, it is one of the best rabbit repellent plants, and very drought resistant. It's a rose that you can plant and leave to its own devices - a truly contented little rose.

You can buy Rosa spinosissima from High Country Roses.

3. Moyes rose (Rosa moyesii)

If you have a wild part of your garden, Moyes rose (Rosa moyesii) is nigh on essential. You do not need woodland or acres to grow it, though it is a tall, vigorous bush with long, arching stems, so most definitely a back-of-border rose, and definitely too big for a small garden.

The flowers are a shock of scarlet red, and the elongated waxy red rosehips are impressive, to say the least.

4. Rosa filipes 'Kiftsgate'

The Kiftsgate rose (R. filipes Kiftsgate') is an extraordinarily tall and rampant rambler rose, is a prominent feature at Kiftsgate Court Gardens, a truly sensational garden nestled in the bucolic Cotswolds.

In summer, the foliage is smothered in huge sprays of wonderfully fragrant single white flowers, followed by masses of tiny orange-red rosehips.

The rosehips are ornamental and not to be eaten. Though this rambling rose reaches such dizzying heights of up to 60ft, it is hard to imagine being able to reach the hips in any case.

Many rambling roses produce stunning rosehips. ‘Kew Rambler’ and ‘Bobbie James’ are also generous flowerers and equally as generous with their delivery of winter rosehips.

As far as the best rambling roses go, though, Kiftsgate by far produces the most spectacular display of blazing coral-red oval-shaped rosehips. Though a warning word: this rose grows vigorously, so only plant it if you have space to allow it to soar.

5. Red Japanese Rose (Rosa rugosa)

The Red Japanese Rose, botanically referred to as 'Rosa rugosa', isn't red at all, but a riot of hot pink.

It is a marvel in every way a rose can be, not least for the mass of razor-sharp thorns and its non-stop repeat flowering that, with or without deadheading, continues to flower relentlessly with wild abandon.

It sprawls undeterred by anything in its wake, and this makes it the perfect rose for mass planting for screens or flowering hedges. Few roses are so resistant to disease, and they it tolerant of nearly all weather conditions, being both winter hardy and perfectly happy growing in even the harshest of coastal regions.

However, the real spectacle comes in fall, when it produces cascades of thumping great cherry tomato-shaped carmine-red hips. These rosehips are truly remarkable. So enormous, they look like freshly picked radishes ready to be chopped into a salad.

The hips are so resplendent and extravagant, and appear in such huge crowds, you can afford to pick many bunches for indoor decorations, or making jellies and jams, and the rose will still be brimming with hips.

You can buy Rosa Rugosa at Garden Goods Direct.

6. The King's Rose

The King's Rose is a newcomer to the rose scene, but it has made quite an entrance. The rose is known for its oh-so-pretty pink and white, semi-double blooms and its lovely perfume.

The King's Rose is a prolific flowerer, making it one of the best cutting garden flowers to grow, and has an excellent vase life. But perhaps its most charming feature is the beautiful terracotta orange rosehips it produces in the winter.

Birds, which are always in search of food in the winter, flock to this rose to nibble away at the nutrient-dense hips, so it's well worth leaving them on there throughout winter and delaying pruning until late winter or early spring.

You can buy The King’s Rose from David Austin Roses

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To allow your rose to bear hips, it's important to adjust your rose care routine accordingly. Do not deadhead your roses, and do not prune them until the end of the winter, in February or March.

Although many rosehips can be used for making oils, syrups, and teas, bear in mind that some rosehips are strictly ornamental, so you must read up on the species of rose you are growing to see if the rosehips are fit for consumption before cutting them for culinary creations.

Since rosehips contain the rose's seed, when a bird eats the hips, it will disperse the seeds around in their droppings, meaning they spread the seeds to new locations. Come spring, new plants could emerge thanks to the hips in your garden, so it is well worth leaving the hips in place and letting them work their magic.

As befits their name, 'Knock Out' roses are showstoppers in the garden. A real sensation, well, a knock out, if you like. Loved for their easy opulence and lack of disease, in the capable hands of the gardener, they will flower profusely for months on end from spring to the first frost. Whilst all Knock Out rose varieties are bred to extremely high standards, some are top performers worth keeping your eye on.

Knowing how to care for Knock Out roses is largely very similar to how to care for any other type of rose, though they're so full of vigor, you may find you don't need to fertilize them as much, or even at all, and they will still put on a full-throttle theatrical display all season long.

Within the family tree, there are several different Knock Out rose varieties, some of which stand out as particularly keen flowerers that seem to do nothing but flourish. Here are our top picks for the best Knock Out rose varieties to plant in your flower garden.

Blushing Knock Out

If you are looking for a shrub rose with delicate ballet slipper pink blooms, that flowers without taking a moment's pause, you can stop your search right now.

Getting to about 4 ft high, 'Blushing' is a top performer in every way one might want it to be. It has single to semi-double, perfumed, pale pink flowers that bloom in clusters. It will begin to flower in May and continue throughout summer, fall, and into Christmas and beyond. Once flowering comes to an end, the most beautiful rosehips will appear.

This is the forerunner of the perpetual flowering shrub roses. Despite giving the impression of utmost delicacy, this is a very tough, disease-resistant rose that will flower, come rain or shine.

Hardiness zones: 5-11

Coral Knock Out

If you have a sun-drenched, south-facing plot with a bright and beautiful garden color scheme, then this is the rose to set your sights on.

The leaves are a beautiful deep forest green with a definite bronze tinge. Amongst this are masses of slender flame buds that open into magnificent coral roses.

The coral pigment becomes even stronger in hot climates, so if you are in search of a color that will inject serious quantities of energy and optimism, and live somewhere with long hot days, it's the perfect choice.

The color is quite remarkable, emerging as a bombastic orange and very quickly turning to the most sumptuous coral.

Because this rose is heat tolerant, it is one of the very best plants for a sunny patio or a garden border exposed to non-stop full sun.

Hardiness zones: 5-11

Rainbow Knock Out

This is a far smaller rose, so great for the front of borders or even to add to your garden edging ideas.

It is a compact mounding shrub rose that typically grows to 3-4’ tall, and although it doesn't have a perfume, this particular rose is one of the very best plants for pollinators, seemingly always aflutter with butterflies, bees, and other pollinators.

Planted alongside copious amounts of lavender and guara, your flower border will be choc-full of bees bumbling lazily from flower to flower.

The flowers themselves are a delicate baby pink with a coral center, much like wild roses you often see rambling through hedgerows.

It will begin to flower in early June and continue until the first frost, when it will produce crimson colored rosehips, perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas displays.

Hardiness zones: 4-11

Double Knock Out

The double Knock Out rose is a classic lipstick red rose, seemingly plucked from the pages of a fairytale. Over the months, the blooms turn from a vermilion red to a striking shade of hot pink.

It is beguiling in its unapologetic beauty; there is nothing at all shy about this rose. It lives up to its name in every sense.

It's more winter hardy than the original Knock Out rose, and will tolerate almost anything, with phenomenal disease resistance and a tendency to thrive under any conditions.

Unfazed by the heat, equally as unperturbed by the cold, if you want shrubs that thrive on neglect, this is the front runner. A simple prune once a year and minimal watering will see these roses flower repeatedly from May until the first frost.

Hardiness zones: 4-11

If you're wondering when and how to prune Knock Out roses, its best to wait until late winter or early spring. After pruning, give them a feed (should you be inclined to) and leave them to work their magic.

I have looked after all types of roses during my time as a professional gardener. From the blousy, deeply fragrant blooms of 'Gertrude Jekyll', to the pink perfection of 'The Generous Gardener', scrambling over trellises and walls. I’ve grown climbing roses across vast pergolas, and deadheaded potted roses for more hours than I care to remember.

Over the last decade, I have worked in a wide range of gardens, from large rural plots to tiny urban terraces. And, whilst you might think that roses are only suited to larger spaces, the truth is that there are so many different types of rose, from floribundas to drifts, ground cover to compact shrubs, that are all perfectly suitable for small outside spaces.

So, while I know you’re never meant to pick favorites, the following five options are some of the best rose varieties, and are ones that I turn to time and again when someone asks me what the best roses for small spaces are. Whether it’s a patio, a courtyard or a narrow front yard, these five are sure to pack a colorful and fragrant punch.

5 best roses for small spaces

In terms of rose care and growing, these romantic plants are relatively hardy and easy to grow.

It is always best to pick varieties best suited to your US hardiness zone, as some will be better suited to cold weather in the north, and some to the warm and dry climate of the south.

Just remember that whilst they can thrive in a variety of situations, roses need sunshine to bloom. The more sun, the more flowers.

Here are five of the best roses for small spaces to try in compact borders or growing in pots this year.

1. Tuscany Superb

'Tuscany Superb' is an old gallica rose, first introduced in 1837. This shrub grows no taller than four feet, maintaining a bushy habit. It is better for beds than pots, unless you've got a big container.

As you can see, it produces dark, magenta-red blooms that have golden stamens, ideal in cottage garden borders and as a plant for pollinators.

It is hardy down to US hardiness zone 4, thriving in full sun to part shade and in a variety of soils. In terms of where never to plant roses, deep shade is always a spot to avoid.

You can deadhead through the summer, although towards July and August, you can begin to leave some flower stems to turn into rose hips for late-season interest.

For a similar shade, try this 'Burgundy Iceberg' rose, with live plants supplied by Heirloom Roses, via Walmart.

'Another shrub rose I would recommend is Louise Clements, which is perfect for small spaces,' says Robin Jennings, rose expert and Manager of Strategic Partnerships at Heirloom Roses.

'Louise Clements is bred here at Heirloom Roses, and she tends to slightly vary in color depending on her growing conditions and zone.

'We have noted that in humid and hot climates, she produces bright blooms leaning more towards orange, and in cooler climates, she leans towards a more pink-coral hue.'

2. Apricot Drift

'There are so many great choices for ground cover roses,' Robin continues. 'Most will grow no more than two to three feet and produce a significant number of summer blooms.'

Robin recommends 'The Fawn' and 'Peach Drift', as two ground cover roses that are low-growing and perfect for smaller spaces. 'They are also super resilient,' Robin adds. 'These roses are drought-tolerant, and surprisingly so.'

Most drift roses or ground cover roses can be grown down to zone 4 and as far south as zones 10 and 11.

One variety I have used is 'Apricot Drift', which can be planted in containers or narrow borders, producing masses of soft apricot-pink blooms that flower from late spring into fall.

Drift roses like this are some of the best plants to stop weeds, especially when planted en masse and used as a ground cover.

Try this 'Apricot Drift' ground cover rose, available via Nature Hills, which is a good choice for smaller and compact yards.

3. Sunny Knock Out Rose

Most 'Knock Out' roses can be grown down to US hardiness zone 6, reaching a height of three to five feet, making them a good choice for smaller spaces.

'Knock Out' roses are some of the best shrubs for containers, cultivated by American rose grower William Radler in 1989. Ever since, they have been popular with gardeners for their easy-going nature and long flowering time.

In terms of how to care for Knock Out roses, it is important to plant roses in a full sun position with at least six to eight hours of direct light.

Try this 'Sunny Knock Out' rose, available from Nature Hills.

If you are growing roses in pots, remember that they can be greedy feeders during spring and summer. Use something like this Dr Earth organic rose feed from Walmart, to keep your containers in good health.

4. Bull's Eye

With creamy white petals and a scarlet red eye in the center, you would be forgiven for confusing the 'Bull's Eye' rose with tropical hibiscus varieties.

The 'Bull's Eye' rose is available from Heirloom Roses and can be ordered from Amazon.

Bred in 2011, this compact variety will not grow taller than four to five feet, producing semi-double blooms for many weeks during spring and early summer if planted in a sunny spot from zone 6 plus.

What's more, it is one of the best fragrant roses, with a classic rose scent that will lift small spaces during the growing season.

Be sure to complete deep watering with roses in summer, although it is always best to water at the base of the plant, avoiding overhead watering, which can scorch the leaves and invite pests and disease.

5. Arctic Blue

'Arctic Blue' is a floribunda rose, highly valued for producing clusters of double, lilac-pink blooms. Even in the heat, this variety holds up well and can be grown from zone 5 to zone 9.

'Arctic Blue' live roses are available to order from Walmart.

In terms of how to grow floribunda roses, this variety can easily be kept in check, growing no more than three to four feet. Deadhead through the summer, and then prune roses late winter when growth is just resuming, usually around February or March.

'For another rose for small areas, I am partial to the Jalbert roses,' Robin adds. 'They stay nice and compact, around three by three feet, which, like 'Arctic Blue', makes them great for narrow walkways, beds, or pots.

'We have three new releases of his varietals coming in 2025. 'Caramel Kiss' is a brand new introduction to the US, which smells like a strawberry Jolly Rancher mixed with rose. Super sweet, and who wouldn't love that?'

Heirloom roses have a wide selection of plants available via Walmart.

FAQs

Are climbing roses good for small spaces?

Absolutely, climbing roses are brilliant for tight spaces. Maximizing growing space by using vertical surfaces is a clever design trick. Just be sure to choose a smaller-growing variety like 'Strawberry Hill', which can grow up to 10 feet, or 'The Generous Gardener', which can grow up to 15 feet. Just remember to tie in those long stems as they grow, training them horizontally to produce more blooms.

For balconies and patios, many different miniature roses can be grown in pots. For example, 'Cherry Sunblaze', live plants available from Nature Hills, is a miniature variety growing no taller than one or two feet.

So, if you want to add a little color and fragrance to pots and table displays, consider these smaller varieties that take up little room but are no less impactful.

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Everyone loves a rose, and you don't have to be a green-fingered expert to enjoy their beautiful blooms in your garden. Whether climbing, miniature, or something in between, there's a variety for everyone and every style of backyard. But before you get planting, there are some environmental factors that shouldn't be overlooked.

Finding the right planting spot is a key step for growing roses successfully, as looking after them will be so much easier if they're located somewhere suitable. Putting them in the wrong type of soil, in too little sunshine, or in too hot a climate can all cause problems, but such rose growing mistakes can be easily avoided with a bit of know-how.

Below, gardening professionals share their insights on where never to plant roses, to help you increase your chances of success. There is also advice on what to plant alongside them, and whether you can grow them indoors.

1. Shaded locations

Wes Harvell, rosarian at Jackson & Perkins, says to avoid planting roses in full shade or low-light areas. 'Roses need at least six hours of direct sunlight daily. Planting in shade leads to weak growth, fewer blooms, and higher susceptibility to disease due to poor air circulation and damp conditions.'

Tyler Francis of rose bush provider April & Ashley also comments on these plants' need for sunshine, and for this reason, he warns against planting them under trees. However, if your garden doesn't get lots of sun, don't worry. He says a little shade will be just fine – 'as long as the sun is hitting the rose during the morning and early afternoon hours.'

2. Poorly-draining soil

Wes also advises against planting roses in poorly drained or waterlogged soil, explaining that they hate 'wet feet'. 'Constantly soggy soil leads to root rot and fungal diseases,' he says. 'Always plant in well-drained soil, and avoid areas where water pools after rain.'

If your soil type is unsuitable, consider amending it by mixing in organic matter, such as homemade compost. This will give beneficial nutrients to your roses, too.

You could alternatively consider growing your roses in large pots, to help keep rose diseases at bay. If you decide on this, there are a few things to bear in mind. As Cecilia Keneally, a senior property care manager at Glengate, notes, 'While certain varieties can do well in pots, many classic garden roses have deep, vigorous roots.' Choose a suitable variety and a suitable planter – she warns that small or non-draining containers cause root stress, stunted growth, and winter dieback in cold climates.

3. Too close to larger plants

Planting roses too close to large trees or shrubs is also best avoided, and Wes highlights two reasons for this. First, the aggressive root systems of the neighboring plants will compete for nutrients and moisture. And second, the shade from tall plants will limit sunlight exposure, which, as mentioned above, can weaken your roses.

Instead, give your roses plenty of space, so they can soak up the sun and the goodness in the soil around them.

'For best results, plant your rose three feet (one meter) away from other plants and two feet (60cm) from other roses,' says Liam Beddall, senior rose consultant at David Austin Roses. Remember to keep on top of weeds, too, which can also hinder their growth.

4. Spots that get too hot

While sunshine is generally a good thing when growing roses, excessive heat is not. Wes warns against planting them on south-facing walls in hot climates, explaining that extreme reflected heat can scorch the leaves and dry out soil too quickly. 'In hot regions, choose a location with morning sun and afternoon shade instead,' he says.

Tyler also advises against planting roses in rock – 'the rocks heat up the root system and will kill it.'

If a heatwave catches you off guard, be sure to protect your plants from the sweltering temps by watering your roses regularly. You could also consider adding some temporary shade.

5. Outside their recommended hardiness zone

Speaking of temperature, it's always best to check that your planned rose variety (or any plant for that matter) is suitable for your hardiness zone, before you bring it home. 'Planting roses outside their ideal growing zone – either too cold or too hot – can lead to poor performance or plant death,' says Wes.

'In colder zones, roses may not survive winter without heavy protection,' he continues. 'In overly warm zones, some varieties may struggle with heat stress, shorter bloom cycles, or dormancy issues.'

Top tip: You can learn ways to winterize roses with our practical guide.

6. Windy sites

Avoid planting your rose in a very exposed spot. 'Strong winds can cause the base of the rose to loosen in the soil,' says Liam. 'This will result in your rose rocking in the wind which will lead to it growing at an angle, and in extreme cases could even kill it.

'If you find this problem with a rose you already have, make sure you firm the soil around it. In some cases, a stake may be necessary.'

FAQs

Can you grow roses under cover?

Liam says they don’t recommend growing their roses indoors or in a greenhouse. 'They’re really at their best when planted outside in the garden, where they get plenty of fresh air, sunlight and space to grow naturally.

'Indoor and greenhouse environments can be too humid or lack the airflow roses need, which can lead to problems like disease or weak growth. For healthy plants and the most beautiful blooms, it’s best to let them enjoy the great outdoors.'

Top tip: Cecilia mentions that miniature rose varieties may temporarily survive in bright windows indoors – 'but pests (like spider mites) are a common problem.'

What are some good companion plants for roses?

While large and aggressive neighbors are a no-go, some beautiful plants make suitable rose companions.

Both Wes and Tyler recommend planting lavender. As Wes highlights, it repels pests like aphids, it attracts pollinators, and it also offers a beautiful fragrance contrast. Lavender plants also love sunshine and well-drained soil, notes Tyler – just like roses do. Tyler suggests perennial hibiscus, too, another plant that likes these conditions and 'adds a pop of color when roses take a break – so your garden stays vibrant all season.'

You could also consider nepeta, another suggestion from Wes. Like lavender, it can help deter harmful insects and tolerates similar growing conditions, plus it adds a soft, cascading effect at the base of rose beds, he points out. You can shop for a range of nepeta (also known as catmint) at Nature Hills; they're ideal for enhancing that cottage garden look.

Whether you're landscaping with roses in borders or are just growing a few in pots, the tips above should make it easier to keep them trouble-free. However, do be on the lookout for rose pests, too, such as aphids.

It's also crucial to know how to prune roses, and when – if you do this at the wrong time you might accidentally snip off flower buds before they've had a chance to bloom.

David Austin Roses has today unveiled a brand new rose at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, created in honor of His Majesty King Charles III.

The King’s Rose is a shrub variety that produces semi-double, repeat-flowering blooms. Its petals feature joyful, candy-like stripes in shades of fuchsia pink and white, creating a hand-painted look and an almost a child-like charm. It is the first-ever striped rose to be created by the rose breeder.

The King's Rose is also delicately fragranced, with hints of fresh apple and rose water. The process of breeding and stabilising the rose variety took 12 years to complete.

The journey of The King’s Rose

David J.C. Austin, Chairman at David Austin Roses, says: ‘The King’s Rose is particularly special – it’s our first striped rose, created in collaboration with The King’s Foundation. The rose is a tribute to the enduring values of His Majesty King Charles III through the work of the foundation, investing in education, sustainable practices, and the revitalisation of heritage.’

The King’s Rose, which can be purchased from David Austin Roses, was chosen thanks to a particularly poignant moment three decades ago, between King Charles and Mr Austin.

‘Walking through the trial fields and watching this rose perform better and better was incredibly exciting,’ says Mr Austin. ‘But what truly made it special was the unexpected connection it sparked – memories of the first time I met King Charles at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in the early ’90s.

'We had a display of ‘Ferdinand Pichard,’ a beautiful striped rose originally bred in France in the early 20th century, and he told me it was the very first rose he’d ever grown. I couldn’t believe it – because it was the first rose that I'd grown, too.

‘That shared moment has stayed with me ever since, and when I saw this new bloom in the fields – striped, distinctive, and full of charm and character – I knew it had to be the one. It felt like a sign. This had to be our rose.’

How a new rose variety is bred and developed

The 12-year breeding process was led by David Austin Roses' Head of Breeding, Carl Bennett. Each year, over 40,000 seedlings are nurtured, evaluated and gradually shortlisted until there is just one final rose that meets the highest standards of beauty, fragrance and resilience.

Carl said: ‘Breeding a new rose is a real labour of love, requiring plenty of patience and attention to detail at every stage of the process.

‘The King’s Rose’ is the result of over a decade of careful selection and refinement, and we are incredibly proud to see it come to life. Its distinctive colouring, graceful form, and delightful fragrance make it truly special – a fitting tribute to His Majesty’s passion for horticulture.’

Proceeds from The King’s Rose will support The King’s Foundation and its work building sustainable communities.

The King's Rose will grow three to four feet tall, it has a vase-shaped growth habit with vibrant yellow stems to attract pollinators.

If you are new to rose growing, you'll find lots of useful tips and advice in our rose care guide, plus tonnes of inspiration from these stunning rose garden ideas.

Shop similar shrub roses

Q: I have recently planted some rose bushes in my backyard and have heard it's a good idea to mulch them. What material should I use?

A: A layer of mulch helps soil retain moisture, protects roots against winter frosts, and keeps weeds at bay. What's more, it can provide plants with added nutrients. So if you're growing roses, it's well worth adding mulching to your maintenance routine, especially at this time of year, to keep them in top condition.

There are a few different types of mulch you can use to help your roses flourish. Below, plant-care professionals share their advice.

4 mulches for healthy roses

Liam Beddall of David Austin Roses recommends using an organic, biodegradable mulch rather than something like an aggregate. The benefit of this is that worms and other microorganisms will bring it down into the soil, he explains. This improves the soil’s structure and encourages better drainage.

Moreover, these mulches add nutrients to the soil as they decompose over time.

'As with anything, too much of a good thing is when problems occur, so changing up your mulch each year can encourage a rich microorganism layer in the soil,' he adds.

1. Garden compost

Homemade compost is a great option for mulching roses – and budget-friendly, too if you make your own.

If composted properly, it should give plenty of nutrients to the soil, Liam says. 'Adding lots of green and woody material to the heap and turning regularly will give you a good balance.'

Grass clippings are 'an excellent source of nitrogen', and can be added to compost heaps as part of a 'balanced diet', he adds.

2. Bark chippings

Kiersten Rankel of plant-care app Greg says shredded bark is an 'excellent mulch for roses'.

'Whether cedar, pine, or hardwood, bark mulch breaks down slowly, adding organic matter to the soil while staving off weeds effectively,' she says. 'It also looks great in a garden.' What's more, cedar bark has the added benefit of being a natural pest repellent, she adds.

However, Liam points out a precaution: 'In a rose garden setting, using large-pieced bark in thick layers can stop water penetrating the soil so freely, so do be careful.'

3. Leaves

You can also use composted leaves, otherwise known as leaf mold, to mulch your roses.

'They’re rich in nutrients, improve soil structure as they break down, and create an ideal environment for beneficial organisms,' says Kiersten. 'It's also free if you collect and compost your own leaves. The only downside is that it may need replenishing more frequently than bark mulch.'

4. Manure

While manures have varying levels of nutrients, they make a good mulch or soil conditioner, as Liam points out. They can improve both sandy, free-draining soils as well as heavier clay soils, he adds.

'The most important thing is to ensure that it is well-rotted (generally when you can no longer smell it),' Liam continues. If it's not, it may burn and scorch plants and deplete nitrogen from the soil as it continues to break down.

FAQs

Are pine needles a good mulch for roses?

'The thing to be careful of is that they are acidic,' says Liam. 'So, while they are ideal for ericaceous plants, as they break down in the soil they can be altering the pH. While roses can tolerate some acidity, they do not like extremes.'

When should you apply mulch to roses?

'We recommend applying mulch in the spring, just after your first feed,' says Liam. 'This is the perfect time as it locks in all of the moisture accumulated over the winter and smothers over any weed seeds in the soil to inhibit germination through sunlight.'

You can also mulch again in late fall, adds Kiersten. This will help to keep the plants warm through winter.

Stephanie Waltz of Star® Roses and Plants also recommends applying mulch immediately after planting roses, no matter what time of year.

How should you apply mulch to roses?

'Apply one to two inches around the rose, about as wide as the rose's branches reach,' says Stephanie. 'Be careful to leave a few inches diameter around the base, so that the mulch does not touch the rose itself. This can lead to rot and other disease issues.'

Looking for more rose-care advice? Our guides on watering roses and pruning roses have you covered.

Zooey Deschanel is known for coloring outside the lines, and the same applies to her choice of flowers. An Instagram post reveals the bold, purple roses in Deschanel and her husband, Johnathan Scott's garden. Even though we're creeping into fall, the flowers look as full and vibrant as ever.

Their refreshing rose planting is a masterclass in cottage garden ideas. The bold and romantic flowers lend an unexpected warmth to the outdoor space. They sit in perfect opposition to the rich green of the surrounding plants and perfectly complement the more conventional pink and yellow roses. Next to the sweet white gazebo in the couple's backyard, it creates the feel of a traditional English garden in the middle of California.

The choice of purple plants or another expected shade is a great way to maintain a classic feel while infusing personality. Though Deschanel has planted roses, one of the most beloved plants, the purple feels distinctly her. Try taking inspiration from a signature color, your favorite item of clothing, or go to the plant center and see what strikes your fancy. There's more than just one way to design a beautiful garden, and an unorthodox pop of color is a fun way to make it more interesting.

Further, her plant choice is ideal for emphasizing the English garden feel of her outdoor space. Thom Rutter, master gardener and gardens content editor at Homes & Gardens states: 'Roses are a classic cottage garden plant. Whether you opt to grow miniature roses, climbing roses or shrub roses, these romantic blooms are always an impactful addition to any yard.'

If you choose to go the way of Deshchanel and plant roses, care is just as important as deciding on the right plants. First, consider the right place to plant your roses. Rutter advises: 'In terms of growing roses, always provide as much sunshine as possible, ideally in a spot with 6-8 hours of direct sun and preferably in a sheltered corner of the yard.' We can see this in Deschanel's garden, where one of the sunniest spots in the space has been chosen to display her plants.

Pruning is also of utmost importance in rose care. Rutter suggests: 'Through the spring and summer, deadheading roses is an essential garden task that will prolong the floral display. As soon as the petals fade and fall, simply snip the stem to prevent the plant from expending energy on seed production. If you continue deadheading during the growing season, blooms will keep coming, even late into the season, as Zooey Deschanel shows.' Flowers all year round? Yes please!

When it comes to planting your own garden, Deschanel's outdoor space is a reminder to plant to the beat of your own drummer. Don't be scared of unexpected planting combinations, and don't be nervous to bring in non-traditional colors, even if you are going for a more traditional look.

For more rose pruning essentials, Rutter also recommends these pieces below.

Gardening is an art, and a true artist uses ever color in the rainbow. Just don't forget to plant intelligently, prune, and garden with your heart.

Pruning your rambling roses at the right time is important. If left alone for many years, they can produce vigorous, leggy, and messy growth. While this can look charming when growing through a mature tree or tumbling over a cottage garden wall, without regular pruning, rambling roses will quickly become unmanageable.

Towards the end of summer, when rose petals fade and fall, it is time to start thinking about pruning your rambling roses. Doing so at the right time and in the right way will ensure that your plants thrive, look their best, and - crucially - produce plenty of blooms next year.

As a former professional gardener, working in both the UK and Italy, I have cared for many different species of rose, including shrub, miniature, floribunda and rambling. There is nothing better, I think, than spotting a tumbling profusion of rose blooms during the summer. Yet, flowering displays are determined by you, the gardener, and so knowing how to prune roses and when to take decisive action is crucial. Here, I share all I know to help you prune your rambling roses.

How to prune rambling roses

Rambling - or rambler - roses are often thought of as climbing roses. While they do climb and vine, rambling roses are different from most climbing species in that they are not repeat flowering, blooming only once between June and August. Most rambling roses can be grown from US hardiness zone 5 to US hardiness zone 10, and so long as they enjoy six hours or more of sunshine, they will thrive. These tough, resilient plants can, however, produce vigorous growth, so pruning every year is vital if you want to keep your rose under control.

When is the right time to prune rambling roses

Pruning at the wrong time is a common rose pruning mistake that can damage the health of your plant. The pruning of rambling roses should always take place after flowering, usually around late summer to early fall.

For any routine rose care maintenance, such as trimming a few stems, tidying your plant, and retraining it, consider rambling roses as plants to prune in September, October, or even November. Any significant restoration can be left until later in the fall or winter, as it is much easier to do this when your plant has dropped all of its leaves.

You may notice that this is different when compared with how you might prune climbing roses, which are trimmed slightly later in winter and early spring. All roses have different pruning requirements, so always consider the best time for your specific rose species before reaching for the garden tools.

Pruning in late summer and fall is advisable for rambling roses as, at this point, they have finished flowering for the year, and will not bloom again until next summer. Remember that rambling roses produce buds on new, fresh growth, so trimming old stems at this stage will not impact flower production for the following year.

If you have a young or newly planted rambling rose, it is unnecessary to prune it. Allow your rose to grow freely for the first two years without any pruning. During this time, your rose will establish roots and settle into your yard, and there shouldn't be any need to tame it (just yet).

For larger, older rambling roses that have been in your yard for more than a few years, however, annual pruning is an important task, and one that I always add to my winter or fall gardening checklist.

For larger specimens, I would suggest waiting until December to complete heavy pruning, as this will be much easier when all the foliage has dropped. What's more, you give wildlife a little extra time to feed on the attractive rose hips that emerge following flowering.

Tools you will need to prune rambling roses

There are a few essential garden tools that you will need when pruning rambling roses. What you require will depend on the condition (and size) of your rose.

For larger rambling roses, it is a good idea to invest in a strong, sturdy ladder. Telescopic ladders, available from Walmart, are a good investment, as you can easily fold them down and store them in the garden shed or even indoors when not in use.

For thicker stems, if you are carrying out some significant restorative pruning for an older rose, you might need to invest in some heavy-duty loppers, or perhaps a pruning saw, which will easily slice through chunky stems.

You might already have a trusted pair of shears or secateurs that are ready and waiting in your tool shed. However, if you fancy investing in something new, consider purchasing Japanese gardening tools. I have used Japanese pruners for several years now and can testify to their effectiveness.

Try these Okatsune pruners, available from Amazon, with unique red and white handles that will help you quickly identify them if they somehow find their way into your tub trug or buried in your borders... not that this has ever happened to me.

Finally, a good pair of gardening gloves (preferably that are thorn-resilient) will help to protect your hands.

Routine pruning of rambling roses

I always find it helpful to take a step back and observe your rose. Ask yourself, what are you trying to achieve?

Before reaching for the pruning shears, it is a good idea to have a plan of what you want to cut and what you want to keep. Once you have an idea of the shape you want, or where you would like the rose to grow (and where not), you are ready to begin:

• Cut back any damaged, broken, diseased stems down to the base or a leaf node.
• Defoliage (remove any leaves that remain) and trim any side shoots back to about six inches from these thicker stems, ensuring that there remains one or two leaf nodes on each shoot.
• Then, tie in these thick stems in the direction or shape you want. Old stems can be thick and strong, so you might need to double or triple-tie them with garden twine.
• While it can feel cruel, this is the time to remove less strong growth. I tend to cut anything that has a stem smaller than pencil-size, which will help to reduce congestion and encourage plenty of new, vigorous growth in the spring.
• Cut up any rose stems and gather all leaves into a garden waste sack. This can be cut up and added to your compost heap, although any diseased plant material should be added to your green waste collection and taken away.

Reviving old and messy rambling roses

For any rambling roses that require serious attention, it is best to prune in December or January, as it will be much easier to see what you are doing when all the leaves have fallen.

'I recently moved house and in our front yard we are lucky to have a large, if unruly, rambling rose,' says Rachel Bull, Head of Gardens at Homes & Gardens. 'Seeing the clusters of white flowers adorning an established large conifer tree was wonderful, but I knew we needed to take action if we wanted to keep this beautiful rambling rose in good shape, or risk losing it.

'So, in winter last year, I reached for the tools and took action,' Rachel continues. 'Restorative pruning can feel destructive, but it is very much a be-cruel-to-be-kind situation.'

As Rachel says, while pruning an old rambling rose can feel self-defeating, it is better to do so in a controlled and correct way, which will encourage new growth. If you fail to do so, you risk losing your plant, as leggy, weighty and woody stems can snap in high winds or during a storm.

Rambling roses are tough, resilient plants, so do not be afraid to prune. Once you have gathered the courage to do so, there are a few steps to follow:

• Select three to seven healthy, old stems to keep. All other stems should be cut to the base or just above a leaf node. For older, thicker stems, you may require loppers or a pruning saw, available from Amazon, for this. Be careful, as these saws can be incredibly sharp.
• For the stems you want to keep, it is good to minimize their height, or at least contain them where you want them to grow. If growing through a mature tree, for example, it is a good idea to bring the height down to the first branch, to encourage blooming lower down on your plant.
• Next, remove any dead and diseased stems and any weak shoots that have a smaller radius than that of a pencil or pen.
• Shorten any side shoots on the remaining branches by one-half, which will encourage new, bushy horizontal growth.
• Finally, tie in your remaining branches using supports, twine or wire. You can create unique fan shapes or swirling patterns, which can look particularly good in winter when the garden is void of color. Alternatively, reattach your rose to a structure or mature tree, just be sure to provide plenty of support for the windy fall and winter months.

FAQs

I have a small yard and I want to grow roses - should I grow a rambling rose?

Rambling roses, while beautiful, can quickly get out of control and dominate your plot. While it would not be impossible to grow and maintain a rambling rose in a small yard, this might become a time-consuming full-time job.

'Consider instead learning how to grow floribunda roses,' says Robin Jennings, rose expert and Manager of Strategic Partnerships at Heirloom Roses. 'Floribunda roses are much more compact, tough and can be grown in most areas.'

As Robin says, for smaller spaces, growing other species and varieties of rose would be a better idea. Floribunda roses typically grow no more than six feet in height and will flower prolifically. 'Just remember,' Robin adds, 'most roses need at least six hours of sun, and the more sun you give your rose, the more blooms it will produce.'

Floribunda roses, available from Walmart, come in all different colors and patterns, try the 'Purple Tiger' variety if you are looking for something unusual, with white and purple markings making for striking blooms.

When is it too late to prune rambling roses?

Rambling roses bloom on new growth (or the current year's growth). For this reason, it is too late to prune roses anytime after mid-winter, as your plant will then begin to produce shoots and buds for the year ahead. If you prune anytime after January or February, you risk damaging and disrupting your flower display. If you are anything like me, you will want to apply a slightly risk-averse approach to gardening, so pruning before January is preferable.

After pruning, it is a good idea to mulch your rose plants. I tend to prefer doing this in the winter months, once all the beds are cleared of perennials and weeding has stopped for the year. Mulching will feed the soil, improve soil health, and help to nourish your roses, often eliminating the need for fertilizing.

Roses are perhaps the most popular flowering plants worldwide. Commonly grown in most garden borders, roses have long been admired by gardeners and florists for centuries, valued for their romantic blooms and heady fragrances.

Different from hybrid roses and cultivars that have been developed and bred to produce picture-perfect flowers, there are many alternative varieties of wild roses that are ideal for a natural aesthetic. Dog roses, Rosa canina, as seen in the images here, are one such option. While they are slightly more primitive in form, often with singular, open flowers that have five petals, they are no less beautiful.

Learning how to grow dog roses is not too dissimilar from growing other species of rose, but there are certain care aspects to be aware of. Whether you are landscaping with roses, or looking to grow a statement shrub in your yard, our expert-approved guide has all the information you need to succeed.

How to grow dog roses

When considering how to grow and care for roses, dog roses, Rosa canina, require a slightly different approach. Native to Europe, Africa and Asia, deciduous dog roses can be found scrambling through hedgerows and climbing over and atop large trees and shrubs. If you are looking for rose garden ideas with a bit of a twist, incorporating wild dog roses is sure to add something unique to your planting schemes.

Things to consider about dog roses

'Wild roses - or dog roses - are very vigorous, fast-growing shrubs,' says plant expert, Katie Sunderlage. 'For this reason, they are often used as hedges and grown alongside other shrubs and small trees.' There are many different types, including the native North American California rose, or the European dog rose.

'They can climb, vine and scramble through and over plants, so be warned, they can create a slightly tangled but pleasingly natural aesthetic, which is good if you are keen on wild gardening.

'They do best in US hardiness zone 5 to US hardiness zone 9, meaning they can be grown as far North as Maine, and as far south as Texas and Florida,' Katie adds.

The good thing about dog roses is they are at their best when left alone, without regular care, and who doesn't like a low-maintenance plant? 'Once your dog rose has completed flowering, there is no need for deadheading,' Katie continues, 'rose hips will form where the blooms once were, and these hips are the real stars of the show.'

Not only will dog rose hips form a nice display to look at during late summer, fall and winter, but these are excellent plants for pollinators that will prove to be a hit with local wildlife. 'Dog rose hips are a great food source for many mammals and birds, particularly in the colder months.'

Dog roses grow guide

• Soil:  'They prefer moist but well-drained soil,' Katie says. 'In general, however, wild dog roses are very versatile and can be planted in an array of soils, climates and for a variety of uses as part of a naturalistic planting design.'
• Light: 'Dog roses do best in full sun, preferably with at least eight hours per day,' Katie says. In places where they are found growing naturally, dog roses tend to thrive in hedges or along the edges of open fields where they can enjoy plenty of sunshine. Just think, the more sun your dog rose can enjoy, the more blooms it will produce.
• Watering: Wild Roses prefer some moisture in the soil but do not enjoy waterlogged ground or wet conditions. 'Once your dog rose is established, watering isn’t necessary,' Katie advises. 'When your plant is young, however, deep watering can be important during warm weather to ensure that the rose is able to bloom. Generally, watering once every one to two weeks is ideal. Once your plant starts to bloom, decreasing watering to every three weeks is recommended. Avoid watering the leaves as this can cause sun scorch.'
• Fertilizing: 'It can help to feed during the spring and summer if you want to maximize bloom production,' Katie continues. Using a fertilizer high in potash, such as this bloom booster feed available from Walmart, will do the trick. 'You can feed every three weeks during the active growing season to promote continued flowering,' Katie says. If, however, your dog rose is thriving, and producing plenty of flowers, I recommend leaving the fertilizer in the garden shed. These plants can typically access what they need from the soil.
• Pruning: 'Do not prune or deadhead spent blooms,' Katie says. 'Leave faded flowers to turn into rose hips for a dazzling fall display. Pruning is only necessary if there are dead or weak branches which can be done late in the season at the end of summer.' For any pruning jobs, be sure to use clean, sharp tools, like these Felco snips, available from Walmart. A word of caution, however, is that dog roses look their best when left alone, with natural, relaxed shapes and structures, so avoid heavy pruning and let this plant grow freely.
• Staking and support: For newly planted dog roses, it is a good idea to provide a framework for them to climb over. There are many different climbing plant support ideas to try, including trellises or wires along a garden wall. Green dog rose shoots can be gently woven into the plant support, or trained along a structure using gardening twine, available from Amazon.

FAQs

Can you grow dog roses in pots?

Yes, dog roses can be grown in pots. Growing in this way, however, will restrict and limit their vigor, although this might be the best option if you have a small yard. I would suggest repotting dog roses annually, to refresh soil and encourage new shoots. Remember to water your pots during spring and summer, as they can dry out very quickly during warm weather.

How big can dog roses grow?

Dog roses are vigorous plants that can eventually reach impressive sizes. Without pruning, dog roses can reach 10-15ft tall with a spread of 10-15ft. While I prefer to leave dog roses to grow in a natural way, pruning once every three years can help to limit its spread.

Wild roses can help to form a natural boundary that is both beautiful, with striking blooms, and practical - with thorny branches to create a naturally secure perimeter. Using wild roses for hedging is also a great way to maximize wildlife in your yard, with birds, bees and butterflies drawn to these nectar-rich offerings all year round. See our other suggestions for planting a hedge for wildlife, including plants that produce striking berry displays in fall and winter.

What I love about garden design is the ability we have to combine a practical aim with sheer beauty. A rose hedge is a perfect example of this. The best roses for hedging combine the prospect of privacy or a border with glorious, scented flowers, glossy leaves, and jewel-toned hips in the fall and winter.

As an added bonus, many varieties have wicked thorns meaning they make an excellent protective boundary for your backyard, while dwarf varieties can be used internally to divide your yard into different zones or outdoor rooms.

A few years ago we travelled to Spain, and every day we walked past a beautiful garden with a hedge of roses that filled the air with the sweetest rose perfume - it was an absolute feast for the senses. If you're thinking about landscaping with hedges, I've selected 10 of the best rose varieties that I know will thrive as hedge plants, providing beautiful borders as well as blooms.

How to choose the best hedge roses

Hedge roses usually come from varieties that are tough, more able to shrug off rose diseases and tolerant of harsh conditions, meaning they can be grown to USDA hardiness zone 2.

They can be part of your rose garden ideas, or a completely different planting scheme. These roses need relatively little care once established, but they will require some pruning to remove dead wood and thin, tangled stems.

Because of their density and thorns, hedge roses are also one of the best deer-resistant plants, creating a barrier that will deter even the most determined hind and stag.

Roses grow in a range of sizes, from dwarf shrub roses to sprawling rambling roses and climbing roses, meaning there are appropriate hedge roses whatever size your yard.

1. Rosa ‘Gertrude Jeykll’

This is my number one personal choice because we have one growing in our front yard and it is one of the best climbing roses I’ve ever grown.

‘Gertrude Jekyll’ produces ruffled pink flowers with a strong, old fashioned rose scent and, best of all, if deadheaded and feed through the growing season it may bloom three times between early summer and mid-fall.

It will grow well in all soils and reaches a height of 4ft, and is suitable for zone 5, zone 6, zone 7, zone 8, zone 9 and zone 10.

Rose 'Gertrude Jekyll' is available to buy from Amazon.

2. Rosa ‘Lady of Shalott’

Named for the tragic heroine of Sir Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem, this classic English rose has large orange blooms with over 60 petals apiece, producing a warm scent of cloves and apples that will bring the bees flocking.

It can reach a height and spread of 4ft and is happy in most soils, liking full sun and partial shade.

Despite her stunning looks, Rosa ‘Lady of Shalott’ is a relatively easy-going variety that can tolerate less-than-perfect soil and is suitable for hardiness zones 5-8.

Gallica rose varieties

Gallica roses are thought to be one of the oldest groups of roses and were originally grown by the Ancient Greeks and Romans. The Dutch started breeding new varieties in the 17th century and now we have a good selection for low-growing shrubs in shades of crimson, purple and mauve.

Perfect for the front of a rose hedge owing to its striking blooms, varieties include ‘Empress Josephine’, ‘Tuscany’, ‘Rosa Mundi’ and Rosa gallica ‘Oficinalis’.

These roses can be grown in hardiness zone 4 as well as zones 5-9.

4. Rosa ‘The Lark Ascending’

This is a disease-resistant rose variety with large cup-shaped blooms in an apricot shade. It has a light fragrance and grows to 5ft height and spread.

It is one of the few roses that will grow happily in a shaded spot and is also ideal for wildlife gardens, as it attracts pollinators and produces bright hips in the fall.

Suitable for growth in hardiness zone 5.

5. Rosa ‘Lady Banks’.

Rosa 'Lady Banks' is an evergreen rose with pale yellow flowers, though it originally produced white blooms.

Originally brought to the UK from China in 1807, its thornless stems can reach a length of 20ft, making it perfect for hedging, though it does like a sunny spot.

‘Lady Banks’ is low maintenance, needs little in the way of fertilizing or pruning, and as it is a relatively drought-tolerant rose it can survive reduced watering.

The largest specimen of this variety in the world is found in Arizona. It was planted in 1855 and now covers a colossal 8,000 sq ft! ‘Lady Banks’ will thrive in zones 6-8.

You can find'Lady Banks' rose plants at Walmart.

6. Polyantha rose varieties

Polyantha roses are compact shrubs that originate from an ancient climbing rose called R. multiflora 'Polyantha', which is one of the ancestors of modern-day floribunda roses.

It produces clusters of flowers at the top of each stem and is an incredibly sturdy variety, generally disease resistant and tolerant if tough conditions.

Good varieties include ‘Cecile Brunner’, which produces pink blooms. It is known as an ‘earth kind’ rose, as it needs little help from synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.

Another popular variety is the strongly scented ‘Perle d’or’, which has apricot-pink blooms, can handle heat and drought, and doesn’t need much in the way of feeding or pest control. Both are suitable for zone 5.

'Cecile Brunner' plants can be bought from Amazon.

7. Alba rose varieties

Alba roses date from the middle ages and their flowers are either white, pink or blush set off by elegant grey-green foliage. Popular varieties include ‘Queen of Denmark’, ‘Alba Maxima’ and ‘Amelia’.

This is an extremely hardy strain of roses, almost completely disease-free and able to thrive in the toughest conditions with little care. They can cope with light shade better than other rose varieties.

Suitable for zone 5, though some varieties can handle cold down to zone 3.

8. Rosa ‘Molineux’

Rosa 'Molineux' is a traditional English shrub rose that is suitable for all areas of the backyard, including containers, as well as being ideal as part of a rose hedge.

Rich yellow flowers are the calling card of this repeat-flowering beauty that can be grown in hardiness zone 5 and warmer.

'Molineux' can reach a height and spread of 3ft and has a light-to-medium tea musk scent. It is happy in all soil types and can handle partial shade.

9. China rose varieties

China roses, or Rosa Chinensis, are native to south west China. They grow into slender bushes with almost thornless stems bearing glossy foliage that is smaller than that of other rose varieties, and single or double flowers that appear reliably throughout the summer and fall.

The flowers of Rosa chinensis have a light, pleasant scent and the plants don’t need much pruning but they do like a sunny spot.

'Semperflorens', ‘Sophie’s Perpetual’ and ‘Old Blush’ are popular varieties, and they are suitable for growing in hardiness zones 6-9.

10. Species roses

If you are looking for horticultural heritage and history, then choose species roses for your hedge.

These are the forebears of all the roses we see on sale and growing today, and they are are a wide category of plants that produce beautifully simple, scented, open flowers in a variety of colors. Most of the blooms are single, and their scent attracts bees. In the fall they will decorate your hedge with a wealth of colorful hips to brighten the darker days.

Species roses range from rambling and climbing roses to shorter, denser shrub varieties and they are usually thorny, making them excellent for deterring intruders and deer. They are robust and need little pruning, though do remember that they flower on growth produced the previous year.

Popular varieties include the yellow ‘Canary bird’, the striking fire-hued Rosa foetida ‘Bicolor’, and the blood-red Rosa moyesii.

They grow best in zones 5-8.

How to care for a rose hedge

The best time to plant a rose hedge is the fall, when the soil is warm from the summer and dampened by seasonal rain, and the spring when soil is starting to warm up. Plant your roses closely together to create a dense barrier, no more than 18in apart if possible.

Hedge roses are usually robust and healthy and can withstand attacks by pests or disease. They develop deep root systems that lets them forage for food and moisture, though they will appreciate a feed with a general fertilizer in the spring.

Prune roses when plants are dormant in the fall and winter, removing old, dead and diseased growth and allowing good airflow around the plants to combat fungal diseases and allow maximum sunlight to encourage excellent blooming.

When you water, make sure the moisture hits the ground rather than the foliage and flowers to reduce the risk of fungal problems developing.

FAQs

Are ground cover roses worth considering for hedges?

Ground cover roses are fast-growing plants that hug the ground. They are ideal for drought-prone areas as their spreading habitat shades the soil and helps retain moisture, however, they are low growing and would not provide height or privacy as a traditional hedge would.

There are lots of varieties online including ‘Electric Blanket’, which has coral flowers, the pure white ‘Wedding Dress’ and ‘Beautiful Carpet’, which is a rich pink.

Take care when buying and read the labels carefully as some are more shrubby than ground covering and can compete with other plants.

Should I worry about pests on hedge roses?

Although many varieties if roses suitable for hedging are robust and disease-resistant, they will collect pests such as aphids. Don't worry though, as roses hedges also attract other insects and garden birds and many of these will prey on pests and help keep numbers in check. Rose hedges also offer food in the shape of hips in the fall, as well as secure places to roost and nest, so your rose hedge will benefit everyone.

A hedge of roses is guaranteed to bring beauty, scent and protection to your yard. It will also be a haven for garden birds and pollinators, and offer interest from late spring right through the fall and into winter if you leave its hips to develop. If wildlife gardening is high on your agenda, you might also be keen to read our picks of the best hedges for wildlife.

Roses have the reputation of being backyard primadonnas, hard to grow and magnets for a wide range of pests and diseases.

But this isn’t a fair assessment - after all if they are so tricky, would gardeners have bothered growing them so successfully for centuries?

In fact, they are remarkably tough plants and with the right care, you can grow roses in many environments, even those with minimal rainfall. Here, I share the best rose varieties to try growing in dry yards and reveal tips to get the most out of your blooms in arid conditions.

Are roses drought tolerant?

Not all varieties of roses are suited to arid conditions, and if you live in a hot, dry climate - such as US hardiness zone 10 - where there is little rain, certain species should be avoided.

For example, Hybrid Tea roses are more delicate, less hardy roses, often with long slender stems that make them popular with flower arrangers. These roses don’t have the drought tolerance needed for dry climates. They will need a lot of work, care and watering and even then they may not thrive. Do not fear, however, there are other options better suited to dry yards.

Best drought tolerant roses to grow

1. Iceberg

‘Iceberg’ is a versatile floribunda with a light, sweet scent. It can be trained as a mid-sized shrub or a climbing rose that grows up to 12ft tall. It usually produces white flowers, but there are also pink and burgundy varieties.

'Iceberg' is available to order online from Walmart, and this variety will easily handle dry weather.

2. Hansa

‘Hansa’ is a type of wild rose, Rosa rugosa, with large, double, magenta blooms in summer and striking rose hips in the fall and winter. A robust plant, it can withstand both harsh summer heat and freezing winter conditions.

Rosa rugosa plants are available to order online from Walmart.

3. Arctic Blue

‘Arctic Blue’ is a shrub rose that produces unusual double-petalled flowers in shades of purple and lilac. It has a citrus scent and is more than able to withstand heat and drought.

'Arctic Blue' is available to order online from Walmart.

4. Lemon Fizz

‘Lemon Fizz’ has canary yellow semi-double blooms that cover the shrub from spring through to the first frost. Not particularly scented, it is a stunning golden-yellow rose that will shine in the sun. This rose will thrive in the summer during hot and dry weather.

'Lemon Fizz' is available from Walmart.

5. Seafoam

‘Seafoam’ is an unusual ground cover rose that looks stunning at the edge of borders and trailing from a large container in less arid areas. It grows to around 3ft tall and produces ivory flowers from spring until fall.

‘Seafoam’ will thrive in light shade or sun and has the added benefit of covering the soil which helps retain moisture in the ground. 'Seafoam' is available from Walmart.

Advice on growing drought-tolerant roses

Choosing the right spot

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that a shady area of the garden will make roses more drought tolerant, because they are very fussy about lighting.

All varieties, including the best fragrant roses, need six or more hours of sunshine if you want to maximize blooms, so before you plant, choose a rose that’s suitable for the sunniest area of your yard.

Even if this seems like a harsh and hostile environment, if you water your rose well and mulch it generously to retain the moisture, it should flourish. The ideal site is sunny, sheltered, and not competing with trees.

How to plant roses

Growing healthy roses in all conditions, not just arid, starts with the right planting technique.

The best time to get them in the ground is the fall, when the soil is still warm from summer but hopefully dampened by rain, or mid-spring when the soil is warming up but still holding onto winter’s moisture.

Bare-root roses, which are plants sold with soil-free roots rather than in containers, are readily available from the fall to early spring. They are usually cheaper to buy than potted roses and grow just as well.

While your rose is standing in a bowl of water, dig a hole to accommodate all the roots and add some bone meal, available from Walmart, or well-rotted compost or manure.

Then carefully spread the bare roots, or tease open the rootball of a potted rose, and set it in the hole so the knobbly graft, where the rootstock joins the flowering stem, is just at soil level (add or remove soil to make the hole the correct depth).

Then infill around the roots with soil and compost, firming it down as you go to support the rose and knock out air pockets.

Water the rose generously, then apply a thick mulch of compost or manure over the soil to insulate and feed the roots and hold in the moisture. Don’t let the wet mulch touch the rose stem as it may soften it and cause rotting. Mulching is crucial for roses grown in dry areas, as a thick layer of mulch will help the beds retain moisture.

Keep your rose well watered, though not waterlogged, as it establishes.

Increasing drought tolerance

Watering roses correctly and at the right time of day is one of the best ways of increasing your plants' drought tolerance.

All plants need regular watering at first to help them get established. Ideally, water your roses in the early mornings and evenings when the weather is cooler, so the moisture is slower to evaporate.

It is more beneficial to water deeply two or three times a week than to give a little water every day, but don’t overwater as this can cause the roots to rot.

Make sure you harvest rainwater and collect as much grey water (washing up water that doesn't contain too much food debris or any bleach) as you can to build up a reservoir for times of drought.

Consider installing water barrels or creating a rain chain so you don't need to rely on tap water to keep your plants irrigated.

FAQs

What care will my roses need?

Apart from deep watering during very dry periods, feed your roses in spring with a general-purpose fertilizer and mulch them in winter with well-rotted compost and manure to nourish the roots and retain moisture in the soil.

What grows well with drought-resistant roses?

You are spoilt for choice when it comes to companion planting with drought-resistant roses. Many plants suitable for a Mediterranean garden will grow happily alongside them, including cistus, tree lupins, and many ground-cover plants.

Consider herbs such as Russian sage and lavender too. Their grey-green leaves will be a perfect foil for the rose’s glossy foliage and their scent can help deter pests.

Can I grow roses in a container?

Many types of roses can be grown in pots but it may be hard work for the gardener in growing zones that don't get much rain.

Pot-grown plants need a lot of watering and feeding because they quickly use up all the moisture and goodness in their potting soil, especially if they are fast-growing varieties.

So, although they can be container-grown, in areas with limited rainfall it is best to grow them in the ground where their roots can spread and find water.

Although roses are grown for their summer color and scent, if you hold off deadheading they will also provide you with a crop of hips in the fall. These red and orange fruits add color and interest to the winter backyard, and will help to feed garden birds.

Floribunda roses are a must-have rose variety suitable for any garden setting. Whether you are growing in pots on a balcony or have a sizeable border in a large backyard, floribunda roses are sure to steal the show, with compact bushes producing hundreds of blooms all summer long.

These roses are a cross between the large-bloomed Hybrid Tea roses and the densely flowering Polyantha variety. The English translation for the Latin word 'Floribunda' is 'many flowers' or 'flowering freely', which hints at this rose's reputation for producing sprays, or clusters, of flowers - and who wouldn't like that?

Compact in habit, Floribunda roses tend to grow no taller than 5-6 feet, making them an ideal choice for borders or container displays. While you might know how to grow roses, there are a few steps that can help these plants thrive. So, if you are seeking rose garden ideas, Floribunda roses are certainly one robust and resilient rose option to consider. We asked a rose expert to share three top tips for growing these impactful blooms.

How to grow floribunda roses

Floribunda roses can be grown in US hardiness zone 5 to US hardiness zone 9, tolerating a range of climates. While they are generally hardy down to 10°F, I would recommend protecting your Floribunda roses during extended cold periods with heavy frosts or snow.

While no rose can be described as low-maintenance, Floribunda varieties are relatively low-stress. They deliver floral color from June through to October, while also being notably disease-resistant. By following our three expert-approved tips, your yard will be full of rose blooms this year.

1. Floribunda roses thrive in sunny spots

'Floribunda roses are fairly versatile and can be grown in most areas. We have about 156 Floribunda roses on our site and all are tough, hardy plants,' says Robin Jennings, rose expert and Manager of Strategic Partnerships at Heirloom Roses.

'Like all roses, Floribunda roses need at least 6-8 hours of sunlight,' Robin adds. 'In general, the more sun you give your rose, the healthier it will be and the more blooms it will produce.'

Choosing the right position for any new plants, therefore, is important. Whether you have a bare-root rose or a pot-grown rose, giving it the maximum amount of sunshine each day is crucial if you want to maximize blooms.

This will be particularly important in northern and cooler zones, where direct sun and light levels will be much reduced when compared to yards in the south.

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2. Deadheading floribunda roses is essential

'Deadheading is essential for Floribunda roses,' Robin says. 'This is because removing faded flowers will promote new rose growth. The more you prune back the old blooms, the quicker the new ones arrive.'

Using clean, sharp tools, carefully remove faded blooms as the petals begin to drop. Once an entire cluster has finished flowering, you can remove the entire stem, cutting it down to a leaf node.

When considering how to deadhead roses, Robin has a tip specifically for Floribunda roses. 'Since these blooms appear in clusters, if you remove the center bloom, even if it's not fully spent, the remaining flowers will bloom simultaneously in a beautiful display.'

'Deadheading is an essential summer rose care task,' Robin continues, 'particularly if you want to keep your cherished roses looking in good form. My favorite Floribunda rose at the moment is 'Parfuma Earth Angel', with gorgeous peony-shaped blooms and an incredibly sweet scent of lemon and raspberries.'

Heirloom Roses supply 'Parfuma Earth Angel', which is available to order from Amazon.

3. Fertilizer will boost floribunda roses

'For any newly planted Floribunda roses, I recommend watering well when first planted and giving them fish fertilizer, which is gentler on the young roots and won't burn them,' Robin advises. Fish fertilizers are available to buy online from Amazon.

After the first full year of growing, you can either use a granular slow-release fertilizer, or a water-soluble rose feed, both of which will help to provide essential nutrients for your rose to thrive.

For those gardeners looking for a new project, why not learn how to make your own rose fertilizer? Our guide has all the information you need to give this a try with household and garden waste.

FAQs

What is a good Floribunda rose variety for a container garden?

Most Floribunda roses have a compact growth habit and are well suited to pot growing. One of my favorites is 'Violet's Pride,' a striking lilac rose with masses of beautiful blooms. This variety will not grow any bigger than 3-4 feet in height and would work well on a sunny patio or balcony. The 'Violet's Pride' rose is supplied by Heirloom Roses and is available from Amazon.

Floribunda roses are sure to add color and impact to your yard this year, with clusters of blooms that will erupt in color from summer until fall. For more rose information, see our guide on how to move a rose.

The only thing better than a vase of roses is a vase of roses cut freshly from a garden. Fragrant and voluminous roses are known as one of the most romantic flowers; however, we would argue that their variety allows for daily decor in the home, making for a beautiful dining or kitchen table accessory.

Ina Garten, AKA the Barefoot Contessa, proves our point with a recent snap on her Instagram page. 'Nothing like garden roses with dew still on them,' she states in the caption below the image of her coral cabbage roses. And we're inclined to agree. The delicately layered petals are soft yet robust, providing her breakfast table with a perfect focal point.

While sprawling rose gardens certainly have a whimsical quality to them, home gardeners with limited land will be pleased to know that these flowers make excellent additions to small spaces, as experts explain.

'Roses can be the perfect plant for small gardens, providing a beautiful array of color and fragrance,' says Charlotte McGrattan, nursery stock buyer at Hillier Garden Centres. 'To maximize the impact, you want to select something with a powerful aroma, compact growth, and bold colors.'

With so many rose varieties to choose from, it can be overwhelming to select the perfect one. However, McGrattan gave some tips on picking the perfect rose for a home garden.

'A shrub rose like ‘Nye Bevan’ with its soft yellow to cream flowers, or a light pink ‘Scarborough Fair’ are both medium-sized, so provide bountiful blooms without taking up too much space,' she says.

She continues, '‘Harlow Carr’ flowers freely from early summer until well into the autumn and has a strong, pure Old Rose fragrance. It has an excellent bushy habit with upright, vigorous growth. ‘Susan Williams-Ellis’ is a beautiful rose, pure white in color, as well as being shade tolerant, so it only needs four to five hours of sunlight a day, which makes it incredibly versatile for smaller gardens.'

Rose care is crucial to ensuring that these magnificent blooms stay healthy all year long. One of the most important steps for rose garden care is pruning.

'Pruning rose bushes is an essential job, which, when done correctly, promotes healthier and more productive growth,' says Steve Swanborough, a gardening expert at Henchman. 'This annual task is not just about keeping the plant looking tidy, but it also ensures your roses produce an abundance of high-quality, beautiful blooms to fill your garden with color and fragrance.'

Swanborough says that effectively pruning a rose bush begins with removing any brown, dead wood.

'Take out any crossing or crowded branches, and thin or weak growth,' he says. 'You should aim to make cuts half an inch above a bud at a 45-degree angle, sloping away from it. After pruning, the rose bush will be significantly smaller and appear bare but don’t be alarmed, it will grow back stronger and quicker come spring!'

With a little care and dedication, fresh cut roses can be part of daily life. Below, find one of our favorite varieties of rose – the classic English shrub, which is delicate yet bold, and provides a delightful fragrance in the garden.

By following the above advice and ensuring these blooms get ample sunlight and water, we believe roses can be the ultimate garden staple and a beautiful accessory for a dining room table or kitchen counter. Just make sure to change the vase's water frequently, and trim stems as needed.

Knock Out roses are popular among homeowners looking for simple to grow and maintain shrub roses that guarantee a fabulous show of flowers year after year.

Growing roses has a reputation for being challenging, however, the good news is that the Knock Out range of roses is easier to care for than many other types. They have been bred to be hardy, repeat-blooming, and disease-resistant, which is why they have become one of the best-selling options for anyone looking to landscape with roses.

Even with their easy-to-grow reputation, you still need to give Knock Out roses care and attention. We hear from some rose-growing experts about the important care points to get right to guarantee a beautiful display of blooms in your backyard.

What are Knock Out roses?

Knock Out roses are easy-to-grow shrub roses developed by rose breeder Will Radler. The plants were introduced to the market by Star Roses and Plants in 2000 and they have become some of the most popular roses varieties in the United States. There is now a large family of Knock Out roses with different varieties in shades of white, yellow, pink, and red.

How to care for a Knock Out rose bush

Whether you have individual shrubs in flower beds or borders, large groups in a rose garden, or anywhere in between, have success with Knock Out roses by following these expert care tips.

Position

The ideal position for Knock Out roses is similar as for planting any other roses. Pick a sunny spot with at least six hours of sunlight a day, though the more the better. Knock Out roses can be planted in part shade and they will grow but produce fewer blooms.

An ideal soil type for Knock Out roses drains well, as the plants do not like to sit with wet feet for long periods. Stephanie Waltz, Rose Trial Coordinator at Star Roses and Plants, advises: ‘If your soil is too clay- or sand-based, you may consider adding some organic matter to help with either drainage or water retention, respectively.’ The addition of compost to the soil can help improve the structure.

Watering

Knock Out roses will require frequent watering for the first few months until they are established and a layer of mulch will help to retain any moisture you add in the soil. How much you need to water plants will depend on the soil structure and the weather conditions, but Knock Out roses are fairly drought-tolerant once they are established.

The shrubs want 1-2 inches of water per week and Diane Sommers, President of the American Rose Society, advises giving Knock Out roses ‘a gallon of water each time you water, 2-3 times a week’

Water deeply and at the base of the plant. This ensures the water gets down to the root zone, where it is most needed, and reduces the risk of fungal diseases caused by wet foliage.

Feeding

Stephanie Waltz claims that Knock Out roses ‘do not require fertilizer to perform well’, however, she adds: ‘If you do decide to give them a little extra help, there are a few tips to keep in mind’. That includes picking a well-balanced fertilizer or one specially formulated for roses. Stephanie advises waiting for plants to get established and complete a full bloom cycle before starting any feeding regime.

Jeff Wyckoff, past president of the American Rose Society, said he recommends two feedings a year to give plants a boost of nutrients for strong growth and blooming. He says: ‘Use a balanced fertilizer that contains significant amounts of the active ingredients N-P-K: nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, The fertilizer can be either organic or chemical; both will work. The amount needed will depend upon the amount of the active ingredients i.e. more 5-5-5 than 20- 20-20.’

Give the first feed at the start of the growing season and follow up with another after the first flowers appear. Do not fertilize roses late in summer as this is a rose-growing mistake. In late summer plants should be preparing for dormancy, not putting on fresh growth that will be damaged by frosts.

Pruning

Prune Knock Out roses in late winter or early spring, once the new growth develops as the rose emerges from winter dormancy.

To prune the roses, remove any dead, damaged, or diseased growth and trim the remaining stems to around 12 inches high to shape the shrub. Knock Out roses are bred to be self-cleaning, so there is no need to deadhead roses throughout the summer unless you want to neaten the shrub.

Pests & Diseases

Knock Out roses have been bred to be highly disease-resistant and easy to grow. However, they can still succumb to rose diseases, including rose black spot, powdery mildew, and rust. Keep a close eye on any signs of infection and leaves or canes affected by the fungal issues should be removed and disposed of.

The likes of aphids, spider mites, sawflies, and Japanese beetles can be troublesome for Knock Out roses. Smaller pests can be knocked off with a jet of water or you can spray insecticidal soap, available at Amazon. Japanese beetles are best picked off by hand and dropped into a container filled with warm soapy water.

Companion planting roses with plants for birds, or adding a bird feeder nearby, can attract birds to help control beetles as part of a natural pest control strategy.

How to care for Knock Out roses over winter

Knock Out roses are hardy in US hardiness zones 5-11 and require minimal winter protection. In colder climates, a few inches of additional mulch around the base can insulate the roots from the winter frosts.

‘If your rosebush is a grafted plant, be sure to plant the graft 2-3 inches below the soil if you live in planting zone 5 or lower,’ says Diane Sommers. ‘Tie the canes together with twine as winter approaches and apply a couple of inches of leaves or compost to the base of the plant.

‘In spring, wait until frosts no longer occur, remove the twine and prune back any damaged, dead, or twiggy growth.’

For extra protection in especially cold US hardiness zones, consider wrapping the plants in burlap as well as mulching. The covering and extra mulching materials can be removed after the threat of frosts has passed and any dead or damaged canes can be pruned.

If you grow your Knock Out roses in pots in colder climates, bring the containers to a protected spot for winter. That can include a cool and dark place such as a basement or garage - just remember to check them to ensure they don’t completely dry out. Alternatively, wrap pots in a protective layer - such as winter protection bags, available at Amazon - to protect them from frosts.

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FAQs

How do you keep Knock Out roses blooming?

The creators of Knock Out roses claim the shrubs will ‘repeat bloom from spring to frost’ and this can be helped by giving them a sunny spot to grow in, regular watering throughout the season, and additional nutrients through fertilizing at least once a year.

What month do you cut back Knock Out roses?

Knock Out roses want to be pruned in late winter or early spring. The exact month will depend on your US hardiness zone, which will dictate when the rose starts to grow. Regularly check the shrub from late winter onwards and head out with the pruning shears when you see the first new shoots start to grow on the canes.

How long do Knock Out roses live?

Knock Out roses have a potentially long lifespan and can live for decades with the proper care and attention. To guarantee their longevity, plant them in a sunny position and establish a good annual care regime of watering, feeding, pruning, and winter protection. Watering from below will reduce the risk of fungal issues and removing any damaged, dead, or diseased canes as you see them will keep the plant healthy.

Knock Out roses are smaller than many other rose varieties and can grow to 3-4 feet tall and wide, though their size can be controlled by pruning. If you want even smaller shrubs, you can consider miniature roses that reach 2-3 feet and are suitable for many backyards. Find out more in our dedicated guide to growing miniature roses.

Matt Sorum's patio design does it all. The elegant space is the ultimate living room, movie theatre, desert garden, and pool lounge, all while maintaining an inviting and sophisticated aesthetic.

Sorum is best known as the Grammy-Award Winning drummer of Guns N' Roses and for a venerable musical career playing with the likes of Belinda Carlisle, Shaun Cassidy, and King Solomon Burke. However, his home showcases another side to the Rock and Roller: his life as a family man. His patio revolves around being the perfect space for hanging out with his wife and daughter. It features family-friendly planting, massive loungers for laying in the sun, a gorgeous firepit for backyard barbeques, and a projector screen for watching films al fresco. It has also been expertly crafted to balance timeless style with these practical needs.

Sorum tells Homes & Gardens of his outdoor living room: 'The backyard has a very Palm Springs, desert feel. We didn't want to lose that. But we wanted to make it a softer feel and safe for our little girl, Lou. We replanted most of the cactus in the front yard and went for more of a lush, romantic feel. There are 18 olive trees, two Bismarckia trees, and an aloe tree along with desert flowers and lavender.'

The broad diversity of desert plant life has several benefits for Sorum's space. First, it creates a cohesion between the patio and the surrounding Palm Springs landscape. Second, the potted plants and plants in beds help to strike a balance between the untamed wildness of plants and the room-like quality of the patio. This gives the space a polished, but not overly manicured, look.

Outdoor furniture is equally important in building the inviting atmosphere of Sorum's space. He says, 'We knew we wanted to find a way to deck it out with furniture that would create the ultimate lounging experience. We used Flex Outdoor Sofas by Resource Furniture to create a large outdoor sofa perfect for movie nights with my wife, Ace, and daughter, Lou, on the projector. We also used the sofas as daybeds around the pool. They’re Lou’s favorite place to hang out.'

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To create a similar space, you'll need a sectional, firepit, and additional furniture to create a finished look. We love this sectional from amazon because of its ultra-accessible price point. The concrete fireplace and wooden side table both have a bit of character, to bring the same warm and inviting feel embodied in Matt Sorum's space.

For those who want to create a similar outdoor living room in their backyards, Sorum recommends: 'Invest your time into revamping the parts of your backyard that you’ll use the most! If you live in a place with warm weather and watch a lot of movies, buy a projector to use outside.' He continues: 'If you’re always poolside, invest in loungers (or, in my case, sofas with performance fabric) that are comfortable for long periods. If you host friends often, get a cool fire pit. Your backyard is an extension of you and your home, so put your vibe on it!'

Though Matt Sorum's outdoor living room is stunning, it doesn't have to be the blueprint for every space. Instead, design to the beat of your own heart, and the results will always be inspiring.

There are many different types of roses, all of them beautiful. Traditional shrub roses, for example, are renowned for bushy growth, filling garden borders with old-fashioned, fragrant flowers. Climbing roses are another option, prized for filling exterior walls and garden fences with brilliant blooms, often reaching great heights. Whatever the shape, size or aspect of your yard, you can find a rose to suit your needs.

Ground cover roses are less well-known than other rose types, but can prove just as impactful and useful when landscaping a yard. Often labeled as procumbent roses, ground cover roses will grow outwards as opposed to upwards, helping to cover the soil in borders and beds.

One of my favorite varieties that I have previously grown in a garden in London is Rosa 'Suffolk', with single flowers that each have five red petals and yellow centers, as can be seen in the image below. This low-growing rose will only reach 1 to 2 feet tall but will form an attractive and impressive ground cover when planted in groups. So, if you are looking for some of the best ground cover plants to grow this year, why not consider roses?

How to grow ground cover roses

Low-growing and low-maintenance, ground cover roses are a versatile option for those with small gardens or large backyards. These plants thrive in open and sunny yards, and will quickly form a dense carpet. So, if you are looking for colorful full-sun ground cover plants, romantic roses might be the plant to grow.

Things to know about ground cover roses

'Ground cover roses are known for their low-growing stature, reaching only about 1 to 2 feet in height,' says garden expert Katie Sunderlage. 'These roses tend to be prolific bloomers, often producing masses of blooms throughout the summer months.'

'Most varieties of ground cover roses are hardy,' Katie continues, 'growing happily in US hardiness zones 5 to US hardiness zone 10, making them perfect for a wide range of climates.'

When considering rose care and growing for ground cover varieties, open and sunny sites will produce the best results, but these plants can be grown in containers for gardeners with smaller plots.

'With a low-growing habit, ground cover roses are ideal as a border plant or for edging paths,' Katie says. 'These roses are available in a wide range of colors, making it easy to add vibrant shades to any landscape.' What's more, these are excellent ground cover plants to stop weeds.

Ground cover roses are available to order online from Amazon.

How to grow ground cover roses

• Light: 'Ground cover roses prefer full sun,' says Katie. 'The more sun, the more blooms.' While they can be grown in partial shade, they will not tend to grow as quickly or produce as many flowers. 'In southern zones, however, partial shade can be a good option,' Katie advises, 'helping your plants to avoid leaf scorch and dehydration.'
• Soil: Like all roses, 'ground cover varieties thrive in well-draining, nutrient-rich soil,' Katie continues. If your soil is compact or devoid of nutrients, it is a good idea to regularly apply soil and mulch to improve soil health and the quality of your borders. Organic mulch is available from Amazon.
• Watering: Knowing how to water roses is important, particularly when they are newly planted. 'I always recommend watering new plants thoroughly to help them establish,' Katie says. 'To avoid burning the leaves in the hot sun, I suggest watering at the soil level to prevent damaging the leaves.'
• Fertilizing: Once established, ground cover roses will not require much fertilization, although an annual application of a slow-release rose feed can help to encourage blooming. Always follow the instructions on the packaging, diluting any fertilizer as necessary.
• Pruning and deadheading: 'One great attribute of ground cover roses is they do not need continued deadheading to continue blooming throughout the summer months,' Katie says. 'I would advise pruning in the late winter months, typically around February or March, cutting around 1/3 of growth back.' Doing so will help to create a dense growing habit and encourage more blooms.

Best ground cover roses to grow

'There are so many great choices for ground cover roses,' says Robin Jennings, rose expert and Manager of Strategic Partnerships at Heirloom Roses.

Robin recommends 'The Fawn' and 'Peach Drift' - the latter is seen in the image above - as two ground cover roses that are low-growing, abundant in blooms and resilient. 'Both of these beautiful roses produce significant numbers of summer blooms while keeping low to the ground, growing no more than 2 to 3 feet high.'

'These roses don't require any special soil,' Robin adds, 'but they grow best with plenty of sunshine, thriving in borders that enjoy 6 to 8 hours of direct sun.'

FAQs

Can I grow ground cover roses in a container?

Yes, ground cover roses can be grown in pots. However, as their roots will be restricted, plants placed in pots will not grow to their full potential, although this is still a good option for gardeners with smaller yards. As with any pot-grown plants, be sure to water and feed your roses in the warmer months of the year.

Growing ground cover roses is an ideal way to add floral interest to challenging spots in the yard. These versatile and resilient plants will add color to your borders in no time at all. For more rose care and growing advice, see our guide on how to water roses, to keep your plants thriving this year, or for darker yards, read up on whether roses can grow in the shade.

Roses are timeless garden plants. Whether you grow climbing, shrub, or ground cover roses, these blooms are unmistakable, often conjuring up memories of cottage gardens visited long ago. The rose family is hugely diverse, and there are many plants with different forms, growing habits and preferences, meaning that there will be a rose to suit almost any yard.

When I began gardening, several years ago, I had a preconceived prejudice that roses were stuffy, old-fashioned, and not worth the trouble. Alas, today, my opinion couldn't be further from this. I am well and truly part of the rose-appreciation club, having grown to adore many different rose species and varieties. Just last week I was deadheading Rosa 'Roald Dahl', a sumptuous peach rose that is repeat flowering, growing happily in a pot on a small patio.

When considering rose care and growing, many will assume that roses need plenty of sunshine to thrive, and, for the most part, this is true. However, some rose varieties can tolerate a certain amount of shade. So, if you have a darker, north-facing yard, do not rule out rose growing. Here, rose experts answer the question, can roses grow in the shade?

Can roses grow in the shade?

Rose plants can be found in different shapes, sizes and colors. Whether you want a rambling rose to grow over a pergola or a small shrub to grow in a pot, there will be a rose to suit your outside space. While most fragrant roses need plenty of sunshine to produce a bounty of blooms, some varieties can tolerate moderate amounts of shade. So, gardeners with partially shaded yards can consider rose garden ideas.

Can roses grow in shady yards?

'Roses are generally known for needing sunny spots in the yard to thrive, but some varieties can handle part shade and part sun,' says garden expert, Katie Sunderlage.

When we speak of flowering plants for full sun, we generally mean plants that thrive with 8 hours or more of sunshine. When you hear the term part shade, it typically means that the plant can survive just fine with only 3 or 4 hours of direct sun, tolerating shade for most of the day.

'Some rose plants can be grown with only 4 hours of sunlight,' Katie says. 'I am not familiar with any roses that can be grown in full shade, as these flowering plants need some sunshine to produce buds and bloom.'

'While they might not have as many blooms compared to those grown in full sun, planting roses in part shade will still produce plenty of flowers during the summer months for you to enjoy,' Katie says.

In warmer, southern US hardiness zones, such as zone 9 or zone 10, growing in part shade can be preferable, providing some protection from the scorching summer sun.

Importantly, only certain roses should be grown in shady borders, so it is crucial to research specific rose species or varieties before planting.

Rose varieties that can tolerate part-shade

'Roses generally need 6 to 8 hours of sunlight per day,' says Robin Jennings, rose expert and Manager of Strategic Partnerships at Heirloom Roses, 'but a few varieties can handle partial shade.'

If you are unsure about the light amounts in your yard, consider using a measuring device, such as this light meter, available from Walmart. This useful tool will allow you to see just how much sunlight your plants will get.

As with part-shade perennials, 'part-shade roses need at least 4 hours of sunlight per day to grow,' Robin adds. 'For climbing roses, 'Eden' and 'New Dawn' are two varieties that can handle some shade.'

'For shrub roses, one striking option that can tolerate shade is 'Thérèse Bugnet', renowned for producing brilliant pink blooms,' says Robin. This is an 'older rose with nearly thornless canes, growing well in US hardiness zones 3 to 10. It also has good disease resistance too.' Rosa 'Thérèse Bugnet' is available to buy online from Walmart.

Robin also suggests 'Westerland' for a colorful option that can tolerate moderate shade, as seen in the image above with impactful orange blooms.

Finally, many of the Knock Out Roses will thrive with as little as 4 hours of sunlight. These are low-maintenance plants and come in a wide variety of colors, including pink, red and yellow. Knock-out roses are available to order online from Walmart.

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FAQs

What flowering shrubs can I grow in a shady yard?

If you want a rose-type plant for a dark and shady spot, I would recommend planting a camellia shrub. Learning how to grow camellias is relatively straightforward, and with a preference for shady spots, these rose-shaped blooms will add a pop of color to any border.

While roses have a preference for a sunny position, many can be grown in part-shade. Selecting a shade-tolerant variety that is also disease-resistant will ensure that your roses thrive, even in dark and challenging spots in the yard. For more rose-growing information, see our guide on how to move a rose and how to water roses.

Flower markets are in full swing this time of year, and for those who constantly like to switch up their decor, there's no better seasonal accessory than a fresh bouquet of blooms. While flowers range in seasonality, a safe spring/summer bet is none other than a traditional rose.

Need proof? Look no further than Martha Stewart's vase for inspiration. The expert in all things domestic recently shared a photo of her lush, pink rose arrangement on her Instagram page, and needless to say, we are running to our local florist ASAP to recreate the look.

Experts agree that these beloved flowers are a great addition to the home due to their beautiful appearance and lovely fragrance.

'There is nothing better than bringing homegrown flowers indoors and placing fragrant vases throughout the home,' says Gardens content editor at Homes & Gardens, Thom Rutter. 'We are now entering late spring, and the bounty of the growing season is upon us. Foxgloves, irises, and lobelias are filling our borders and container displays, and snipping a few stems to enjoy indoors brings such joy.'

Roses happen to be in season right now, and as Rutter explains, they are a great pick for planting in a backyard.

'As Martha Stewart shows, if you are looking for a flower to use that is romantic, colorful and impactful, roses are the bloom to pick,' he says. 'From May through summer, roses can fill your yard with flowers, and some of the best rose varieties have long stems that are ideal for cutting and placing in a vase.'

As with any general flower care, there are a couple general maintenance protocols to keep in mind.

'When considering rose care and growing, while there are many different rose species and varieties to pick from, most prefer a sunny spot with well-draining soil,' he says. 'Roses can be hungry plants, so fertilizing during the spring and summer can help with flowering.'

When it comes to variants, Rutter recommends 'Roald Dahl' and 'Gertrude Jekyll' as 'two options that gardeners can grow for both impact in the yard and the vase.'

Rosa 'Roald Dahl' is available to buy from Walmart below.

Roses are renowned for their fragrance, color and versatility in the garden. Whether you have a spectacular climbing rose, a large shrub rose or perhaps a miniature rose in a small pot, it is impossible not to fall in love with these romantic and timeless flowers.

When considering the best approach to rose care and growing, it is important to know how to water roses correctly. Understanding how to water plants is crucial for maintaining healthy and happy plants, and roses are no different. For long-lasting, prolific blooms, watering at the right time and in the right way is essential.

Here, gardening and rose experts reveal how best to water your rose plants in the backyard to ensure that your fragrant roses thrive this spring and summer.

How to water roses correctly

If you are looking for impactful plants to add to your borders, roses are surely the plant to grow. There are many different types of roses and rose garden ideas to consider, but when planting any species or variety, knowing how to maintain your plants is important. Watering is a crucial part of rose care, and maintaining an effective watering schedule will help your roses thrive.

When to water your roses

Knowing when to water plants might seem inconsequential, but watering at the right time can help to improve plant health and flowering, and reduce water wastage.

'Watering is vital for roses to thrive,' says plant expert, Katie Sunderlage. 'The best time of day to water your roses is in the morning. Doing so in the early hours will ensure there is enough time for your plant to absorb moisture from the soil to get through long and hot summer days.'

'Newly planted roses need to be watered more than established roses, particularly if they are planted in late spring or early summer,' Katie says.

'I would recommend watering newly planted roses every 2 to 3 days depending on the weather,' Katie adds. 'Once roses are established, they can be watered once or twice a week, as necessary depending on the temperature.'

As with any gardening job, it is best to stick to a schedule so you do not forget what plants need watering on specific days of the week. For example, for established roses, I would suggest watering them deeply on the same day each week. For example, watering each Monday in the early morning during the spring and summer months. While it might seem unnecessary to be so organized with watering, it can help to maintain a consistent approach.

How to water roses

'It is important to water roses consistently during the growing season,' says Robin Jennings, rose expert and Manager of Strategic Partnerships at Heirloom Roses. Indeed, maintaining an effective watering schedule will ensure that your roses do not dry out.

Watering roses is crucial for your plants to thrive, but 'roses hate having wet feet, so make sure they are in well-draining soil,' Robin adds. 'If you have clay soil, for example, you can amend the soil to improve it and give your rose the best chance.'

Soil improvers can help to enhance the quality of your soil, as Robin says, so using something like this rose soil from Walmart is a good idea.

Robin recommends watering newly planted roses 3 times a week 'totaling about 3 to 5 gallons of water per week.'

'It is best to water around the base of the plant, not on the foliage, which will help to prevent fungal disease and other rose pests,' Robin continues. 'I like to water in a circle around the base of the rose so it will stretch its roots out to reach for the water and have a large root system.'

'For established plants, it is best to water twice a week totaling 3 to 5 gallons of water depending on the temperature,' Robin says. 'If water is puddling around the rose and not soaking in right away, it's too much water.' If this occurs, hold off watering for a few days while the ground is saturated.

Signs of over-watering or under-watering your roses

It is important when watering your roses to only water the soil. As Robin says, droplets on the leaves can cause burn marks from the sun, and this can create further plant health concerns for your roses.

'A rose will let you know when it has had too much to drink through yellowing and drooping leaves,' Robin says. As can be seen in the image above, yellowing foliage is easy to spot and is a sign that your rose is being over-watered. See our guide on why are my rose leaves turning yellow for more information.

'If it rains, water your rose a bit less, and if it's hot, water a bit more,' Robin says. 'Each garden and climate is different so observe your roses, and learn what works best for your plants, your US hardiness zone, and the local climate.'

FAQs

When is the best time to water roses that are grown in pots?

As with roses that are grown in the ground, it is best to water roses that are growing in pots in the early morning. This is recommended so that your plants can absorb the water before the heat of the day. Never water your pot plants during the hottest part of the day, as most of this water will evaporate due to high temperatures.

Sticking to a watering schedule can help your roses thrive. Watering your roses consistently and carefully will ensure that your roses reward you with plenty of flowers.

For more rose-growing advice, consider our guide on how to grow ground cover roses for low-growing varieties. Alternatively, see our adivce on how to move a rose, providing you with all the information you need to lift and move rose plants successfully, or for shady yards, see our article on can roses grow in the shade.

Adored for their romantic blooms, roses have long been the go-to flowering shrub for gardeners worldwide. There is a rose suitable for any garden style - climbing roses, shrub roses, miniature roses - whatever the outside space, there is a rose that can be grown.

You may have old and established roses that were planted many years before, a testament to the enduring popularity of this flower. Sometimes, however, rose plants might have been positioned incorrectly. In addition, the design of planting borders can change with different gardeners and homeowners, and now and then we may want to retain a rose but grow it in a different spot.

You might be well-versed in rose care and growing, but are unaware that transplanting or moving roses is possible. While there are certain steps and rules to follow when learning how to plant roses that have been moved, don't be reluctant to give it a go. Here, we share advice from rose experts on how best to transplant a rose in your yard.

How and when to move a rose

If you are planning to transplant a rose in your yard, decide the best possible new location before you begin. While many of the best rose varieties - such as ground cover roses - have different growing preferences, most typically need a minimum of 6 to 8 hours of sunlight per day, so be sure to choose a location in a sunny spot with well-draining soil.

When is the right time to move a rose?

Transplanting roses can be done in either early spring or fall. Whichever season you choose, it is best to move your rose when there is no risk of frost or cold weather, which will differ between regions with different US hardiness zones.

'I recommend transplanting roses right before they break dormancy, so in the very early months of spring,' says Robin Jennings, rose expert and Manager of Strategic Partnerships at Heirloom Roses.

'If you need to move your rose in the summertime, the earlier the better but it may experience transplant shock and look a little wilted or sad until its roots are established in the new spot,' Robin continues.

It is best to 'avoid moving roses in late fall or just before winter sets in since it won't give them enough time to get established before the cold weather sets in,' Robin adds.

How to prepare your rose for transplanting

When moving roses, it is important to consider how to prune roses before transplanting. Using sharp secateurs, such as these Felco pruning shears from Walmart, 'cut the stems back to about 10 to 12 inches from the root ball,' says plant expert Katie Sunderlage. 'While this might seem cruel it is sadly necessary, as when transplanting roses we must remove many old stems so that the rose can focus on root growth and re-establishing itself.'

Once the main stems are approximately 10 to 12 inches tall, it is a good idea to 'remove any foliage from the remaining rose stems to enable the plant to put more energy into root development,' Katie adds.

Finally, it is a good idea to water your rose the day before you intend to move it. This is particularly important if you transplant in spring when temperatures can quickly increase.

How to move a rose

Landscaping with roses is a great way to add colorful and scented blooms to any space, and transplanting old roses to new locations is an easy way to modify your yard.

Once you have prepared your rose, cutting it back and watering it the day before, it is time to reach for the tools. 'Dig the rose up on a mild, dry day,' continues Robin. 'The trick is trying to lift as much of the root ball as possible.'

I would recommend carefully digging in a circle around the rose, working at about 10 to 20 inches out from the rose stem. It can help to switch between using a spade and a garden fork, which can help tease the roots as you attempt to wiggle and lift your rose. It is important to lift as much of the root ball as possible, but do not worry too much if you have to cut one or two roots that extend too wide or too deep.

'Once lifted, move your rose to its new location, preferably a spot that has not had a rose growing in it before,' Robin adds. 'Dig a large hole about 2 feet deep and 2 feet wide, combining some nutrient-rich soil and fertilizer in the hole before you move the rose.' I would suggest using bone meal, available from Walmart, which will help your rose to establish new roots.

'Be sure to backfill soil around your rose, and then water thoroughly,' Robin says. 'Don't fertilize the plant until you see new growth and foliage.' Robin recommends using fish fertilizer, available from Walmart, during the first year to 'help boost the plant's health as it adjusts to its new home.'

Caring for a rose after transplanting

'After transplanting, give your rose a deep soaking and continue watering 1 to 2 times per week with 3 to 5 gallons of water depending on your weather,' Robin says. 'More water may be needed if it's hotter, less if you have had some rain.'

'I would suggest giving the plant a monthly feeding of fish fertilizer in one of the waterings, but avoid using granular fertilizer as it could burn any new roots that the plant is sending out,' Robin adds.

'If transplanted in the spring, your rose should perk right up. I just moved my 'Cherry Parfait' rose this spring, and it is doing great,' Robin continues. 'If you transplant in the summer, give it a few weeks to recover and be diligent with your watering.'

FAQs

Can I move a climbing rose the same way that I would move a shrub rose?

Yes, climbing roses can be moved, and the same rules do apply. Prune your climbing rose before transplanting, and cut down the central stems to approximately 10 to 15 inches, snipping just above a leaf node. It is best to move your climbing rose in early spring, just before the rose begins to shoot. If your climbing rose is very old and covers a large facade, consider if you should move it, as it can take many years to regrow.

Moving roses needn't be complicated, and by following our step-by-step guide, you will be able to successfully transplant roses to preferred positions in the backyard. For more rose garden ideas, consider our guide on some of the best fragrant roses, and add colorful and perfumed blooms to your collection this year.

Roses are redolent of summer, but for them to perform their best at this time, knowing when to prune your roses is essential. But pruning is not without its perils, and the biggest mishap that will wreak havoc on your roses is to prune them at the wrong time.

Knowing how to prune roses is one thing, but trying to decipher precisely when to prune different varieties of roses to maximise their flowering potential can leave even the most confident gardener nonplussed. Before approaching your rose garden, secateurs in hand, you will need to be equipped with rose care and growing knowledge so you can avoid some common rose pruning mistakes, since getting it wrong can result in a rose garden mishap rather than a rose garden masterpiece.

Here, we decode the labyrinth of rose pruning rules, and if you’re wondering if it is too late to prune your roses, simply follow this guide for pointers.

When is the best time to prune roses?

The vast majority of roses can be pruned when they are dormant in late winter, ideally after the last frost. Here is a simple guide to get you started:

If your rose is a shrub rose, then it will most likely want to be pruned during late winter. The ideal time is just as the new rose buds are beginning to swell. This can be anytime from February to early April. For reference, I tend to have mine cut back by the beginning of February, since the risk of frost has passed by then in my locality.

If your rose is a climbing rose, the ideal time to prune it is from late fall. November would be an ideal month.

If your rose is a rambling rose, it needs to be pruned in late summer.

If you have a rose that produces rosehips, you do not need to prune them (rosehips are beautiful, a boon to the local wildlife, and make a delicious jam). So, do check if your rose produces hips before cutting them back.

Pruning is, of course, distinctly different from deadheading. Many of us grow repeat-blooming shrub roses, and these can be deadheaded (note: not hard pruned) throughout the summer, so you have a proliferation of new blooms all summer long.

There are many rose varieties, so I recommend doing your research to identify the right timing for the specific rose that is growing in your yard.

When is the ideal time to prune shrub roses?

The ideal time to prune shrub roses is during late winter or very early spring, preferably after the last frost, but just as the new rose buds are beginning to swell. While it is hard to predict the weather, a quick inspection of rose stems will help to guide you.

'Pruning shrub roses can be done in late December, January, or February in regions where the winters are mild. In regions with cold winters, pruning should be delayed until early spring growth is just starting,' advises esteemed rose grower David Austin, of David Austin Roses

While pruning your shrub rose too late can impact negatively on growth, it is also problematic to prune too early. Remember that pruning stimulates new growth, which is good news so long as all risk of frost has passed.

If you prune too early, the new growth that is produced will be particularly vulnerable to snow and frost, and if damaged, it will need to be cut out. I always prune by shrub roses near Valentines Day, and now the association is strong, I'm sure to never be late.

When is the ideal time to prune climbing roses?

Despite their delicate appearance, climbing roses are hardy plants, so don't be afraid to prune them hard.

The ideal time to prune climbing roses is from late fall to winter, so slightly earlier than when you typically prune shrub roses. November would be a perfectly suitable time. So, when Thanksgiving appears on your calendar, time to prune those climbing roses!

Leaving it too late to prune your roses means you’ll sacrifice a lot of fresh growth time. ‘However, if you still haven’t pruned your climbing rose by March, it is still better to do so than leave it completely,’ says Austin.

Climbing roses typically respond better to pruning during this fall, and by pruning at this time, you will be able to identify which stems are performing well and which should be trimmed back or removed. Don't forget, after pruning your climbing rose, feed it with a specialist rose product, like this rose food available at Amazon.

When is the ideal time to prune rambling roses?

Rambling rose varieties that produce long and whippy stems during the growing season are best pruned in summer.

Why summer? Unlike other roses, Rambling roses will not flower on the current year’s growth, so they need to be pruned just after flowering, as they will then produce new wood (this summer) for next year’s blooms.

Most rambling roses only flower once, so once it's finished flowering in the summer, it's time to prune it back. The rose should be fed in spring before growth restarts.

Shop for pruning tools

FAQs

What to do if you forget to prune your rose?

If you forget to prune your shrub rose and it is too late in spring, the best thing you can do is to delay your pruning until early summer.

You can tidy up your shrub rose, by cutting any thin stems or weak growth and removing any dead or damaged stems that appear brown or black. It is best to leave any healthy green growth, tying in these new stems if they need support.

Following this approach, you can enjoy the spring flowering of your shrub rose, and prune after blooming has finished, usually around the start of summer. If pruning is completed early enough in summer, around June, your rose will have plenty of time to produce lots of new growth that can harden off before winter.

Climbing roses are not pruned in the summer months, although if necessary, you can do some light trimming after flowering. For any significant pruning, it is best to hold off and wait until the fall.

When is the right time to deadhead a rose?

For those wondering when to deadhead roses, the answer is a simple one. You should deadhead roses at all times through the growing season to encourage repeat blooming.

In doing so, you are preventing the rose from expending energy on producing fruits and seeds, thereby encouraging the rose to produce more flowers.

Stop deadheading from September, from which time you want to allow the spent flowers to develop into rose hips.

So, if you follow this simple guide, you can be sure you won't leave it too late, or jump in too early, to prune your roses.

If you are designing a rose garden, don't be put off by the seemingly strict pruning schedule; once you know how and when, it will become an easy and natural rhythm of your regular winter gardening checklist or summer gardening checklist.

Being surrounded by the glorious sight and scent of garden roses is a moment to treasure, and one I eagerly anticipate each year. But there is a secret to healthy plants and abundant blooms – and that lies with spent coffee grounds.

Adding these – let’s face it – rather too often available leftovers to the soil can provide certain plants with a real natural boost, improve the soil, and help to repel pests and viruses, too. So using coffee grounds for plants can be much more beneficial than simply pouring them down the drain or scraping them into the trash.

The trick is to know how and where to add them, and which plants are coffee lovers and which are not. As I’ve learned over the years – to my cost – there’s simply no persuading certain blooms and shrubs to convert to the bean, but roses do seem to be converts. Here we delve into the thought behind why this may be, and how you make the most of your coffee grounds as part of your rose care and growing. 

Why use leftover coffee grounds under roses?

Ever wondered why so many coffee shops bag up their used grounds and give them away tagged ‘for the garden’? Well – that’s exactly what caught my attention and encouraged me to look further.

In most cases, adding coffee grounds to soil is a good idea. Sprinkling the spent coffee around the base of my rose plants in spring seems to make the plant and foliage perkier than usual – maybe no surprise there – but surely there's a scientific reason for it.

It's well known that roses are hungry plants. Thriving on a steady stream of nutrients and preferring soil with a pH of 6-6.5, they will reward with glossy foliage and a plethora of magnificent, scented blooms. It also happens that coffee is naturally high in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium – all the key things that roses need to grow.

The benefits of using coffee grounds doesn’t stop there either. As they naturally breakdown, the nutrients released also work on harmful viruses and bacteria present within the soil, preventing plant fungal diseases such as Sclerotina, Pythium and Fusarium from spreading. Useful know-how for organic gardeners – or those looking to reduce the use of chemicals within their gardens – for more inspiration, explore our piece on permaculture gardening. 

How do you use spent coffee grounds?

Knowing just how to use leftover coffee grounds to help your roses thrive can save plenty of heartache. Spread too thickly and too frequently they can have detrimental effects, so it's worth getting it right.

Caffeinated coffee is high in acid and while much of this acidity is lost during the brewing (and the decaffeinating) process, plenty remains in the spent beans, which can burn fresh growth and tender buds if they come into direct contact. Scientific research also shows that too much acidity can prevent the plants from absorbing vital iron and nitrogen.

To combat this – share the love – and empty your coffee grounds in different areas of the garden. If you notice a build-up on the soil, gently fork it in. This is worth considering if you are growing roses in pots, as the last thing you want is a concentration of acid from which your plant can’t escape. If in doubt, add the coffee pot remains to your compost heap instead. This way they will be more diluted and evenly distributed by the time the material is ready to use. We explore more unusual compost ingredients in our dedicated feature. 

Gritty and stodgy in texture, leftover coffee grounds are said to help with getting rid of slugs and getting rid of snails. Whether it is the uncomfortable surface they create or the sheer acidity, there is some evidence that creating barriers around the base of vulnerable plants can provide protection. Sadly, these boundaries can also repel water and stop air from circulating causing the plant roots to suffocate, so it’s a good idea to apply grounds sparingly and dig them in as quantities build up.

How often can you add coffee grounds?

Once or twice a month is best for spreading leftover coffee grounds beneath roses. Any more frequently and you can risk increasing the soil’s acidic levels and reducing the plant’s ability to absorb essential nutrients. Do bear in mind that these fine particles will wash into the soil during watering or heavy rainstorms, so it’s well worth keeping a note of where they were last added.

FAQs

Can you use leftover coffee grounds elsewhere in the garden?

Used coffee grounds contain phosphorus, nitrogen, carbon, and potassium – so if you're looking into how to make compost, they can be a great ingredient to add, as they can help accelerate the breakdown process of the compact heap and contribute to a nutrient-rich mulch or planting mix.

Do avoid adding leftover coffee grounds to wormeries though, as the high acid content can be harmful to the worms.

 Are there any plants that dislike spent coffee grains?

Tender seedlings and alkaline loving plants – such as lavender, hydrangea and clematis – can’t handle the high acidic content of coffee – so do avoid these garden favorites, or risk causing irreparable damage.

We also explore in our dedicated feature, do gardenias like coffee grounds.

You may also like to know how to test the pH of your soil or other ways to make soil more acidic.

Miniature roses are compact floral bushes, popular for their small size and showstopping blooms. Often considered among the best rose varieties, miniature roses are a superb option for those thinking about rose garden ideas or patio planting ideas this year. 

These small shrubs are the product of plant breeders creating compact versions of traditional rose garden favorites. Today, miniature roses can be found in a plethora of colors, many with beautiful scents. Despite their diminutive size, they certainly pack a floral punch for such a small shrub.

For those looking for small backyard ideas and struggling to select plants for tiny terraces or narrow balconies, miniature roses can add impact to any outdoor space with their beautiful blooms. Whether used in garden borders or as container plants, these compact flowering shrubs will bring joy to your yard year after year. Here, experts share top tips to grow and care for miniature roses. 

How to grow miniature roses

Miniature roses are suitable for any outdoor space, whether grown in a garden border or as a feature shrub in a container. Displaying beautiful colors and producing enticing fragrances, miniature roses are surprisingly hardy, tolerating the winter cold and flowering year after year. 

Things to consider about miniature roses

Despite their small size, miniature roses are surprisingly hardy, with different varieties 'growing well in US hardiness zone 5 to US hardiness zone 9,' says Whitney Laritson, Merchandising & Content Manager at Nature Hills. For those living further south, a handful of varieties will even grow in the tropical regions of zone 11.

Most miniature roses grow to a 'maximum height and width of 2 to 3 feet,' says Whitney, making them the perfect addition to small backyards. They will thrive if grown in garden borders or when planted in containers, particularly effective if grown on a small terrace or patio area. 

Fully winter hardy, miniature roses can survive the cold and frosty winter months if left outside, but during the growing season, they are thought of as flowering shrubs for full sun, doing best in sunny and warm situations that receive at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day. 

An added benefit of growing roses is that most varieties attract wildlife, noted for producing flowers that attract bees, butterflies and other pollinators. With a profusion of nectar-rich rose flowers that repeat bloom throughout spring and summer, your miniature rose will be alive with insect and bird life during the growing season. 

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Advice for growing miniature roses

• Soil: Plant miniature roses in early spring when all chance of frost has passed. If planting in the garden borders, dig a hole slightly larger than the rose pot size, incorporating some rich, well-drained soil before planting. It can be a good idea to incorporate some rose-specific soil while planting, using something like this rose soil from Perfect Plants Nursery, which will provide plenty of nutrients for your new plant. Improve the quality of the soil each year by applying a layer of organic mulch in the fall.
• Light: Miniature roses prefer partial to full sun, with most varieties having a preference for direct sunlight. 'Most varieties of miniature roses require 6 to 8 hours of daily sunlight to thrive,' says Alex Kantor, gardening expert and owner at Perfect Plants. 'Although they can tolerate some shade, insufficient sunlight may result in fewer blooms,' Alex says, so selecting the most suitable planting location is important. 
• Watering: Water your miniature rose regularly after planting, checking the soil frequently, especially during the summer months. Miniature roses will need frequent watering during spring and summer, particularly when in flower, so it is recommended that you add your new plants to your gardening watering list. 
• Fertilizing: Rose shrubs require regular feeding. It is recommended to use a rose-specific fertilizer, or general all-purpose feed for your miniature roses, diluting any fertilizer in water as per the instructions on the packaging. As repeat bloomers, miniature roses require a significant amount of feed in the growing season, but be sure not to overfeed your miniature roses, as this can do more harm than good.
• Pruning: Regular rose pruning rules apply to miniature roses. As with other rose species and varieties, pruning should take place just before new growth is produced in late winter. Remove dead, damaged and diseased stems, before carefully shaping the rose bush, removing no more than one-third of the plant's growth to maintain a bushy and compact shape. Rose pruning must be done before new growth emerges in spring. 
• Container advice: 'Miniature roses are well-suited to container growing,' says Alex. 'Plant them in a 6 to 8-inch deep container with drainage holes and use a nutrient-rich potting soil that promotes drainage.' To aid drainage, it is recommended that you 'add gravel to the bottom of the container.' Alex recommends 'regular watering and fertilizing, which may need to be done more frequently when growing plants in containers.' 

FAQs

Can I grow miniature roses in containers? 

Yes, miniature roses are suitable for growing in containers. Due to their compact shape and size, they are well suited to growing in pots on a patio or a balcony. Ensure that the soil in the container is well-draining and remember to water and feed your miniature rose during the warmer months of the year. 

Planting miniature roses in your backyard is sure to add color and fragrance to your borders and containers. For more showstopping plants that are suited to smaller spaces, consider growing additional plants that make your patio smell nice. In doing so, your outdoor living area will be surrounded by beautiful blooms and floral perfume. 

If you're fond of having a backyard brimming with beautiful blooms there's no doubt you have experienced the joy of seeing the first spring-flowering plants emerge. Among the earliest bloomers are primroses - a classic favorite and often a symbol of quintessential English gardening.

Primroses, also known as primula, dazzle with their pops of vibrant color - from yellow to purple and everything in between. They are rosette-forming perennials that have veined, bright green foliage and are native to the UK. 

They have a versatile nature and can be grown in many ways, including in spring planters, in hanging baskets, raised beds and more. 

Primroses are hardy in US hardiness zones 3-8 and will appear with their colorful blooms from later winter all the way through the spring season. They are among the earliest flowers to bloom, as well as glory of the snow. 

Although primroses are easy to care for, they can be a bit tricker to get started with. We've asked experts for tips to successfully grow and care for primroses to have thriving flowers all spring long.

How to grow primroses

It's hard not to love these gloriously colorful blooms, as they brighten up darker days towards the end of winter. We've compiled expert advice on how to grow primroses, so you can have a spring garden full of color.

When to plant primroses 

Although it's not impossible, it can be tricky to successfully grow primroses from seed. If you choose to do this, you should sow your flower seeds in late winter, ideally late January to early February, right before the growing season kicks in.

You can do this in containers, a bed or may find a tray seed, like this seed starter tray from Amazon, useful. 

Whether you're sowing indoors or outdoors, make sure you plan your seed sowing schedule and provide optimal conditions for the seeds to germinate.

'It's important to provide flower seed with lots of natural light to germinate, as well as warmth,' says Rachel Bull, head of gardens at Homes & Gardens. 'You can place a covered seedling tray outdoors to optimise light levels,' she adds.

If you're planting nursery-brought primroses, you can wait until later in the year to plant.

'Primroses are generally safe to plant after the last frost – or if a hardy, perennial type – fall planting is good,' says Chuck Pavlich, director of new product development with Terra Nova Nurseries.

At this stage, you will want to choose which color primroses to grow in your yard. 'By purchasing several species of primroses, many color combinations are obtainable,' Chuck adds.

Where to plant primroses

Primroses are among the best spring flowers for shade and are adaptable to a number of planting positions. 

'Primroses are perfect for styling in a number of ways. They can look beautiful as pops of color in spring hanging baskets or containers, but also do well as flowering ground cover beneath trees,' says Rachel.

The most important thing to do when considering where to place your primroses is ensure they receive sufficient light. While they do adapt well to shadier spots, they still need plenty of bright light to flourish.

'Cool to moderate temperature, bright light and even moisture will ensure success,' says Chuck.

How to plant primroses 

Once you have found the perfect spot for your primroses, bright but out of direct sunlight, you can plant them.

Primroses will do best when you plant them around six inches deep. This will allow the roots to settle into their new home well and ensure your primroses continue to bloom happily.

You may find using clean garden tools, like this spade hand trowel from Greendigs, helpful in this process.

If you are aiming to create a mass planting look, it can be a good idea to plant the primroses around six to 10 inches apart, providing them enough space to grow for a fuller look.

When growing primroses from seed, you will know they are ready to plant up in fall when true leaves have grown from your seedling. 

How to care for primroses

Now that your primroses are planted, you will want to make sure you provide optimal care to keep them blooming all through spring.

'To do well, most primulas appreciate low doses of a balanced fertilizer, fed usually just as new spring growth breaks,' says Chuck.

You can find lots of flower food on the market, like this bloom plant food from Amazon, which can be used when watering your primroses, like with this watering can from Bloomscape.

Make sure to continue caring for your primrose plants when they are dormant during summer and fall and you will be rewarded with returning blooms the following year.

FAQs

How long does it take for primroses to grow?

Many types of primroses are fast-growing plants. Often they will start to flower after just a few months from seed or tissue culture. If you choose to grow primroses from seed, rather than planting already-grown primroses from a nursery, it's important to provide optimal care of lots of bright light, warmth and moderate watering to encourage growth.

Can you grow primroses indoors?

Primulas, or primroses, are not often chosen as indoor flowering plants. However, this does not mean it is impossible to keep them indoors. 

'Only a few types do well indoors, and only for a short while. The types known as Primula malacoides and Primula obconicas are bred for indoor use and are best used like a poinsettia,' says Chuck Pavlich, director of new product development with Terra Nova Nurseries.

It's best to provide lots of bright natural light, although avoid direct sunlight, an even moisture level and prevent them from cold damage to keep them blooming for longer indoors. 

Are primroses toxic to pets?

Yes, primroses are toxic to pets. If ingested, cats and dogs may experience vomiting among other symptoms. 

'In particular, the very showy Primula obconica type is toxic to pets and can cause a rash to some humans due,' says Chuck Pavlich, director of new product development with Terra Nova Nurseries.

There are few things as joyous as seeing those early blooms appear towards the end of winter and primroses certainly bring the color. They are easy to care for and with optimal conditions will bloom through the whole spring season. If you're looking for other early bloomers, these snow-resilient flowers can help you create a yard full of color.

When it comes to roses, opting to grow them from bare-root stock - bought without a pot and with no soil - is an economical and efficient way to build your collection. If you are considering rose garden ideas, or want to grow a selection of new and beautiful flowers this year, buying bare-root roses is certainly a good option. 

Available in a range of colors, from delicate pastels to dark reds, many with sublime scents, roses help to curate a romantic and timeless aesthetic in your backyard. It is hard to imagine, but come summer, the gnarled and twisted rootstock that you can pick up from a garden store will transform with shoots of green foliage and masses of brilliant blooms.

The purchasing and planting of bare-root roses takes place in late winter to early spring. This is because the roses are dormant at this time and so the lack of soil or moisture is not a concern whilst the plants are not actively growing. It is best to plant bare-root stock by early spring at the latest, but this will depend on the local climate in your location.

We asked the experts for their top five bare-root rose recommendations for this year, which are both easy to grow and impactful when grown in a backyard or in a container.

The best bare-root roses as chosen by experts

Growing roses from bare-root stock is an economical and efficient way to grow your rose collection this year. Discover the top five bare-root roses to grow this year for fragrant and floriferous roses in your back or front yard. 

Things to remember when planting bare-root roses

Planting bare-root roses is relatively simple, but there are a few key principles to remember. 'Bare-root roses are best planted in late winter or early spring before new growth begins,' says Mike Murphy, plant expert and owner of You Had Me At Gardening. 'The specific planting time can vary depending on the local climate,' Mike says. 

Generally, it is advisable to wait until early spring if you live in US hardiness zones 4 - 7. If you live in zones 8 and above, you will be able to plant bare-root roses in mid to late winter.  

Before planting, Mike recommends 'soaking your new bare-root roses in water for several hours or overnight.' This will 'rehydrate the roots and prepare them for the planting process.' At this stage, some pruning is required, taking your time to 'trim any damaged or broken roots with clean, sharp pruners,' Mike says.

Whilst the ideal planting position in your yard will vary depending on the rose variety you select, most roses do best in a spot with at least 4 - 6 hours of sunlight a day. If you are struggling to find a good location, consider growing your bare-root rose in a container, which is ideal if you can move it through the season. This is also a good option if you desire to have a rose close to your home or outside your porch. 

'After planting, provide thorough watering to settle the soil around the roots,' Mike says. 'Water regularly, keeping the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged.' It is a good idea to apply a balanced rose fertilizer during this first year, following the instructions on the packaging. You can do this 'in spring, and again after the first flush of blooms,' Mike says. Products that promote flowering and healthy growth, such as this Hi-Yield Rose Fertilizer from Nature Hills, are suitable options. 

With proper care, you can 'expect to see new growth, including leaves and potentially buds, within a few weeks to a month after planting,' Mike says. 'The exact timing can vary based on climate conditions and the specific rose variety.'

1. Rose 'Blanc Double de Coubert'

Rosa 'Blanc Double de Coubert' is a 'hardy shrub rose that can survive very low temperatures,' says Whitney Laritson, Merchandising & Content Manager at Nature Hills. This rose will grow happily in US hardiness zones 3 - 7, with '3 - 5 inch white blooms repeat-flowering all summer long, up until the first frost'.

'It has dark green foliage and pure white flowers that can be smelt 3 houses away,' Whitney says. This rose is a 'sun-loving, salt-tolerant, and super hardy rose that blooms well with easy care.

'Simply cut right down to the ground each spring,' Whitney says, and watch your rose shoot again and put on a show year after year. 

Rose 'Blanc Double de Coubert' is available from Nature Hills. 

2. Red Knock Out Rose

Rosa 'Radtko', or the Red Double Knock Out rose, offers 'beautifully formed flowers with lots of petals and blooms on every single branch tip,' Whitney says. This rose will grow happily in US hardiness zones 5 - 10, with a mature height of approximately 3 - 4 feet, ideal for a small yard. 

The 'cherry red blooms flower in repeating waves until the first hard frost in fall,' Whitney continues. This shrub rose prefers a position in full sun, and once established will not require much attention, even through hot and dry summers. 

This variety is bred to be 'disease-resistant,' Whitney says, 'and overall is one of the top-performing roses across the country.' 

This Red Double Knock Out Rose is available from Nature Hills. 

3. High Voltage Rose

Rosa 'Baiage', or the 'Easy Elegance High Voltage Rose', is 'another shrub rose that’s sure to please,' Whitney says. 'Yellow roses are typically the hardest to grow, but this one breaks that rule.' 

Rosa 'Baiage' will grow happily in US hardiness zones 4 - 9, with a mature height of approximately 4 - 5 feet. The 'Easy Elegance' group of Roses all have glossy dark green foliage and are renowned for having months of long-lasting, beautiful blooms. They have been purposefully bred to be a low-maintenance rose. 

'Bold yellow buds open to sunny buttercream-colored roses,' Whitney says, and importantly, 'they have a nice fragrance too.' As many rose fans will know, it 'can be hard to find a yellow shrub rose and even rarer to find one that’s so easy to grow,' Whitney continues.  

The 'Easy Elegance, High Voltage Rose' is available from Nature Hills. 

4. Paint the Town Rose

Another 'hardy shrub rose with flower clusters so red and well-formed, you’d think you were looking at a hybrid tea rose,' Whitney says. 

This variety of Rosa 'Baiage', 'Easy Elegance Paint the Town Rose' is suited to US hardiness zones 4 - 9, and maintains a compact size, reaching only 2 - 3 feet in height when mature, making this an ideal container option. 

Whitney describes this rose as a 'true rock star in your sunny border,' and the more sun it gets, the better your blooms will be. 'Beautiful Red Flowers' emerge in spring and summer, 'with a dark green backdrop of disease-resistant foliage,' says Whitney. Not only will you enjoy this red rose, but pollinators and butterflies love it too. 

This 'Easy Elegance, Paint the Town Rose' is available from Nature Hills. 

5. Grandma's Blessing Rose

This pink flowering variety of Rosa 'Baiage', 'Easy Elegance Grandma's Blessing Rose' is a 'classic shrub rose,' Whitney says. It is happy in US hardiness zones 5 - 9 and reaches a height of 3 - 5 feet. 

This rose has a 'compact growing form,' she adds, 'sporting traditional and popular Hybrid Tea-like blooms beautifully formed with 25 - 30 petals on each.'

It has 'excellent disease resistance and wave after wave of these smoky pink blooms will shine against the elegant green foliage,' Whitney says. 

This 'Easy Elegance Grandma's Blessing Rose' is available from Nature Hills. 

FAQs

Can I grow bare-root roses in containers?

Yes, bare-root roses are suitable for growing in pots and containers. Many bare-root roses, like the varieties discussed here, are shrub roses, with a bushy and compact habit that is ideal for growing in a container. Ensure that your container is large enough to give your bare-root rose space to grow in the year ahead, and include drainage material below rich, organic soil. In the summer months, containers will dry out quickly, so be sure to regularly water your rose. 

Planting bare-root roses in late winter and spring is a great way to add color and interest to your yard. Consider planting climbing roses this year and maximize your floral display by using trellis and wall space to grow even more roses. 

Knock Out roses are easy-to-grow and low-maintenance rose shrubs that were bred to produce lots of blooms and be tough plants. While being simple to grow and maintain, they do need to be pruned every year to keep performing at their best.

These fast-growing shrub roses are available in a range of colors and are popular choices for people landscaping with roses, in part due to their ease and versatility. 

Whether you have a dedicated rose garden, or you plant Knock Out roses among other plants and shrubs in a flower bed, they can look stunning for many months of the year.

As with growing and caring for any roses, annual pruning will keep the plant in shape, healthy, and producing fantastic displays of blooms year-after-year. To help you know when and how to prune Knock Out roses, we've got some expert tips from a renowned garden author and speaker.

Tools needed to prune a Knock Out rose bush 

Pruning Knock Out roses is not a very difficult task to do and you do only need some common garden tools to complete it. 

You want a pair of pruning shears, loppers for cutting thick branches, and a pair of thick gardening gloves to protect you from sharp thorns. All tools need to be sharp, to make clean cuts, and sanitized to prevent spreading rose diseases from bush-to-bush around the garden.

When to prune Knock Out roses

Pruning roses is an essential part of annual care to encourage the stimulation of new, highly productive growth. So, when do you prune Knock Out roses? As the shrubs bloom on new growth produced that season, pruning Knock Out roses in the spring encourages the production of that new wood and guarantees a fantastic display of blooms. 

The ideal time to prune Knock Out roses actually comes in late winter or early spring, whenever you start to see the first signs of new growth in the year. C.L. Fornari, garden writer and speaker, recommends waiting till you see ‘new, red shoots start to form on the stems’. The sight of those new shoots should be an indicator that it is the perfect time to head out with the tools to trim. 

The exact time those new shoots will start to show on your Knock Out roses will depend on your US hardiness zone, but it will be late winter or early spring and recognizing the signs for when to prune roses prevents you from making any rose pruning mistakes. 

You can also lightly trim and cut back Knock Out roses during the summer months. Knock Out roses are bred to not need deadheading, as they are self-cleaning, however, removing spent flowers does have benefits in terms of the look and health of the shrub. However, you should stop pruning when it gets to late summer or early fall.

How to prune Knock Out roses

When you are planning how to cut back Knock Out roses, it is important to do any trimming in a considered way. Take a moment prior to starting pruning to look at the shrub and determine what size and shape you are going for. Then you can don your thornproof gloves - a prerequisite for rose pruning - and start to trim.

‘The first step is to cut out anything that's dead,’ says. C.L. Fornari. ‘That's why you prune them when they have the new, red shoots... you'll clearly be able to see what is living and what is dead. Remove all the dead wood.’ 

After removing any dead wood, along with any damaged stems or those showing any signs of disease, the focus moves onto pruning out stems that are going in unwanted directions. This includes stems going into the center of the shrub and any weak or curved stems, all of which should be removed all the way back to where they join another stem. 

The removal of all these unwanted stems will help to promote air and light circulation through the shrub, which can help to prevent diseases. C.L. then advises to ‘look at the base of the plant and identify the thickest, oldest, grayest stems’. She says: ‘Cut a third of them down to about four inches from the ground.

‘Only after all of that do you cut the remaining stems down in height. You can cut as little as 1/8th of the plant's total height to 1/3 of their total height in a normal pruning.’

It is at that final point of trimming the rest of the stems that you really do need to take the final size of the bush into consideration. Knock Out roses are vigorous growers and the shrub will tend to triple in size during the growing season. 

So it is important to take into account how tall and wide it may grow in the months ahead - a failure to plan effectively could result in the shrub growing into other plants, or stems getting tall and risking snapping in winds.

But what if your shrub has not been pruned for many years and is in an unruly state, how far back can you prune Knock Out roses? In such a scenario, C.L. Fornari recommends some ‘rejuvenation pruning’ that may sound brutal - but will benefit the plant. She says: ‘That's where you cut the entire plant down to 6 to 8 inches tall. The plants recover fairly quickly from this and you'll have all new canes again.’

FAQs

Should I prune Knock Out roses in fall?

It would be a pruning mistake to trim your Knock Out roses in fall. The danger of pruning so late in the season, especially in colder climates, comes from the fact that trimming will encourage a flush of new growth. These new stems will not be able to cope with the incoming colds and will easily get damaged by frosts and snow. This can leave the shrub at an increased risk of pests and diseases.

Can you prune Knock Out roses in summer?

Knock Out roses can benefit from some light pruning throughout the summer. Though the shrubs are bred to be self-cleaning, removing spent flowers after the first period of blooms can help encourage the development of new buds and reward you with a longer season of flowering. 

It is beneficial to remove spent flower blooms singularly, or trim clusters completely once they have all flowered. In addition, if you identify any damaged stems, or ones showing signs of disease, you can also prune these off the shrub during the summer.

If you want to plant more roses as part of your backyard ideas, they will come either container-grown or bare root. Those grown in containers can be planted at any time of the year, while bare root roses tend to be available to plant from fall through to early spring.

Roses are surely the most timeless of all flowers. Never have they been out of favor or fashion. Fragrant, colorful blooms add romance and beauty to any backyard or container display. If you are thinking about rose garden ideas this year, consider growing roses from bare-root stock instead of buying roses as pot plants. 

Bare-root roses are often preferred by gardeners for their affordability, with a wide range of reasonably priced dormant plants available to purchase through the winter months. 

Bare-root roses are sold with exposed roots, making them easier to handle and package, as opposed to ordering a rose grown in a plastic container. 

The ideal time to plant bare-root roses is during the dormant season, typically in late winter to early spring. By the time spring arrives, the bare-root roses will begin to shoot, going on to produce vibrant blooms in the summer months ahead. We asked the experts for their top tips on how best to plant bare-root roses. 

Expert advice for planting bare-root roses

Bare-root roses should be planted during the dormant season, typically in late winter to early spring. Discover how best to plant bare-root roses and enjoy beautiful and fragrant blooms in the months to come. 

Things to consider before planting bare-root roses

Planting roses is relatively simple, but there are some essentials to remember. 'Most bare root roses are best planted in late winter or early spring, before new growth begins,' says Mike Murphy, plant expert and owner of You Had Me At Gardening.  

If you live in US hardiness zone 8 or above, you will be able to plant bare-root roses in mid to late winter, otherwise, it is recommended that you stick to early spring, 'when the soil is workable,' says Mike. It is advisable to 'check your USDA hardiness zone to determine the appropriate timing for your region.' 

The ideal planting location will be a spot in your backyard with at least 4 - 6 hours of sunlight a day. Avoid an overly shady position, such as under a large tree or established shrub, as limited light and competition for water will present challenging conditions for your new rose in its first year. 

Most garden stores and online platforms will have bare-root roses available for purchase through the winter months, such as Rosa 'Baitown' - Paint the Town Red from Nature Hills. Many varieties are available, in different colors, shapes and sizes, so there is surely a rose to suit your space.

How to plant bare-root roses

Before planting bare-root roses, 'it is recommended to soak the roots in a bucket of water for at least two hours but no longer than 12 hours,' says Autumn Hilliard-Knapp, horticulture specialist at Perfect Plants Nursery. This helps to 'rehydrate the roots and prepare them for planting.'

At this stage, inspect your bare-root rose and if necessary 'prune your rose, removing any broken, damaged, or overly long roots before planting,' says Autumn. This is important as you want new growth to sprout on healthy stems, rather than stems that are already damaged or slightly broken.  

Once your rose is rehydrated and pruned, you are ready to plant. It is best to dig the soil over with a fork, loosening the ground and adding in some organic matter. Take your time to inspect the soil, removing any large stones or weeds to help your new rose establish. 

Following this, you can dig a hole approximately 15 inches wide, going on to position your rose in the center. The base of the stem should sit one inch below the surface level. You can then refill the hole, and carefully firm the soil down, ensuring that the rose remains in the right position. You can then use your foot to firmly press the soil down. 

Whilst late winter is a good time for some to plant a bare-root rose, avoid doing so if the ground is frozen or a frost is anticipated the following week after planting. Whilst these plants are hardy, planting into frozen ground is not recommended. 

Caring for bare-root roses

After you have planted your bare-root rose, 'provide thorough watering to settle the soil around the roots,' Mike says. It is important to 'water regularly, keeping the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged after planting.'

You can 'apply a balanced rose fertilizer according to package instructions in spring, and again after the first flush of blooms,' Mike continues. Roses appreciate fertile soil and are known to be heavy feeders, so applying fertilizer is certainly recommended if you want masses of blooms. In addition to fertilizing, you can also spread a thick layer of mulch or organic compost around the base of your newly planted rose, which will improve the quality of the soil. 

During the first year, keep an eye on your rose. In very hot spells, a deep watering will be needed. Once established, in years to come, your rose will be fairly self-sufficient, but whilst it has a smaller root system, be sure to water through the warmer months of the year. 

Keep your rose looking smart by regularly deadheading the old, faded blooms. This will encourage more flowers long into summer and fall. 

The 'growth of bare-root roses in one year can vary depending on various factors, including the rose variety, growing conditions, and care,' Autumn says. 'On average, bare-root roses can grow to a size of about 2 to 4 feet in height and spread in the first year,' so plant in a position where they are free to do so. 

FAQs

When is the ideal time to plant bare-root roses?

The ideal time to plant bare-root roses is between late winter and early spring. This will be determined by your location and your local climate. Check your US hardiness zone to determine the most suitable time. Do not plant if the ground is frozen or there is a risk of frost in the coming week. 

Planting bare-root roses in late winter and spring is a great way to ensure that you have a bounty of blooms in the summer to come. Why not also consider planting drift roses or climbing roses to add color and interest to your yard?

Drift roses are a modern cross between miniature and groundcover roses. This hugely-popular rose variety only grows to around two feet tall and, despite being small in stature, can provide huge pops of color for all sorts of backyard ideas.  

There are drift roses available in shades of red, yellow, pink, and white. They are very versatile and work as long-blooming low-growing plants, either planted on their own in a rose garden or as part of a mixed flower bed. 

If you are looking for new types of roses to grow, drift roses are low-maintenance and winter hardy in US hardiness zones 5-10. We take a close look at when and how to prune drift roses to ensure your plants are healthy and put on dazzling displays of stunning blooms.

Where to add drift roses to your backyard 

Drift roses can be very useful if you plan to landscape with roses and want something low-growing, hardy, and beautiful. The plants will want a sunny spot in the backyard, ideally with 6-8 hours of sun a day. 

Drift roses are versatile, though, and can also work well as part of a container garden on a sunny deck or patio. You can see the full range of drift roses available at Perfect Plants

When to prune drift roses

Drift roses do not definitely require pruning, however, they do benefit from being trimmed and respond well to the attention. It is a good way to maintain the size of the roses, keep the plants healthy, and also ensure they put out a fantastic display of blooms throughout the coming season.

The ideal time for pruning drift roses is in late winter or early spring, just before the new growth starts to emerge on the plant. If you have not pruned yet but see the first leaves emerging, then it is time to head out with the tools.

Alex Kantor, the owner of Perfect Plants Nursery, says that the ideal months are ‘usually around March or April’ but it can depend on your US hardiness zone. He adds: ‘This timing allows for the removal of any dead or diseased wood while shaping the plant for a more compact and visually appealing appearance in preparation for the upcoming growing season.’

The only reasons to prune after early spring are to deadhead roses continually throughout the summer, to get an even longer display of fantastic blooms, and to remove any dead or damaged material you see through the season. 

You want to avoid ever pruning drift roses during periods of extreme heat or cold, as this is a rose pruning mistake that can stress the plant. Pruning in late fall would also be a pruning mistake as it would stimulate new growth that would be damaged by the winter colds. This would leave the rose at increased risk of disease and potentially affect the overall cold hardiness of the shrub.

How to prune drift roses

The method for this rose pruning is very simple and will require only a few garden tools. All you require is a pair of pruning shears and a thick gardening gloves - such as these rose pruning gloves available at Amazon - to protect yourself from the vicious thorns. All tools need to be clean and sharp before use, to make clean cuts and avoid spreading any rose diseases around your garden.

• ‘To prune drift roses, it is recommended to start by removing any damaged or dead branches. This helps to encourage new growth and prevent disease from spreading,’ recommends Alex Kantor.
• ‘Next, thin out the center of the plant by selectively removing a few of the older canes. This helps to improve air circulation and light penetration, reducing the risk of fungal infections. 
• ‘Finally, trim back the remaining canes by about one-third, cutting just above an outward-facing bud. This helps to promote outward growth and a fuller appearance.’
• The cutting back of any long stems helps create the natural compact shape and form of drift roses. Assess the shape as you are pruning, taking a step back for a look every now and again to make sure the shrub is balanced.
• Take the amount of potential regrowth into consideration when thinking how much to prune off. When it comes to drift roses, the experts at Star Roses and Plants, the company that bred them, claim that they will ‘usually triple in size by the end of the season’ after being pruned. 
• How much you trim off will depend on how big you want the shrub to get, but drift roses are tough plants and can tolerate being pruned hard back, to around 6-8 inches high, annually in order to keep a compact shape. 
• After pruning drift roses, it is beneficial to apply a good layer of mulch around the base of the shrub. This mulching layer will help to retain moisture in the ground, suppress weeds, and also add nutrients to the soil as it breaks down.

FAQs

Are you supposed to deadhead drift roses?

Just like with any other roses, deadheading is a beneficial and recommended task that can help to extend the blooming season and give you the most flowers each year. 

Gabie DeSiena, lead staff horticulturist at Wilson Bros Gardens, recommends that, when pruning spent flower heads from drift roses, you ‘make your cut at the base of the flower stem’ and ultimately you then want to ‘cease pruning drift roses two months prior to the average first-frost date in your area’.

Drift roses are a modern cross between miniature roses and groundcover roses. The original types of miniature roses are ones that only grow up to 18 inches in height. These fantastic plants are ideal for small backyard ideas or growing in pots on a deck or balcony.

Roses are classic and hugely-popular shrubs that are loved for their color, scent and versatility. There are roses suitable for any style of garden, but it can be daunting to choose between the thousands of different roses that exist.

If you are on the lookout for rose garden ideas then there are patio, shrub, standard, climbing, rambling, and more types out there to pick from. It is all about considering the type, space, color, and scent when choosing which roses to grow and care for.

We take a closer look at how and why to pick a rose for your garden, how to grow roses, and also the key annual maintenance tasks required to ensure your roses are healthy and bloom as abundantly as possible year-after-year.

Which roses to grow?

There is a multitude of roses to choose from, roses are a very broad group of plants with over 150 species and thousands of cultivars around the world. If you are looking for roses to add to your backyard, or are designing a rose garden itself, then it can be mind-boggling given the vast potential of roses to choose from.

They come in many sizes and forms and are available in a huge array of shades and petal textures. There is also a range of scents, though lots of modern hybrid varieties do not offer the same scent as old-fashioned roses. Though, through new breeding, many roses can now be easier to care for than ever. Many repeat-flowering types can provide color and fragrance all the way from early summer through into late fall. 

Mark Lane, garden designer, author and TV presenter, says: ‘If you’re looking for a shrubby plant, a patio plant, or something to be used as groundcover or to climb to cover trellis or an archway or need to disguise an ugly wall or garage with something that will ramble and scramble away, then roses tick all the boxes. 

‘In addition, you get fresh green leaves, stunning shade of flowers from white to the deepest purple and in a lot of cases a scent that can be sweet and subtle to one that’s musky and honey-like.’

If you are browsing the catalogs or scrolling online looking for ideas for the best fragrant roses or best climbing roses, then it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the options. There are key factors to consider when picking roses, including the space available, where you’ll be planting the rose and, of course, the color and scent.

Mark Lane adds: ‘To choose the right rose, first think about the space in which it’s going. If you only want to add something alongside other shrubs, that won’t take up much space vertically and horizontally then opt for shrub or patio roses. If you need something to climb, then go for climbers or ramblers. Also, think about the colors already in that area and select a rose that will either complement or contrast.’

Shop at a reliable rose provider: we like to buy roses from Burpee.

How to grow roses

Planting seasons

Roses often come as either bare root or container-grown specimens and that can dictate when you plant roses. Bare root roses are the cheaper option to purchase and they are planted during the dormant months between November and March, while container-grown roses can be planted at any time of year.

Picking the right location

The most important factors to consider when growing roses is to get the location correct in terms of sunlight and competition. Planting in the wrong location, which can include shady areas and exposed or windy sites, is a common rose growing mistake to avoid.

Rosebie Morton, founder of The Real Flower Company, advises that the amount of sunlight available is an important factor to consider when picking a site to grow your roses, and the varieties that you intend to plant. 

She says: ‘Roses thrive in a sunny position, so try and pick an area which receives at least four hours of sunlight a day. You should also allow for their roots to spread, so try not to plant roses too close to a tree, hedge or other large plant. 

‘If you are very limited when it comes to sunlight, there are some varieties which can tolerate shade spots better than others – consider Blush Noisette, Iceberg (see below for our favorite find), Alfred Carrière or Zéphirine Drouhin.’

Plant correctly

When it comes to planting roses correctly, make a large hole that can accommodate the roots and consider mixing some compost or well-rotted manure into the planting site to boost nutrients for the rose. Place the rose in the hole and ensure the graft is buried just below the soil line, before filling in the hole and firming the soil to ensure there are no air pockets. 

You can grow roses in pots as part of container garden ideas if you are short of space. Miniature or patio roses are best suited to being grown in pots.

How to grow roses from cuttings

Once you have roses in your garden, then you can get more plants from your favorites by knowing how to take rose cuttings. This can be done by taking hardwood cuttings during fall and winter, or softwood cuttings in late spring and early summer.

Rose cuttings should be taken with clean garden tools and either placed into an outdoor bed for hardwood cuttings, or into pots for softwood ones. Cuttings can either be rooted in water or you can try the social media trend of growing rose cuttings in potatoes.

How to care for roses

'Much of the work which goes into keeping roses healthy should have been done by spring,' says National Trust garden researcher and author of National Trust School of Gardening (at Amazon), Rebecca Bevan. 'That would include pruning to stop them getting congested. Also, mulching to feed the soil, trap in moisture and bury fungal spores.'

However there are still some jobs to be done throughout the year:

Deadheading roses

'While traditional rambling roses tend to flower once, in great profusion, modern, repeat-flowering roses begin more slowly, but send up new blooms throughout the summer,' says Rebecca.

Knowing how to deadhead roses that are repeat-flowerers, such as climbers and hybrid tea roses, encourages more blooms.

Pruning roses

Knowing how to prune roses and when to prune them is a crucial part of maintaining the health of your roses. 

Be sure to prune them before they come into leaf to prevent damaging buds and shoots, ideally in October or November but you can get away with as late as February depending on the weather and the US hardiness zone where you live.

Watering roses

Watering is important until the rose is established and then these deep-rooted plants can survive on the natural moisture in the soil. If you do need to plan when to water plants like roses, do so in the morning and aim for their roots, not the leaves. 

As well as watering, knowing when to fertilize roses is great for helping make sure your roses grow strong and put out a wealth of blooms. Rosebie Morton, founder of The Real Flower Company, hails the benefits that mulching with compost or well-rotted manure can bring to supply roses with nutrients and also help to ensure moisture is retained in the soil for longer.

Mulching and feeding

‘Mulching to the base of your rose plant will also provide some protection, help retain moisture and supply valuable nutrients to help your roses thrive,’ she adds.

‘Before mulching, add a handful of slow release fertilizer round the base of the plant avoiding the woody stems. Apply a generous couple of inches of mulch in a circle – try and match the spread of the plant when it is in full bloom. The best time of year to do this is in spring – late March or early April – and again in fall; late September or early October.’

Correct watering and fertilizing of roses can help to fight against many rose diseases and a lack of moisture or nutrients can be a common reason why rose leaves turn yellow. An example of a good slow release fertilizer to use with roses is the Schultz Rose & Flower Slow Release Plant Food, available at Amazon.

Landscaping with roses offers so many benefits and the truth is that roses are not as hard to grow and maintain as many people think. They do require pruning and feeding, as outlined above, and there are some diseases and rose pests to contend with. Though with good care, and using rose companion plants to deter pesky insects that want to trouble your shrubs, roses can be highly rewarding, with the blooms and scent more than worth any work involved.

Roses are one of the most popular plants grown around the world, not only thanks to their beautiful flowers but also their versatility and the fact there are so many types and varieties to choose from.

Growing roses is not just limited to those with large backyards or dedicated rose gardens. Even if you are short of space then you can have roses that thrive growing in pots, though it does tend to be miniature or patio roses that are most suited to containers.

When it comes to planting roses in pots, you do need a large container, rich soil and a sunny spot to put it in. As long as you remember to keep the rose watered, fed, and pruned, it can be happy for many years in a pot and you can enjoy its stunning blooms.

Can roses grow in pots?

The good news is that, if you're limited with space, growing roses in pots as part of your container gardening ideas is an option. Not all types of roses are ideal for growing in containers, however, but despite a limited choice available, there remains a good selection of suitable roses to pick from as part of your backyard ideas. 

There are advantages to growing roses in pots, for example it can give you full control of the growing medium and moisture levels, and allows you to locate pots in the sunniest corners of the backyard. 

If you have little or no soil in your backyard, or if the soil you have is poor, then growing roses in pots gives you the opportunity to enjoy these beautiful blooms. You can even grow roses in pots if you have no backyard, there are types that can grow on balconies. 

Best roses for pots

If you are planning landscaping with roses or designing a rose garden, then there are a wide range of roses to choose from. From shrub roses to climbing roses, if you are after rose garden ideas there are thought to be over 30,000 varieties around the world. 

Many of these will not happily grow in pots unfortunately, mainly due to the size that they grow to and the forms they grow in. However, there remains a good selection of fragrant roses that are suitable.

'Patio and miniature rose varieties are ideal for containers. English roses also work well with their rounded, bushy shapes; standard roses are elegant options, and ground-covering roses and shorter climbers can also be used,' says gardens writer and photographer Leigh Clapp.

Patio or miniature types are specially bred to be smaller in scale and suitable for growing in pots, with the patio types larger in size but still not quite the size of a standard rose. Modern breeding has also given us crosses between miniature and groundcover roses, such as drift roses, which can be good options for pots too. A great example of a miniature rose perfect for pots is the colorful Red Sunblaze Rose available at Nature Hills, growing to just two-foot in height it puts out clusters of double red blooms.

Miniature climbing roses can also grow happily in containers, they are slightly bigger again and will reach around six feet in height. While the likes of shrub or climbing roses are capable of being grown in pots, they are vigorous types and will need a much bigger pot to grow in. Climbing roses will also need a trellis or structure in place for them to be supported by and scramble up.

How to plant roses in a pot

Roses do need a large pot to be able to thrive in. They are shrubs that put out long roots, normally to search deep in the soil for water and nutrients, and that means a large container is required to house them happily. 

Choose a container around 12-18 inches deep and a minimum of 15 inches wide. When it comes to choosing a pot for roses, the taller you pick the happier the rose is likely to be. The experts at David Austin Roses recommend ‘using a pot with a minimum internal dimension of roughly 60 litres to allow for an adequate depth of rich soil’, adding that ‘larger roses will need larger pots’.

Fill the chosen pot with a well-draining and rich compost. Sarah Raven, a famed gardener and writer, says that ‘fertile soil is key to growing roses’ and incorporating some compost or well-rotted manure to the soil mix can boost the nutrients available to plants.

Never reuse potting soil from other containers and do not use garden soil to fill your pots, as it can often hold too much water and puts plants at risk of waterlogging. Always make sure any container has drainage holes at the bottom to allow any excess moisture to escape.

Roses tend to come either bare root or in nursery pots. For either method, firstly half-fill the pot with compost and gently press it in to remove any air pockets. Place the bare root rose over a mound in the centre, or remove the rose from its pot and place on the soil. 

Fill around your rose with compost and firm the soil around it as you go. Take good care when it comes to the height that the rose sits in the pot. The union of the rose, where the rose is grafted to the rootstock, should sit just above the level of the soil and two inches below the pot’s rim. 

How to care for roses in a pot

Water your newly-planted rose thoroughly and place the pot on feet to help further ensure that any excess moisture can drain away from the container. Such feet include these Non-Slip Surface Grip Pot Lifters available at Amazon.

Place your container in a sunny position in the backyard, for example on a south-facing patio or deck. Sarah Raven says: ‘Most roses need a position in full sun to flower well – the site needs to spend at least 50% of the day in the sun.’

Roses growing in pots will require more watering than those planted out in the ground. This is due to the finite amount of soil in the pot to be able to hold onto the moisture. Always monitor the pot carefully and water the rose regularly, especially in hot and dry weather. A good tactic when watering plants in containers is to check the moisture level a few inches down in the pot using your fingers.

As well as regular watering, roses in pots need to be regularly fed to keep them happy and thriving. When fertilizing roses in pots, feed them with a general-purpose fertilizer in spring and then switch to a fortnightly feed with a high-potassium fertilizer, such as a tomato feed, once the plants are flowering through the summer. Stop feeding the plants at the end of August. A great option for a general-purpose fertilizer to use is the Natural Organic Rose Bloom Granular Plant Food available at Burpee that can slow-release nutrients for up to three months.

The plants will also benefit from a mulching each year with a two-inch layer of compost or well-rotted manure, and for the top couple of inches of compost in the pot to be replaced by a fresh layer every two years.

As with growing roses in the ground, deadhead roses regularly throughout the flowering season to keep a constant flush of blooms on the plant and also prune roses every year to keep them healthy. Improper pruning and not deadheading are two common rose growing mistakes to avoid.

FAQs

Roses are a joy to grow and not as difficult to maintain as many people think. There may be rose pests and roses diseases to contend with, but with proper maintenance and good observation these can often easily be dealt with. Also, using organic gardening tactics such as rose companion plants can also help keep any potential issues at bay. If you have always wanted roses but thought yard size restricted you, then think again and maybe try growing in pots. 

Another option is growing bare-root roses in pots, many of which are shrub roses that can be pruned to keep an attractive, bushy and compact form. The striking color and fragrance of roses are well worth the effort.

From letting them ramble over trellises to making them the focal point of a cottage garden, landscaping with roses is a wonderful way to add beautiful color and fragrance to your backyard. Everyone wants to include a classic rose or two in their garden as these gorgeous blooms are an all-time classic flower. 

It's easy to see why they're so popular. With so many different varieties and colors to choose from, roses are one of the most versatile shrubs to work into your landscape design. They can be used in a multitude of ways, but whatever the planting combination they are always sure to be the star of the show. 

It doesn't matter what the size of your yard or whether it's sunny or shady, roses can easily be worked into your backyard landscaping ideas, even if it means planting them up in patio containers if space is tight. Here's how to get more of these stunning blooms in to your outdoor space now.

8 inspirational ideas for landscaping with roses

'Roses are lovely flowers to grow,' says Jac Semmler, horticulturalist and author of Super Bloom, available from Amazon. 'They are the reigning monarch of ornamental gardens. They can be grown for their individual beauty and the blooms are a cut flower classic. Yet there are so many ways you can grow them in a garden and enjoy them with other plants.'

We've brought together all the inspiration you need if you're designing a rose garden, whether you're looking for ways to cover a fence or wall with pretty blooms or simply want to enjoy some fragrant flowers in your seating area.

1. Let roses relax in a naturalistic planting design

If you let roses do their own thing they will look more spontaneous as part of a naturalistic planting design. Landscaping with shrub roses like many of the old varieties can be integral to an informal scheme, thriving in mixed borders, intertwined with some of their favorite partner plants.

What to choose? 'Feathery purple and blue-gray catmint offsets any pale pink rose beautifully, and its wispy spires gracefully camouflage any blemishes that may occur on the rose’s foliage,' says the experts at the New York Botanical Garden. 'While the tops of roses are lush, the bottoms can become leggy and sparse. Good companion plants are those that hide their bare legs. Traditionally, lavender, catmint, lady’s mantle and tall growing pinks all make good partners.'

Roses are available as shrubs, ground cover, climbing plants and ramblers, and with this range of forms available there are many different ways to experiment if you love the look of landscaping with roses.

2. Make roses the star of a formal design

Neatly delineated rose bushes come into their own when partnered with smartly clipped topiary and manicured hedges as part of a formal garden design that favors a symmetrical layout. You'll definitely need to find out how to prune roses for this landscaping look.

If you're aiming to create more formal rose garden ideas, rugosa roses and hybrid teas are ideal choices. 'Their upright growth habit and profusion of blooms lend a regal and well-structured appearance to any setting,' says Diana Cox, founder of The Gardening Talk. 'Consider rugosa varieties like 'Quietness' for their low maintenance requirements, and indulge in the captivating fragrance of 'Peace' or 'Kathleen Harrop' for scented borders.' You can find everyone's favorite heirloom hybrid tea rose 'Peace' at Nature Hills.

You can also choose roses as hedging plants. Plant a single favorite variety along a well-defined line to create a simple color block effect. Why not give a small urban garden a pretty boundary, or hide a fence behind a rose hedge, to bring a linear style with a flowery touch to your formal garden design.

3. Create a scented seating area with roses

Every garden needs an enchanting place to sit, somewhere you can enjoy being immersed in nature. The planting can add a sensory experience to the enjoyment of the garden, somewhere that offers a restful interlude for your outdoor seating ideas. Scented plants come into their own in spaces like this and none more so than the  best fragrant roses.

If you love the idea of being surrounded by containers planted up with fragrant roses, try the English shrub rose 'Princess Anne' by David Austin Roses. But there are so many more to choose from.

'The rose variety that I would recommend both for climbing and for scented purposes in a seated area is ‘Zéphirine Drouhin,’ says Miguel Camperos, VP of operations at SunVara. 'These roses are a dark pink in color and climb really well, making them a great addition to pergolas or arbors. They are known for being highly scented, with a really pleasant sweet/fruity fragrance.'

An old-fashioned variety, Zephirine Drouhin (available at Nature Hills) puts on an incredible show when in full bloom.

4. Add a whimsical arbor or arch

If you want to squeeze in a rose but your borders are already planted up to the max or your yard is on the small side, why not think vertically and utilize the space above your garden by adding an arbor or arch that will accommodate an abundance of blooms without taking up too much floor space.

'By bringing the blooms up and over, you can walk under them, fully immersing yourself within the roses,' recommend the experts at David Austin Roses. 'Create a cottage style garden with a painted wooden arch. There is no need to be too formal. Arches allow roses to span areas where there is high traffic, as well as those which are not suitable for planting below.'

5. Disguise a fence or wall with climbing roses

By training a fabulous, fragrant climbing or rambling rose up a wall or garden fence, you can transform a dull area into a stunning feature. This will draw your gaze up, providing color and blooms at eye level. Similarly, if a rose-covered wall or fence is at the back of a border this increases the impact and visual depth of the planting.

Training climbing roses on a fence or wall is easy and the result is always beautiful. Roses are a good choice for every kind of wall and fence, from chain link to wooden picket, and work whatever the style of your backyard. 

'One of my favorite roses is 'New Dawn' as they are great performers,' says Michael Derrig, a registered landscape architect and founder of Landscape Details, who is based in East Hampton. 'As far a climbing rose goes I prefer 'Iceberg' and 'White Eden'. I have created beautiful wall coverings with them for some of the outdoor dining spaces I have designed.'

'Iceberg' comes up time and again as a favorite with designers for landscaping with roses. It has two flushes of beautiful soft-white blooms with the faintest pink tinge, one in late spring and another towards the end of summer. It's easy to train too and the stems go where you want them to. Another plus is that the foliage doesn't die back in winter, so the fence stays looking 'green'. 'Iceberg' is available from Nature Hills.

6. Add roses to patio containers

Roses can be used in containers to create a stunning focal point as part of your patio planting ideas. You can buy special patio roses too, which are in between miniature and normal size roses, and often have charming rosette flowers and neat, bushy growth. 

For a modern look, try planting one variety of rose in the same color in boxy contemporary-style planters as a patio border. Other varieties of patio roses to try include peach-orange 'Flower Power' and scarlet 'Marlena', both available from David Austin Roses.

'If you'd like to bring an incredible rose aroma right up the patio, consider planting an 'Apricot Drift',' says Rebecca Rouse, the home stylist and garden enthusiast behind Rouse in the House. 'The maximum size is less than 2 feet tall. As it's so compact, it's the perfect option to plant in a container on the patio. 

'The fragrance of 'Apricot Drift' is, hands down, one of the most beautiful roses I've smelled. It's lightly sweet, yet very subtle and not overpowering. Another bonus is that these roses are repeat bloomers, so you can have blooms from spring all the way through to your first frost.' You can find 'Apricot Drift' at Nature Hills.

7. Focus on roses in a cottage garden

Old-fashioned, fragrant varieties of rose evoke a romantic charm that's perfect for cottage garden ideas. With their big, blowsy blooms and glorious scent, they add a touch of magic. 

Plant them amongst old favorites like lavender, delphiniums, and foxgloves for a charming, informal look that's bursting with flowers. Try to locate your roses near a seat or bench so you can sit nearby to enjoy their fragrance.

'To achieve a charming cottage garden aesthetic, opt for shrub roses planted in clusters,' suggests Diana Cox. 'These roses have a spreading nature and do not need staking. You might find 'The Fairy' captivating with its abundance of small pink blooms. 'Alternatively 'Bonica' is stunning with its profusion of coral-pink flowers.' 'Bonica' is available at Nature Hills. 

8. Frame an entrance or doorway with roses

A rose in full bloom makes a stunning welcome home as part of your front porch ideas. If you're looking to frame your front door, give your entrance personality or add curb appeal then choose a rose. You can use one to frame an entrance, pot it up for the porch or use as a pretty detail in borders.

Roses smarten up any entryway and give it the standout factor. If you want to plant roses in a container choose one that complements your exterior aesthetic for a seamless look.

If you're adding roses to garden borders as part of your front yard landscaping ideas they are a good choice as they will soon settle in and look like they have been there for ever.

If you're looking for more ideas for landscaping with shrubs, here's one final tip from Diana Cox of The Gardening Talk. 'Overall, roses contribute beauty, fragrance, and structural elegance to any garden space. For maximum visual impact, consider planting them in mass groupings, using them to strategically emphasize key focal points in your yard.'

If you know exactly when to fertilize roses and get the job done at the right time, you will certainly reap the rewards: a show of bigger, better blooms, and healthier plants in the long run.

As a very general rule, roses should be fed in spring and late summer, but zone-by-zone and rose type by rose type, there will be subtler variations. 'Roses generally are quite hungry plants and appreciate feeding annually with a top-dressing of balanced slow-release fertilizer applied in spring and again in mid-late summer,' says H&G's gardening expert John Negus.

Luckily, your roses will help you narrow this timeframe down by giving you signs that they're ready for a feed. And, our gardening experts have all the specialized information you need, below.

This is when to fertilize so that your rose garden ideas reach their potential.

When to fertilize roses

Whether you are planting roses now or looking to boost the health of existing plants, this guide breaks down when you should feed roses, by season, type, and the signs to look out for that roses are hungry, or over-fed.

First things first? Ensure conditions are right so that your roses take up as much of the fertilizer as possible: 'It is always best to apply fertilizer (granular or liquid) to moist soil so you do need to ensure plants receive plenty of water in order for them to be able to make the most of the additional nutrients,' advises John Negus. 

When to fertilize roses in spring

As soon as the weather begins to warm, you will notice new growth starting to appear on established roses. This is the sign that roses are ready to be fed.

'The right time for roses to be fed is just when their first leaves are starting to fully open,' advises our gardens writer Drew Swainston. Gardening editor Ruth Hayes agrees: 'A rose fertilizer can be applied just as these greedy plants start to grow again,' she says.

When to fertilize roses in summer

Roses will need another feed in mid to late summer, too, to promote root growth and ensure an even better show of blooms next year.

'Reapply fertilizer in mid summer to give them a secondary boost,' says Ruth Hayes. 'After pruning roses, feed with a granular rose fertilizer and carefully fork it in, taking care not to hit the roots. Then water well and overlay with a generous layer of mulch.' 

You can find out when to prune roses in our separate guide, but in general, the answer to that question is mid to late summer, obviously.

How often to fertilize in the growing season

Sticking to a twice-yearly rose feeding timetable isn't the end of the story; while roses are blooming, they will benefit from being fertilized more often, usually once a month, starting after the first blooms have faded.

When to fertilize new roses

Fertilize new roses as you plant, and thereafter. When to plant roses? In spring once the frosts have passed, or in fall, at least six weeks before the first frosts to give them time to establish. Plant them into plenty of organic matter, such as well-rotted compost.

These new roses will then need feeding once a month, but only with a phosphorus feed, which will encourage root growth.

Once a new rose has flowered, you can begin to introduce other types of rose fertilizer.

When to fertilize container roses

You will need to be more rigorous about when you feed roses growing in pots.

'Roses in containers particularly will benefit from a monthly liquid feeding with a balanced fertilizer,' says Drew Swainston. 

This is because container plants tend to need watering more often, and each time you water them, the soil's nutrients, and any fertilizer you have added, will be washed out of the container.

When to fertilize roses more often

Your roses will send out distress signals if they are being under- or over-fed. You may have asked yourself why your rose's leaves are turning yellow, and this is one of the signs, as are smaller-than-expected blooms and poor growth overall. 

As well as keeping your eyes open for these signs, give them more attention in prolonged dry spells, ensuring they have been watered thoroughly before feeding. 

When to stop fertilizing roses

After the late summer feed, stop fertilizing roses; this is because you don't want to encourage new growth that will be damaged by early frosts. 

Which rose fertilizer to use?

Whether you choose an organic fertilizer, such as well-rotted manure, which is sustainable, sometimes free, but requires a fair amount of labor, or buy a more convenient-to-apply rose fertilizer from a plant nursery or online, this is what to look for.

Established roses will enjoy a fertilizer that's high in nitrogen in spring, followed by a milder, slow-release fertilizer once the new growth is at around 5in.

'It is best to feed roses with a general fertilizer that has a high amount of phosphorus, the nutrient that encourages a wealth of beautiful blooms,' says Drew Swainston.

We have had great results with Miracle-Gro's Rose Plant Food, which is available online via Walmart for established roses, and with Rock Phosphate (from Amazon) for new plants.

Our rose expert panel

FAQs

Getting the timing right when fertilizing roses is key to promoting healthy root growth, which, in turn, can guarantee an impressive show of blooms, year after year. Always read the plant label when you buy a new rose for specific advice on feeding and timings.

The best climbing roses can quickly cover walls, fences and garden structures with bright and brilliant blooms. While there are many different climbing roses to choose from, I would caution you to select your cultivar carefully.

Before you plant climbing roses, analyze the space you want them to fill. While I love the 'Clare Austin' and 'Honeymoon' varieties, both of these climbing roses have cream-colored blooms, and so would be lost against a whitewashed wall but look impressive set against a dark-painted fence. Selecting the right plant for the right place is important, however, not only for aesthetic reasons but for practical growing too. While most roses will thrive in temperate regions, it is best to choose a cultivar suited to your specific US hardiness zone where it can tolerate your winter and summer weather.

So, whether you want to add some color to a drab garden fence, or you want to incorporate floral perfume into your yard, make sure the rose you choose is suitable for your space. Here, I share some of my favorite climbing roses that are renowned for their color, scent and impact.

12 best climbing roses

Climbing rose varieties present gardeners with an opportunity to create a vertical garden, maximizing growing space by filling garden walls and surfaces with romantic blooms. So, if you are looking for rose garden ideas for small or large yards, climbing roses are plants to consider.

One general rule to follow is that roses are sun worshippers. The more sun your rose plant enjoys, the more blooms it will produce. While some roses will tolerate part-sun-part-shade, I would always recommend positioning roses where they will enjoy at least 6-8 hours of direct light each day.

Best pink and red climbing rose varieties

1. America

• Height: 10ft
• Spread: 6ft
• Hardiness: US hardiness zone 6 - zone 9
• Color: Pink flowers
• Growing requirements: Full-sun, this rose will struggle in part-shade. Plant in a border with free-draining soil

If you are planning to design a rose garden with peach and coral shades, then 'America' is the climbing rose for you. Who wouldn't love these striking blooms? Tight buds burst open to reveal impressive double flowers that will certainly add drama to your yard.

This medium-sized climber has flexible stems and is ideal for training over an obelisk or pergola. What's more, it is long-flowering, producing blooms from summer to fall. One trick is to maintain a rigorous deadheading schedule and encourage more blooms late into the season.

Rosa 'America' is available to order online from Walmart.

2. Compassion

• Height: 10ft
• Spread: 6ft
• Hardiness: US hardiness zone 6 - zone 7
• Color: Pink flowers
• Growing requirements: Full-sun position with rich soil

Perhaps you prefer a traditional Hybrid Tea Rose? Rosa 'Compassion' is a vigorous option, notably producing flowers from summer through to fall. It is a good option for your vertical garden ideas and is one of the best climbing roses around.

Introduced in 1973, the pink-apricot blooms have a decidedly old-fashioned look. Its upright reddish stems are clad with lush glossy green foliage, making this an excellent choice to grow over an arch or around a door.

Rosa 'Compassion' is available to order online from Amazon.

3. Gertrude Jekyll

• Height: 8ft
• Spread: 5ft
• Hardiness: US hardiness zone 6 - zone 7
• Color: Pink double flowers
• Growing requirements: Full-sun position in the yard with free-draining soil

Rosa 'Gertrude Jekyll' is perhaps one of the best fragrant flowers in this selection. The large fully double rose-pink blooms of this popular climbing rose has a deliciously strong classic rose scent.

This variety flowers reliably through summer and fall. Short stature and easily trainable stems make this rose ideal for pillars, walls and obelisks. Be sure to position your rose in an open spot, away from overhanging trees and competitive roots to give it the best chance to produce as many blooms as possible.

4. Lady in Red

• Height: 10ft
• Spread: 8ft
• Hardiness: US hardiness zone 4 - zone 9
• Color: Deep red flowers
• Growing requirements: Sunny spot in the border with room to grow

This deep red rose is unmistakable. If you are keen to plant a fragrant garden, make room for this maroon beauty with its lightly scented flowers. With a vigorous habit, 'Lady in Red' will produce plenty of new growth each year, and works best mingled with other roses and honeysuckles.

Rosa 'Lady in Red' is available from Amazon.

Best white and cream climbing roses

5. Claire Austin

• Height: 8ft
• Spread: 5ft
• Hardiness: US hardiness zone 6 - zone 7
• Color: White double flowers
• Growing requirements: Sunny spot in the border with room to grow

This English rose has become a global favorite, now grown in gardens worldwide. Created by renowned breeder David Austin, Rosa 'Claire Austin' makes for an excellent repeat-flowering climber of moderate height. If you are seeking garden wall ideas, consider growing 'Claire Austin' for impactful white blooms.

From summer to fall, this rose is clothed in large creamy white flowers of strong myrrh scent, opening from cupped, lemon-tinted buds.

Rosa 'Claire Austin' is available to buy from Walmart.

6. New Dawn

• Height: 10ft
• Spread: 8ft
• Hardiness: US hardiness zone 6 - zone 10
• Color: Pale white-pink flowers
• Growing requirements: Full-sun position with at least 6 hours of direct sun

Rosa ‘New Dawn’ is a classic climbing rose with shapely, perfumed pale pink blooms. It will work well in both traditional and country gardens, which is not surprising as it has been around since 1930.

Flowering continues from summer into late fall. Large plants will perform well in the dappled shade and are tolerant of poorer soils. Try this climbing rose with the equally legendary, darker pink Clematis ‘Comtesse de Bouchard’.

Rosa 'New Dawn' is available from Amazon.

7. Eden

• Height: 10ft
• Spread: 6ft
• Hardiness: US hardiness zone 6 - zone 7
• Color: White to pale-pink flowers
• Growing requirements: Full-sun position with room to climb, position in a border with rich soil

‘Eden' is one of the most dynamic climbing roses, ideal for trellis training or vining over a pergola. With dramatic pale-pink almost white blooms, this repeat-flowering variety will brighten any yard. With double blooms, 'Eden' looks spectacular against a dark backdrop.

Delightful for a splash of romance in the border, and with a light fragrance too. Rosa 'Eden' is available from Walmart.

Best yellow and orange climbing roses

8. Golden Gate

• Height: 8ft
• Spread: 6ft
• Hardiness: US hardiness zone 6 - zone 7
• Color: Yellow open flowers
• Growing requirements: Full-sun position with free-draining soil

'Golden Gate' is one of the most cheery varieties of rose to grow, and I think one of the best climbing plants you can try.

Disease-resistant, free-flowering, and relatively compact, these plants are covered in fragrant, semi-double blooms of bright medium yellow from summer to fall. Hips will be set if the last blooms are not deadheaded.

Rosa 'Golden Gate' is available to order online from Amazon.

9. The Pilgrim

• Height: 8ft
• Spread: 6ft
• Hardiness: US hardiness zone 6 - zone 7
• Color: Yellow flowers
• Growing requirements: Full-sun position, with 6 to 8 hours of light, planted in well-draining soil

The buds of this rose open to cup-shaped yellow blooms which are packed with petals. Flowers open fully to flat rosettes of primrose, with a paler lemon ring around the outside of each one. As flowering climbers go, 'The Pilgrim' is full and highly textural.

Its overall effect is eye-catching. On a warm day, its fragrance is pleasingly sweet. Healthy, fast-growing and repeat-flowering, this compact climber is one of the best options if you are looking for a burst of sunshine yellow with intriguing contrasts.

Rosa 'The Pilgrim' plants are available to buy online from Amazon.

10. Bathsheba

• Height: 10ft
• Spread: 6ft
• Hardiness: US hardiness zone 7 - zone 8
• Color: Apricot/yellow flowers
• Growing requirements: Full-sun position, with free-draining soil

If you are looking for the best fragrant roses to transform a vertical corner of your garden, our next choice is a definite winner. 'Bathsheba' is a short but vigorous climber, making it ideal for those gardeners growing roses in pots.

It stands out for the unusual coloring of its fragrant, quartered blooms. Amongst the best climbing roses for floral texture, they are packed full of apricot, yellow and peachy pink petals, and around the outside are petals of pale yellowy apricot. Flowering continues all summer.

Feeding your roses during the summer months with a rose fertilizer, available from Amazon, can help extend flowering.

Best climbing roses for pollinators

11. The Magician

• Height: 7ft
• Spread: 6ft
• Hardiness: US hardiness zone 6 - zone 10
• Color: Apricot flowers
• Growing requirements: Full-sun position, with free-draining soil

For anyone who fancies dramatic garden color schemes filled with jewel-like bursts of apricot, 'The Magician' is one of the most memorable climbing rose varieties. Its open blooms are easy to access for birds, bees and butterflies, often seen humming with wildlife in the summer.

Rosa 'The Magician' is available from Walmart.

12. Fourth of July

• Height: 10ft
• Spread: 6ft
• Hardiness: US hardiness zone 5 - zone 9
• Color: White and red flowers
• Growing requirements: Full-sun position with well-draining soil

If you want an all-American addition to your cottage garden planting scheme, climbing rose varieties don’t come more patriotic than 'Fourth of July'.

Clusters of single blooms open with unusual red and white markings that are notably popular with birds, bees and butterflies. If you are looking for plants for pollinators, growing single roses is ideal, as the nectar is easy to access.

Rosa 'Fourth of July' is available to order online from Amazon.

FAQs

How should you support climbing roses?

Before planting, always think about where your rose will grow. Consider learning how to put up a wall trellis, or for a more artisanal look, why not try to build hazel plant supports for your roses to vine over? When supporting your roses, use garden twine, available from Amazon, but be sure to tie loosely to allow for growth.

How are climbing roses different from rambling roses?

Whether a rose is classified as a climber or a rambling rose depends on its breeding and ancestry. Climbers are generally happy to repeat-flower and tend to produce larger blooms. Their habit is often stiffer than that of ramblers. Climbing roses are distinctive for their structure, even if they are supported as they grow. It is vital to prune climbing roses correctly by curbing side shoots at the right time and heeding the frame or support around which you wish to train your rose varieties.

Ramblers often bloom just once in midsummer, with great abandon. Their flowers tend to be smaller and their growth is more pliable and ready for twining around pillars, arches or pergolas, or threading through trees. Ramblers are best pruned after they have flowered, during which much of the older, flowered stems are cut away and newer stems trained and fastened in place tidily for winter.

Climbing roses will help to make the most of your yard, whatever the size, filling walls and fences with blooms. For more rose care advice, see our guide on how to move a rose.

While roses are at their best in spring and summer, we as gardeners still need to take care of them during the colder months of the year. Spending a small amount of time learning how to winterize roses will ensure that your plants remain healthy.

Most roses are hardy, meaning that they can survive just fine through snow and frost, common in northerly regions during the colder months. However, there are a few small steps to follow to be sure that your roses return next year.

So, if you know how to grow roses but want some more information on how to winterize them, our guide will help you quickly learn how to protect them from the worst of the cold weather.

How to winterize roses

Learning how to winterize roses will depend on your US hardiness zone. While most roses are tough, resilient plants, if you live in a region where frost and snow are common in winter, it will be worth providing some protection to help your flowering plant.

Invest in frost cloths if you experience harsh winters

'Most roses are hardy and do not need to be covered,' explains Melinda Myers, gardening expert and author. 'You shouldn't really need to cover roses with frost cloths unless you reside in US hardiness zone 4 or below. Use something like this pop-up plant tent from Amazon, which can be removed as soon as the worst of the weather has passed.

'If you do use cloths or cones, make sure they have some ventilation,' says Melinda. 'The vents should be on the side facing away from prevailing winds. This allows hot air to escape on cold but sunny days. As temperatures begin hovering around freezing in spring or plants begin growing it is time to remove the covering.'

Prune roses in late winter

In terms of how to prune roses, more often than not this is completed in the winter. 'Allowing the plants to stand and waiting until late winter or early spring, just before growth begins, is often the best time to prune roses,' continues Melinda.

'At that time you can prune older canes and any winter damage, cutting back to healthy growth. You can also reduce the size and remove any wayward growth,' says Melinda.

‘For correct pruning, check which rose variety you have, as exact pruning rules will differ between species. The basic principles are the same, however: remove dead, diseased, and dying wood first, then open up the center of the bush, which will help with airflow to reduce potential issues with black spot.’

Mulch your roses when temperatures start to drop

Mulching is a good idea for all plants, as it helps to insulate the soil and add nutrients to the earth. Mulch your roses with a thick layer of bark, straw, leaves, or compost at the start of the season, making this a job for your winter gardening checklist.

Each winter, after pruning in January or February, it is a good idea to apply a thick layer of well-rotted manure or good-quality compost. This will not only supply the roses with important nutrients but also ensure that moisture is retained in the soil, thereby preventing unnecessary watering during the summer.

FAQs

How do I winterize my climbing rose?

There are several different approaches when it comes to winterizing climbing roses that grow up a wall or trellis. In general, however, you shouldn't need to protect them unless you reside in a very cold zone. After the flowers fade, in late fall, take time to prune any long canes to prevent wind damage and reduce swaying in the wind. You can then tie your rose to any garden structure or framework. Just be sure not to tie in too tightly, allowing a small amount of wiggle room for the rose to move.

If you are hoping to add climbing roses to your garden – and why wouldn't you, they include some of the best fragrant roses – then be sure you research how to plant climbing roses to ensure their greatest chance of success.

How do I winterize my potted rose?

The best way to winterize roses in pots is to move the pot into an unheated greenhouse or even just a more sheltered spot in the garden – away from the worst of the winter weather. In most spots, you can leave the containers outside even during frosty weather. However, if a heavy snowfall is expected, it is a good idea to bring them inside and store them in a cool, dark area such as your basement, unheated greenhouse, or garage. If you store your containers in the garage, remember to protect them from the winter temperatures that can come in as you open and close the door. Store your containers inside until the threat of snow has passed, typically in early spring. You'll want to check your roses periodically to make sure they don't dry out completely, and water as required.

Do not fertilize your roses during the fall and winter months. This is not necessary and can do more harm than good. Instead, when fertilizing roses, always wait until spring and summer. As a rule, always keep feeding to the growing season. For more information, see our guide on how to make your own rose fertilizer.

Learning how to deadhead roses properly is incredibly easy and is vitally important not just for keeping your garden looking neat but so that you can get the most out of your roses, too. 

Deadheading is simply a term for the removal of finished flower heads. Deadheading roses not only neatens up the appearance of the rose but, with repeat flowering varieties, it encourages further blooms throughout the season. 

If faded flowers are left on the plant it can delay the production of new shoots below the old flower cluster, so removing them will speed up nature’s process. 

So, when you plant roses, make a mental note that this will be a gardening job you'll need to add to your list, usually around July. And if you are designing a rose garden, you will need to ensure you set aside time every weekend in high summer for deadheading.

How to deadhead roses

To deadhead your rose garden ideas, you will need a pair of gardening gloves and some good secateurs or deadheading snips. Note that deadheading is not the same as pruning climbing roses to keep them in good shape, nor is it the same as taking rose cuttings for propagation.

Deadheading roses can be done in two stages:

1. Snap off individual blooms

As the individual blooms in a cluster fade these can simply be snapped off by hand directly beneath the flowerhead. 

Removing these individually as they go over will maintain the display and will give back buds more room to bloom.

2. Remove an entire truss

When all the flowers on a cluster have gone over then the whole truss can be removed. Trace the stem back to the first leaf joint, and using secateurs, snip off the cluster just above this point. This will also improve the overall shape of the rose. 

If yours is a hip-producing rose then you may not want to deadhead roses, as hips can bring decorative interest and color to a fall garden. Deadheading finished blooms on hip-producing roses will prevent the hips from forming.

Where do you cut roses when deadheading?

'To deadhead roses with scissors or secateurs, cut just beneath the base of the dead flower where it joins the stem. You don't need to use scissors; pinching or snapping the rose head off the stem will work just as well,' says Rachel Crow, Homes & Gardens' garden expert.

Should you cut off dead rose blooms?

You should cut off dead rose blooms. If you cut off dead rose blooms, not only will you be left with a neater looking plant, but you will also encourage the growth of new flowers throughout the summer. 

When should you stop deadheading roses?

You should stop deadheading roses in September; after that time, allow the spent flowers to develop into hips, and leave them that way until you begin pruning in late winter or early spring.

Once you know how to plant roses you can enjoy the beautiful blooms of these 'queen of flowers' in many different areas of your garden.

Roses offer such variety of color, shape and fragrance, and are an enduring garden favorite, loved for their elegance and romance. Whether entwining with clematis around an arbour, mixed in an herbaceous border, or sprawling over a fence, there are many different options for rose garden ideas. 

Roses are versatile for both formal and informal styles, making them a gorgeous addition to any yard. They are also long flowering and can bring delight to your garden from June right through to December.

It’s easy to be beguiled by the vast array on offer when designing a rose garden, but by doing your research and selecting good quality, disease-resistant varieties that will suit the conditions in your garden, you will have the most success in growing roses as part of your flower bed ideas.

How to plant roses

The method for how to plant roses will vary slightly depending on what type of rose you chose, whether climber, standard or shrub. So you first need to know about the three main categories of roses:

• Species or wild roses like to sprawl in a natural style, are mostly single-flowered, and many have colorful hips in fall, such as rugosa, glauca, moyesii and canina.
• Roses from before 1860 are known as old garden roses and are characterised by large graceful shrubs with mostly one flowering, are the best fragrant roses and include alba, gallica, damask, cabbage and moss roses.
• Modern roses, bred from the early 20th century, have characteristics of repeat-flowering and a striving for disease resistance, vigour and flower quality. These cover hybrid teas, floribundas, landscape, climbers, miniature and David Austin English roses. There are specific methods for how to plant climbing roses, for instance, for the best displays.

'To add a little confusion, the diverse and versatile shrub roses don’t fit any distinct classification. They can be wild rose species and also hybrids, taking the best of the old, combined with modern traits of repeat-flowering and diversity of form, color and fragrance,' explains gardens writer and photographer Leigh Clapp.

Where to plant roses

Knowing where to plant roses is a very important aspect of how to plant roses and is largely down to the variety. Roses are very versatile, with hundreds of varieties, from flowering climbers and ramblers, to bush and flowering shrubs, and even ground cover roses – you can try growing roses in almost every situation in the garden. 

Before planting, it’s important to choose a cultivator appropriate for the conditions in the chosen position in your yard. 

Generally, roses are sun-loving plants, preferring from six to eight hours of sun a day. 'They like well-drained soil that still holds moisture long enough for the roots to absorb moisture – incorporate some well-rotted compost or manure at planting.  Ideally they prefer a soil pH of 6.5, with a heavy loam soil. Too much clay can cause waterlogged roots and sandy soil will drain too freely before the nutrients can be absorbed,' explains Leigh Clapp. There are ways to establish the soil type in your garden.

If you have dense clay adding some compost, composted manure or leaf mulch will loosen it. 

There are some really tough roses that cope with a range of conditions, including rugosa and some vigorous cultivars. Some varieties can be potential shrubs for shade, such as floribunda and shrub roses, as they tolerate shade so long as it isn’t caused by trees. Do check the plant's details carefully for shade tolerance. 

Don’t plant roses in exposed locations as wind can both damage blooms and cause evaporation of moisture from foliage. Plant about one metre from other plants to avoid competition and about 23in. (60cm) from another rose. 

If replacing old roses with new then care needs to be taken in how to plant roses. 'It's advised to dig out the soil to a depth and width of 18in. (45cm) and to swap it with soil from a different part of the garden to reduce the risk of replant disease,' says Leigh Clapp. 

You can also grow roses in pots if you are short of space and it is the miniature or patio types of roses that are most suited to containers

Container-grown roses or bare root roses?

There are two ways to buy roses: as container-grown plants, or as bare root plants. 

Bare root plants are usually purchased online or via mail-order and come in a semi dormant or dormant state with no soil on the roots. They are the preferred choice for many gardeners. 'Bare-root roses are generally the best quality and have a wider spread of roots than container plants,' says Leigh Clapp.

If planting multiple roses it is recommended to buy bare root plants as it is more economical and there’s also a great variety. It is easy to get to grips with how to plant bare root trees and shrubs.

‘I believe the best practice for optimal healthy roses is to be as eco-friendly as possible as well as choosing the best and healthiest varieties available,’ explains Harry Baldwin, Head of Horticulture at Borde Hill Garden.

When to plant roses

Knowing when to plant roses is important for success in growing roses. 

'June through to August is a good time to make a note of which roses you like best and want to introduce into your garden,' says National Trust garden researcher Rebecca Bevan. 'Try to hold off buying and planting them until the fall or winter, when you can order them bare root.'

Bare root roses can be bought from late fall to early spring and are best planted just before or at the beginning of their dormant period, in late fall, or early winter. This gives them time to establish roots ready to flourish in summer time. Don’t plant roses when the ground is frozen in mid-winter

Container-grown roses can be planted at any time, provided the ground is not extremely dry or frozen. 

How to plant bare root roses

The step-by-step instructions below are for planting bare root shrub roses.

You will need:

• Garden fork or spade
• Bucket
• Watering can
• Soil improver or well-rotted manure

1. Check the conditions and the roots

Aim to plant the rose as soon as possible after its arrival, but delay planting if the ground is waterlogged or frozen. Examine the rose to make sure it has not dried out in transit. The rose should have two or three strong shoots and a healthy network of roots. Remove any diseased or damaged growth and remove any straggly stems.

2. Hydrate the rose

Soak the bare root rose in a bucket of water for an hour or two before planting.

3. Prepare the soil for planting roses

Prepare the bed by digging over with a garden fork and removing any stones or weeds. Dig a planting hole in your prepared bed large enough to fit the roots – this will depend on their span and length, but a hole around 15in. (40cm) wide and deep should be adequate. 

Roses are hungry plants, so add a shovel of soil improver or well-rotted manure to the hole and fork it into the soil at the bottom.

4. Boost the roots

Before planting the rose consider sprinkling the roots with mycorrhizal fungi. Recommended by British rose breeder David Austin, this will increase the absorption and boost the performance of the root system.

5. Position the rose in the hole

Place the rose in the center of the hole taking care to spread out the roots. At this point it is important to make sure the graft of the rose – where the stems meet the roots – is buried around an inch under the soil. To help check this, you can lay a bamboo cane horizontally over the hole.

6. Back-fill and finish the planting

Back fill the hole with soil, forking in a shovel of soil improver or manure before infilling. Lightly tread around the rose to make sure there are not air pockets, then rake over the soil and water well.

How to plant container grown roses

There is no rush when it comes to planting container roses, they can be left outside three weeks or more before planting provided they are kept watered. Before planting place in a bucket of water until moisture comes to the surface of the compost and follow the same steps as above.

Where Is The Best Place To Plant A Rose?

There are many places you can plant roses. With their wide variety of colors, sizes and growth habits there are rose choices for practically any garden setting. They can be grown in dedicated beds, among a jostle of other plants in borders, draped over arches and walls, trained around a door, used as groundcover or varieties selected for containers. You can also learn how to take rose cuttings to increase the number of these beautiful blooms in your garden for free.

Generally, all roses require plenty of sunlight, at least four hours a day, as well as shelter from strong winds. However, there are even varieties that can be grown in north facing positions with poor soil quality. 

Roses will not like a waterlogged position, but like water retentive yet well draining soil, and will not thrive in shade or if crowded by other plants. If planting multiple shrub roses, ensure spacing of around 15-25in. (40-65cm) and about 11in. (30cm) from the edge of the rose bed.

Root decay can occur from diseases such as honey fungus, if the plant is waterlogged. Don’t plant roses where they have recently grown to avoid replant disorder. ‘To overcome this it is best to choose new ground for the roses. If this is not possible to do, adopt a combined strategy of soil exchange and the use of Mycorrhizal fungi to aid their establishment,’ suggests Jon Webster. 

What is the best month to plant roses?

The best month to plant roses will depend on where you live and also what type of rose you have bought – whether a bare root rose or a container grown rose, as explained above.

What is the best way to plant a rose?

The best way for how to plant roses depends on whether you buy bare root roses or container grown plants. This article takes you through step by step how to plant a bare root rose and also a container grown one, so you can find all all the advice and tips you need above.

Learning how to prune roses is a crucial part of keeping these much loved garden flowers happy and healthy. A familiar flower bed staple, roses come in a dazzling array of colors, sizes and shapes. But keeping a good display of healthy roses can be something of a challenge. 

Roses have long held a special place in the hearts of gardeners and non-gardeners alike and there are so many rose garden ideas you can incorporate into gardens of all styles and sizes. They are one of the most commercially valuable plants in the world and prized for their beautiful, scented blooms. 

How to prune roses will depend on the type of rose you have; not all roses require the same treatment. Learn how to prune climbing roses or ramblers, if you are pruning that variety.

When you are designing a rose garden ensure that you will be able to get close to all of your rose bushes or shrubs to prune them when required.

It’s worth noting that while the flowers are delicate and elegant, the plants are tough and hardy. They are very resilient to being pruned, so you shouldn’t worry about getting out the pruning shears or secateurs. Even an overzealous prune is unlikely to harm them, so you can cut with confidence. 

As when planting roses, you will need thick gardening gloves to protect your hands from the thorns – preferably leather gauntlets that will also cover your lower arms. 

If you follow the simple rules in this guide, you can cut with confidence and create stunning blooms ever year. 

How to prune roses – what you need

To avoid making a common rose pruning mistake, make sure you have the right tools for the job – starting with a good pair of secateurs. 

‘It may sound obvious, but the most important thing when pruning roses is that your secateurs are sharp, so they won’t tear or harm the plant,’ says Period Living’s gardening expert Leigh Clapp.

You can sharpen your secateurs at home using a sharpening stone or diamond sharpener, although some tool manufacturers offer a cleaning and sharpening service.

While secateurs are suitable for pruning most green rose stems, for thicker, mature branches and dead wood you will require loppers or a hand saw.

Rose thorns can harbor harmful bacteria, so if you do cut yourself, clean the wound with an antibacterial spray.

How to prune rose bushes

Bear in mind that roses take a couple of years to establish, and young plants need a lighter trim. ‘Don’t prune shrub roses too hard until they have established over the first couple of years, to help the stems mature and support the large blooms,' says Leigh Clapp. It's also important to know when to prune roses.

‘For correct pruning, check which rose group they are as this will differ. The principles are the same, however: remove dead, diseased and dying wood first, then open up the centre of the bush this will help with airflow to reduce potential issues with black spot,’ explains Jon Webster, curator at RHS Garden Rosemoor, home to one of the UK’s largest collections of roses. 

1. Prune mature rose bushes down to half their size – or if a young rose, remove up to a third. It is helpful to insert a cane into the ground next to the rose at the new desired height, to act as a gage.
2. Use your secateurs to cut the stems. ‘Don’t worry about cutting back too much on established plants – and don’t worry about where you cut the stem,' advises Austin. However, to help the new shoots to grow outwards and maintain a more open center, gardening expert Matt James recommends you ‘make a gentle sloping cut, just above a healthy outward-facing bud.’
3. Remove any dead or diseased stems right at their base – dead stems will be completely brown without signs of green. You may require a hand saw for very hard dead wood.
4. Remove thin, weak stems that easily bend, as these will not be able to support new growth.
5. Where parts of the plant are congested, remove a stem or two, to allow in more air and light. Also, where two stems rub together, select one for removal.
6. Strip all foliage from the plant – you don’t want any leaves left. However, do not compost them, as this can spread disease.
7. ‘Shaping is essential – try to create a rounded shrub,’ says Austin. This will mean cutting the sides a little shorter than the middle stems.
8. ‘Don’t be alarmed if your rose looks significantly smaller! The growth will strengthen and re-establish quickly in the spring,’ Austin adds.
9. Finally, clear up fallen leaves that may harbor diseases, apply rose feed according to packet instructions, and mulch the plants. ‘Mulching with a good layer of well-rotted manure retains moisture, limits weeds and suppresses diseases such as black spot,’ says Clapp.
10. Once roses have flowered in the summer, remove the spent blooms. ‘Deadheading roses regularly will encourage more flowering shoots for repeat-flowering roses,’ says Clapp. ‘A mid-summer tidy up will help to reinvigorate tired roses.’

How to prune tree or standard roses

Tree – or standard – roses, which are grafted on top of a long central stem, should be pruned in the same way as rose bushes. However, closer attention should be paid to creating a nicely rounded shape. 

When pruning a rose tree, you want to minimize stems that are growing very upright, favoring those with well-positioned outward-facing buds. Try to ensure you have a good balance of stems growing in each direction.

With tree roses, you also need to pay close attention to ‘suckers’, which are stems growing from the base of the trunk, from the root stock, that take energy from the main rose. Remove these as they appear.

After the first flush of blooms, tidy up the shape by giving the tree a light trim. This will also encourage a second flowering.

Pruning neglected roses

If you have inherited a rose that is overgrown or covered with a lot of dead wood, you can rejuvenate it by giving it a hard prune at the end of winter, just as spring is about to emerge. This advice will work for whatever type of rose it is.

1. Cut back the stems to make the plant around 12 inches tall.
2. Remove any diseased, damaged or dead wood. You will likely need a hand saw to remove dead stems at the base, as they can be very hard.
3. Where stems are crossed and rubbing together, choose one to remove.
4. Remove any spindly, weak stems.
5. If the plant is congested, remove a stem or two to allow in more air and light.
6. Remove all foliage from the plant, and clear any leaves from the ground, to minimize the risk of disease.
7. You must feed the rose to help it rejuvenate. Use a specific rose food and follow the packet instructions.
8. Finish by applying a thick layer of mulch around the rose.

How much should you cut back roses?

You can cut roses back quite hard, and they can be pruned back to around 12 inches tall if necessary, but it will depend on the size and shape of the plant you want, but you can be bold when pruning as they will often come back bigger and stronger with time. 

The general aim with pruning is to reduce the size of bush roses by around a third, give groundcover roses a light trim and cut back climbing roses after flowering to suit the structure they’re covering. 

David Austin Roses are designed to be very forgiving if you are new to pruning and they need to be cut to generally about half their size, creating a rounded shape. Wild roses, such as the rugosas, need no annual pruning, just cut away the dead branches from the underside of the shrub every few years.

How do you cut roses so they will bloom again?

To cut roses to they will bloom again, remove the dead flower heads to encourage new growth. It is easy to learn how to deadhead roses, and roses can be encouraged to bloom for many months using this method. 

Deadhead any spent blooms unless you also want the rose hips, as setting seed saps energy for flower production. 

Diseased material should also be removed to encourage healthy plants that can support lots of blooms. 

Do you cut off dead roses?

You should cut off – or deadhead – roses once the blooms are faded as this will encourage the growth of new flowers.

‘If, however, you have roses, such as rugosas, with lovely hips for autumn, leave the finished blooms on the bush,’ says Clapp.

The garden surrounding this Georgian country home creates the perfect setting for the property's elegant architecture, exquisite symmetry and classic features.

For the last quarter of a century the garden has been under the care of its owners, Faith and Anthony Hallett, who have sensitively made their mark on this peaceful setting. 

Boasting many traditional English garden ideas, the acre-sized plot is full of delights, from the babbling stream that runs across its length, the shade cast by the majestic weeping beech tree, the sunshine soaked stone terrace, or long borders and island beds brimming with blooms.

While much is in place to provide this lovely garden with a strong structure, it is the use of plants that really draws the eye in early summer, particularly the large collection of roses in the many rose garden ideas

Always colorful and more often than not fragrant roses reign supreme, filling borders and scrambling over arches and arbours.

Anthony has selected several of the modern, more disease-resistant rose cultivars over the years, including Charlotte, Graham Thomas, Buff Beauty, The Pilgrim and Molineaux. 

‘We have masses of roses; I have got a bit of a fetish for them,’ he jokes. ‘It’s wonderful to be among them in summer, when the air is filled with their perfume.’

There is a degree of formality to the garden, as befitting the character of the house it surrounds, albeit applied with a light, almost laid-back touch. 

This is particularly noticeable in the planting and flower bed ideas either side of the long, straight gravel garden path that leads to what was once the main entrance. Pairs of acers and clipped yews flanking an ornate metal gate provide a strong anchor to parallel beds filled with shrubs, roses and perennials that spill into the walkway. 

The strong lines of the house itself are somewhat softened by several flowering climbers, among them wisteria and more roses, including the pink-bloomed ‘Penny Lane’ by the front door. The white lacy flowers of Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris caress a north-facing wall.

Many of the borders have relaxed, cottage garden planting, with perennials such as nepeta and monkshood underpinning roses. 

A lot of the flowers are planted to ensure there’s plenty to look forward to throughout the seasons, such as the flame-coloured Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ that joins the red leaves of heucheras in creating a hot border later in the summer.

Looking after the garden is a year-round task, particularly when it comes to early summer when they have to deadhead roses to ensure a long flowering season. 

The Halletts are also mindful of the need to keep on top of prolific self-seeders, such as the giant cowslip, which is capable of coloniszing large areas if left to its own devices. 

The 30 metre-long stream, which once powered flour, paper and silk mills, is now softened with plants that enjoy damp conditions. These include hosta, giant cowslip Primula florindae, umbrella plant Darmera peltata, and Arum lily Zantedeschia aethiopica, which work well as marginal plants around many water features.

Water features were an important element of Georgian garden design, so this is befitting the heritage of the house.

‘The stream is absolutely magic,’ says Faith. ‘It runs along the whole length of the garden and the marginal plants by the water come up every year and give us a wonderful display during the summer.’ 

More recent additions to the garden have been chosen with a nod to quality and longevity. These include the box-edged rectangular vegetable beds lying behind the house – a vegetable garden idea that combines practicality with good looks.

‘We’ve planted a lot of trees over the years, including several Italian cypress and acers to join the ones that were already here. This year we’ve added nine more fruit trees and two Siberian prunus with flaking bark. They say gardens constantly evolve and this is certainly the case here,’ says Anthony

The Italian cypress trees, Cupressus sempervirens, were grown from cuttings by Anthony 20 years ago, and they also added a sparkling flamingo willow, Salix integra ‘Hakuro-nishiki’, with its pretty pink, creamy white and cream leaves.

Faith and Anthony enjoy looking after the garden, and are careful to ensure it stays in good shape.

‘It’s almost like we have it in trust for the next people,’ explains Faith. ‘We are nurturing it and developing what’s there so that we can one day pass it on.’

Fragrant roses are well known for their captivating scents, and one of the greatest pleasures of gardening has to include strolling between these beautiful, blousy blooms, breathing in the delicious perfumes. 

Scent adds another dimension to your garden and is an increasingly sought after quality in roses, so is one of the elements to consider when planning your rose garden ideas.

Fragrant climbing roses can scramble over an arbour or pergola; potted roses placed on a patio next to a seating area, and shrub or tree roses planted near a window or next to a path to perfume the air.

Fragrant roses to plant

As well as their gorgeous range of flowers forms, ‘roses are enormously variable in fragrance, so it’s good to try and include all different types of fragrant roses in your garden,’ advises world leading rosarian Michael Marriott.

When you are considering how to plant roses, a key decision is the position of your sweet smelling choices.

‘Plant fragrant roses where you can best enjoy their scent, such as beside a path, next to a seating area, and at nose level,’ says garden designer Jo Thompson.

1. Fragrant rose 'Desdemona'

Rosa 'Desdemona' has a terrific Old Rose fragrance, described as having hints of almond blossom, cucumber and lemon zest. 

The bushy shrub rose has beautiful pale, pink-hued blooms and is a favorite of garden designer Richard Miers.

'Fragrance is always something I look for when choosing roses for my clients,' Richard says.

To enjoy more of the fragrant rose blooms around your front or back yard in the most cost-effective ways, learn how to take rose cuttings and nurture young rose plants.

2. Rosa ‘Zéphirine Drouhin’

'Dark pink flowered Rosa ‘Zephirine Drouhin’ Is one of the best climbing roses. It is free flowering and thornless, with an extremely strong fruity fragrance with hints of raspberry,’ says garden designer David Stevens.

'Most people want any plant to provide interest over as long a period as possible and fragrant roses such as climbers, floribundas and Hybrid Teas can flower from as early as May, right the way through to Christmas, albeit with less flower towards the end,' adds David.

Climbing roses usually repeat flower throughout the season, and it is important to know how to prune climbing roses to get a profusion of the best flowers, year after year.

Climbing fragrant roses can be trained to scramble up and over arbours or pergola ideas to surround you with the fragrance on all levels.

3. Rosa ‘Margaret Merril’

Rosa ‘Margaret Merril’ is a quintessential floribunda with an award-winning, sweet, citrus perfume. It is a favorite of Rosebie Morton of scented flower bouquet supplier The Real Flower Company,  who described it as being 'my raison d’etre behind my career'.

This upright shrub rose with clusters of flowers is an ideal choice for borders, especially placed close to a pathway as a shrub for the front of the house to welcome visitors with its sweet fragrance.

Rosebie is passionate about restoring the growing of exquisitely fragrant roses and flowers, just as nature intended, and uses sustainable garden ideas, which in turn help to improve and enhance the natural scent of the blooms.

4. Rosa ‘New Dawn’

A climbing rose with a sweet, fruity scent and glossy foliage, fragrant rose ‘New Dawn’ produces lots of medium sized, soft pink blooms.

‘I plant this for height, fragrance and its long flowering period,’ says designer Jo Thompson.

She recommends designing a rose garden so that you are enveloped by the blooms around and overhead.

5. Rosa ‘Munstead Wood’

'Rosa ‘Munstead Wood’ bears sumptuous, very deep crimson velvety petals,’ says David Marriott. 

It has an Old Rose fragrance with notes of blackberry, blueberry and damson. It is perfect for growing at the front of a border where its perfume can be better appreciated, or in more of a formal rose bed.

6. Rosa ‘Lady of Shalott’

With a pleasant, warm tea fragrance, with hints of spiced apple and cloves, 'Rosa ‘Lady of Shalott’ was bred by David Austin. 

'The shrub rose has lovely deep orange blooms flushed with yellowy-pink that repeat-flower. It is a hardy and reliable fragrant rose, so is a great choice for beginners,' explains gardening writer and photographer Leigh Clapp.

As with all roses, know when to plant roses, and where to plant them, to ensure they have the right growing conditions to deliver the best results.

7. Rosa ‘Rambling Rector’ 

'For a vigorous rambling rose, you will find white Rosa Rambling Rector, with its powerful, musky scent, hard to beat,’ says David Stevens. 

'As opposed to repeat flowering climbers, fragrant rambling roses tend to produce a spectacular but single flowering time,' he adds.

However 'there are some modern rambling roses that work beautifully in a naturalistic planting design, and will repeat flower through the summer months and into fall,' advises garden designer Colm Joseph.

8. Rosa 'Evelyn'

Beautiful David Austin shrub rose ‘Evelyn’ has shallow cupped flowers flushed soft apricot and pink with a rich, fruity scent. It is a recommended variety to grow in Zone 7 by US rose consultant Paul Zimmerman. 

'Rest assured this one is very fragrant,' he explains.

As with mixing plants generally, 'be careful with mixing roses. They should be chosen in relation to the space they occupy, and the surroundings,' explains David Stevens. 

There will be some varieties of fragrant roses that do better in different climates, so check the ones recommended for the zone in which you live, or the position they will have in your yard. 

9. Rosa ‘Bella Rosa'

Rosa 'Bella Rosa' is a patio rose with multi-toned lemon petals suffused with pink edges and a delightful fragrance, ideal for a compact design,’ says David Stevens 

As a patio idea, smaller shrub roses are ideal for planting in containers around a seating area where their beautiful scent can be enjoyed to the full.

Choose hardy varieties such as this one that will require less maintenance.

10. Rosa ‘Paul’s Himalayan musk’

Fragrant rose 'Paul’s Himalayan musk' has beautiful, little, rosette-shaped flowers that are a lovely pale pink colour and have a wonderfully strong, musky fragrance. 

'Although it is only once flowering, its blooms are borne in great abundance, making a magnificent display. An exceptionally tall, vigorous climber, it produces many long, slim, flexible branches which trail gracefully, hanging down elegantly from their support,' explains Leigh Clapp, so is a great choice as a flowering climber.

Which roses are most fragrant?

Old garden roses, also known as antique and historic roses, which mostly flower once, tend to be the most richly fragrant roses. The classic perfume is found in gallica roses and their hybrids, such as damasks, while clove scents are found in musk roses.

Modern roses are repeat-flowering, with diversity of form, color and fragrance, with some being more scented than others. These include hybrid teas, floribundas, climbers, miniature and David Austin English roses. 

Versatile shrub and tree roses can take the combined characteristics of the old and modern, so can be very fragrant.

Wild roses are considered the wildflower type of rose. Wild Roses, or 'species roses,' typically have a single bloom and can have a wonderful scent, as nature intended, to attract pollinators and wildlife.

'While repeat-flowering roses will probably be the basis of your rose garden, include ones that flower only once as they are often the most showy, tend to be healthier and many are beautifully scented,' advises Leigh Clapp.

Which color roses are the most fragrant?

While darker colored fragrant roses tend to have a more powerful fragrance than lighter colored varieties, each rose and color will have its own unique scent that will appeal for different reasons. 

Red and pink roses can have a more classic old rose smell,  while paler yellow and white roses tend to boast a lighter, more citrus perfume, or orange roses a fruitier scent.

Just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, 'people react to fragrance differently and while the perfume of one rose might be attractive to some, it might not be to others, particularly if it's very heavily scented,' advises David Stevens.

He recommends to visit to an established rose garden to see and smell different varieties. Or bury your nose in fragrant rose plants at nurseries and garden centers before buying to see if you like the specific scent.

Knowing when to plant roses can bring their beauty, soul, scent, and color to the backyard for longer each year. The best ones flower for months, blooming throughout summer and into fall. 

They can bring so much to the yard: single-flowered varieties provide for pollinators, such as bees; fruiting hybrids produce vivid scarlet hips for birds; and the romantic double cultivars are coated with buxom, chalice-shaped blooms for months. 

Combine knowhow about how to plant roses with this guide to the optimum time to plant roses and they’ll establish quickly, producing healthy, glossy foliage and masses of beautiful flowers that flood the garden with sublime scent. 

When to plant roses

Roses are sold in two forms: bare root (without soil) and containerized (in a pot), and when to plant roses depends on which you opt for. 

Bare root roses should be planted between November and March, while containerized roses can go into the ground at any time of year. If possible, opt to plant roses in bare root form in winter or early spring to give your new roses the best possible start. 

When to plant bare root roses

Bare root roses are on sale between November and March, and that is when to plant roses in this form in order to achieve your rose garden ideas. Specialist rose suppliers offer them for sale direct or via mail order. 

Plant as soon as possible after purchasing your bare root rose, on a day when the ground is not frozen. It’s important to soak the rose’s roots in a bucket of water for at least an hour before planting. 

When to plant potted roses

Containerized roses can be planted at any time of year. Specialist rose suppliers offer them for sale direct or via mail order. Although when to plant roses in containers is flexible, like any plant, it’s better to plant them during their dormant season, rather than when they are beginning their season of growth or flowering. This allows their root system to establish, in turn giving them more flower power, as well as resistance to pests and disease. For roses, this means planting during late fall, winter, or early spring. 

By mid-spring, roses have begun their new season of growth, and, during summer, they will be in glorious full flower. However, if you really want to plant in spring or summer, the rose will be fine in the long run. It may not flower as much in its first year, but, in subsequent summers, it will perform at its best. The key thing is to avoid April and wait until May to plant. 

‘Containerized roses bought in April have often only been potted fairly recently and will have a limited root system,’ says leading rose expert and international rose-garden designer Michael Marriott, who worked at David Austin Roses for 35 years. ‘The roots aren’t developed enough to hold the compost together and so when the pot is taken off the compost drops away breaking the fragile roots and setting the rose back. Best to wait until May to plant when the roots will have grown more.’ 

Is it better to plant bare root or potted roses?

Planting bare root is the optimum way to plant plant climbing roses and other types because – as well as being cheaper – bare root plants establish a robust root system much faster, and planting during winter or early spring allows the rose to settle and grow strong before it begins its surge of growth in April. Bare root roses also require less watering. Whichever you opt for, deadheading roses will be crucial to keep them looking their best for the longest possible period.

Is it better to plant late-flowering roses in spring?

Amongst the main bulk of roses, which flower in summer, there aren’t any that bloom particularly later than others. ‘In practice there's not much difference between most varieties for when they start flowering, so I wouldn't worry about that,’ advises Michael Marriott

If you must plant outside of the optimum rose-planting period (November to March), it doesn’t matter which summer-flowering rose you choose. The only thing to avoid, if possible, is planting one of the few roses that flower in spring (such as R. banksiae ‘Lutea’). In April, these spring bloomers will be coated in buds and in May they are laden with flowers, so opt for a regular summer-flowering variety, if you must plant in late spring. 

Learning how to prune climbing roses is vital if you want these glorious plants to stay healthy and reach their full flowering potential.

With their flouncy blooms and heavenly fragrance, climbing roses are some of the most evocative, romantic plants, and should be the star of your rose garden ideas.

Knowing how to prune roses correctly is a crucial aspect of caring for them. But climbing roses need to be treated a little differently to shrub roses, in order to encourage them to grow to the desired height and spread.

‘It is important to prune climbing roses to keep the rose plant in an overall good condition by encouraging strong vigor, form, and flower production,’ says Kristen Smith, new plants coordinator and rose product manager at Star Roses and Plants.

Knowing how to deadhead roses will also encourage more flowering shoots.

Bear in mind that if you are planting climbing roses, they will require a light touch in the first couple of years, until they establish and grow strong roots.

Pruning rambling roses also requires a slightly different approach. So make sure you understand your rose type before reaching for the pruners.

How to prune climbing roses – expert guide

Despite their delicate appearance, climbing roses are hardy plants, so you should prune with confidence. 

Even if you cut them back hard, they should recover – and indeed this is necessary to renovate a climbing rose. 

But if you want to train a climbing rose into a beautiful shape and maximize blooms, then follow the correct procedure.

When to prune climbing roses

You should prune climbing roses at the same time as your shrub roses.

‘It is best to prune climbing roses in late winter or early spring, just before or as the leaf buds are beginning to swell and start growing,’ says Smith.

Knowing when to prune roses is important, as if you do it too early in the winter, you could expose the plant to frost damage.

‘It can also be more difficult to identify the less healthy stems that you will want to prune out,’ says Richard Austin from world-renowned rose grower David Austin. 

Leaving it too late to prune your roses means you’ll sacrifice a lot of fresh growth. ‘However, if you still haven’t pruned by March it is still better to do so,’ says Austin.

What you need

Pruning climbing roses is a hands-on job – especially when the plants have grown to a mature size. 

Firstly, you need to protect yourself. Thorns can cause painful cuts and carry dangerous bacteria, so as when planting roses, you will need good-quality gardening gloves. Leather gauntlets are ideal, as they will also cover your lower arms. Wear heavy-duty clothing, such as denim, to minimize tears and scratches.

If you do cut yourself, immediately clean the wound with an antibacterial spray.

Next, make sure you have a good pair of pruners. These need to be sharp – either sharpen them at home using a sharpening stone or diamond sharpener, or find out if the manufacturer offers a sharpening service.

You will need to clean your tools after each rose you prune, to avoid transferring disease.

Bear in mind pruners will only cut through green rose stems; for thicker branches and deadwood, use loppers or a hand saw.

1. Identify the main stems

To prune a climbing rose, you need to first identify the best main stems. But do not cut these, as they give the plant its height, allowing it to climb.

‘Once the rose has developed sturdy main canes, select the best 4-6 and prune out any other competing canes that cross over one another, are small and spindly, or are growing in the opposite direction of how you want to train the rose,’ says Smith.

‘You should prune out any dead, diseased, or broken canes from the winter.’

It is best to remove weak, thin stems, as they will be unable to hold the weight of the flowers in the summer.

Once the rose is three or four years old, remove old stems – one per year – towards the bottom of the rose. This will encourage fresh growth lower down.

‘When the main canes become very old, thick, and woody, it is best to remove them and start training younger and more pliable new main canes,’ adds Smith. ‘Older canes that are being removed should be pruned out as close to the base as possible.’ 

2. Prune the side shoots

Each main stem will have numerous side shoots – or lateral branches – and it is these that will be the main focus of your pruning.

‘Prune the side stems back to the main stem, leaving around 2 to 3 inches,’ says Austin. You are looking to leave 2 or 3 nodes – or bud eyes – on each stem.

Smith also recommends pruning out any of the lateral branches that are growing down or outwards.

Remove any foliage as you prune but do not compost the leaves, to avoid the spread of disease.

3. How to train climbing roses

‘Train your climbing rose by tying up the canes to fan out to at least a 45 degree angle, or to almost completely horizontal,’ says Smith. ‘The lateral branches that develop off of these canes are where most of the flower production will be coming from.'

There are some fabulous trellis ideas to help you train your rose. Alternatively you can fix discreet wires against a wall or fence, or grow your climbing rose over an archway or other garden structure – they make beautiful pergola ideas. Use soft ties that won't scar the stems.

Knowing how to prune climbing roses and train them up a wall or over a structure is a visual exercise. Rather than just cutting all the shoots to a prescribed length, look at the area you are trying to cover, and consider how to get the best shape from your climbing rose.

‘Have a good look at your rose and visualize what you want it to do,’ says Tony Hall, author of The Kew Gardener’s Guide to Growing Roses. 

‘Does it need training in a certain direction, or more than one direction, to establish and build your framework? If so, tie the stems in the appropriate positions.

‘If the stems are too long, shorten the ends or, if soft and pliable enough, tie them back into the required position if space allows.’

4. Feed and mulch your rose

After pruning your climbing rose, feed it with a specialist rose product. Climbing roses often need a larger dose of feed than shrub roses, so check the packet instructions. 

Mix the rose feed into the soil surrounding your rose, but avoid the product coming into contact with the main stems.

Finish by mulching your roses with compost or well-rotted manure, which will add further nutrients, suppress weeds and disease, and help keep in moisture. Apply it around 2-3 inches thick, covering the area beneath the main rose canopy.

Before mulching, remove any weeds and dead plant matter.

How do you prune a new climbing rose?

When pruning new climbing roses, do so lightly, otherwise you risk impeding growth.

‘It is best to leave a climbing rose unpruned for the first two to three years after planting to allow the plant to develop strong main canes,’ says Smith. ‘During the first few years only prune out dead, diseased, or broken canes.’

You should also keep on top of deadheading to encourage flower production.

If you feel your climbing rose does need to be pruned in its early years, leave the main stems intact, but cut back the side shoots by up to one third – overly long side shoots can be shortened to the same length as the others. 

Remove foliage, so that disease doesn’t lie dormant.

Pruning rambling roses

Rambling roses are vigorous climbing roses that are useful for covering large surface expanses. Most varieties are single flowering – although there are exceptions – while most other climbing roses are repeat flowering, offering a spectacular show all summer.

It is very important to keep on top of pruning rambling roses, as they can quickly grow out of control, producing a mass of tangled branches with few flowers.

Unlike other roses, rambling roses need to be pruned just after flowering, as they will then produce new wood for next year’s blooms. Rambling roses will not flower on the current year’s growth.

‘In summer prune rambling roses after flowering – unless they are repeat-flowering varieties,’ says gardening expert Matt James. 

‘Cut side shoots that have flowered back to two buds from the main stems. Tie in two to three strong shoots and remove the same number of old ones at ground level.’

You can train and feed rambling roses in the same way as climbing roses.

How to train a climbing rose over an arch

When pruning climbing roses over an arch or other garden structure, you will need to train them in the right shape.

As when pruning all climbing roses, remove any diseased, damaged or dead branches, and identify the main stems you want to focus on training.

As these main stems grow, you should gently twist and weave the shoots around the archway, to encourage them to grow in this shape. 

Remove stubborn stems that won’t grow in the right direction at the base.

How to prune climbing roses for winter

There is no need to prune climbing roses for winter, as this can leave the plants more vulnerable to frost.

The exception to this is where storm damage has broken branches, and necessitates cutting them back.

Otherwise, wait until late winter to prune your climbing roses.

How to prune climbing roses in summer

Climbing roses don’t need pruning in the summer, although you can tidy them up with a light trim if they look messy and overgrown. If you time this just right, you may find it encourages one last flush of flowers.

Rambling roses are the exception and do need to be pruned in the summer, just after flowering. Doing this will ensure they develop new wood to carry next year’s flowers.

Do you cut back climbing roses each year?

Established climbing roses need to be pruned every year, but won’t benefit from being cut back hard unless there are issues with the plant and it requires renovating.

Your aim is for the main stems to grow tall and cover the intended surface or structure, and cutting them back will impede this.

However, you can cut back the side shoots each year to encourage maximum blooms.

If you love climbing roses, squeeze more of them into the garden by growing climbing varieties. Plant them now, and come summer, they will clad walls, archways, and pergolas with curtains of flowers that fill the air with scent. 

There is a wide variety of climbing roses to plant – here, we take you through which climbing roses to plant, where to plant them and how. Although the methods below don't differ too much from planting roses that aren't climbers, we do have expert advice about climbing varieties to impart.

Which climbing roses to plant?

If you are looking for rose garden ideas, take the time to choose the climbing rose that ticks all your boxes. The color of their blooms varies, of course, but so does the hue of their foliage, their height, health, flower shape, and their scent (some don’t smell at all). 

Many flower once in summer, while others bloom non-stop until the frosts. Some have single or semi-double flowers that give bees access to nectar; a few are thornless, making them ideal for archways; and a select handful will bloom on a north-facing wall.  

If you want a compact climber, Lady of Shalott is a great choice, says leading rose expert and international rose-garden designer Michael Marriott, who worked at David Austin Roses for 35 years: ‘It is a wonderful variety that can be grown as a short 10ft (3m) climber for a fence or wall. It is incredibly free flowering, from June until late in the year. The blooms are a beautiful shade of rich apricot orange and the fragrance has hints of spiced apple and cloves.’ 

Where a more vigorous climber is sought, London-based garden designer Claire Mee opts for ‘Madame Alfred Carrière’: ‘She’s a favorite – a repeat flowerer with creamy pink-white flowers, thornless (so good for those with young children), tolerates a shady north-facing spot, beautiful to look at, and smells glorious.’

Other great choices include ‘New Dawn’ (pale-pink), ‘Sombreuil’ (cream), and ‘Climbing Étoile de Hollande’ (crimson-red) are all excellent scented climbers that reach around 15ft (4.5m). Shorter options that manage 10ft (3m) or less include Climbing Gertrude Jekyll and Strawberry Hill – two beautifully fragrant pink cultivars. 

If you prefer the more informal habit and flowers of rambling roses, Trevor White's ‘Francis E. Lester’ is a fantastic choice. Having a profusion of pink and white single blooms that scent the air and feed bees, followed by orange autumn hips, it is hard to beat. 

These climbing roses are some of the best climbing plants you can put into your backyard – and are from the world-famous David Austin nurseries.

When to plant climbing roses

For the best in English garden ideas, containerized climbing roses can be planted at any time of year, but for the healthiest plants, opt to buy ‘bare root’ between November and March. Bare root climbing roses are cheaper and create a more robust root system. They are sold without soil, direct from specialist rose nurseries or by mail order, during winter. Plant them on a day when the ground isn’t frozen or waterlogged.   

Where to plant climbing roses

‘Place climbing roses in places where you spend a lot of time or pass by frequently,’ advises Ohio-based garden designer Ethan McGory. ‘This allows you to appreciate the scent and color, as well as changes through the year. The rose hips and stems can be beautiful in winter. A porch or patio is ideal.’

Amongst the best climbing plants with flowers, climbing roses like rich, well-drained, moist neutral to alkaline soil in full sun. To prevent disease, it’s best to choose a site that hasn’t recently had roses growing in it. 

‘Climbing roses are great for cladding structures,’ says Massachusetts-based garden designer Maria von Brincken. ‘Pergolas, bowers, and large trellis create the walls of outdoor rooms. Vertical flowering roses in an intimate space created by such structures are superb.’

For something a bit different and to create a charming focal point in the garden, London-based garden designer Claire Mee loves sending roses through trees. ‘It’s an interesting way to include a rose in a garden,’ she says. ‘For example, Rosa banksiae ‘Lutea' will happily grow through an existing tree.’ Make sure that tree is the right size to accommodate the rose you select, so that the tree isn’t damaged. 

How to plant climbing roses

Use these steps to plant climbing roses successfully.

1. Prepare climbing roses for planting

Soak the roots of your bare root rose in water for an hour. 

Prepare a hole that’s wider and deeper than the rose’s roots; loosen the ground beneath very well with a fork, and dig in well-rotted manure or organic compost. 

2. Feed the climbing rose's roots

Sprinkle mycorrhizal fungi onto the roots while holding the rose over the hole. This will stimulate root growth, creating a more robust plant. 

3. Check the soil level

The graft (the bulbous join between the roots and the stems) should be 2in (5cm) below the surface.

Now backfill with soil. Then – to prevent air pockets – gently press down the soil with your foot. Finally, water in. 

How to care for climbing roses

Feed after pruning with rose fertilizer and give a liquid tomato feed fortnightly in summer at half the recommended dose. 

Mulch annually in March, by placing a layer of well-rotted manure or organic compost around the plant. 

Use companion planting: growing climbing roses with perennials, rather than cultivating them en masse with nothing but other roses, helps to reduce disease. Salvias (such as ‘Cerro Potosí’) are especially good as their sulphur content is thought to prevent rose sickness. 

Deadhead repeat-flowering climbing roses to stimulate more blooms. But don’t behead once-flowering roses that produce autumn hips. 

Prune climbing roses in January or February, and prune rambling roses in autumn, after their show of hips has finished. Stay safe by using sturdy ladders and shoes with good grip, and never prune climbers when you are tired. 

For a safer, easier way to prune – especially for gardeners who aren’t steady on their feet – grow a climbing rose close to the ground, suggests Maryland-based landscape architect and designer Kirsten Coffen. ‘My favorite way to integrate a climbing rose into a garden is to plant and train a climbing rose along a cottage-garden style fence. It’s a beautiful way to create a long horizontal accent that will provide structure and a back drop to other lower blooming perennials in front of the fence. Since roses require frequent pruning and deadheading, those tasks are easier to perform when all parts of the plant are growing within reach, so you don’t need a ladder.’

Expert gardener Monty Don may have already shared his rose pruning advice last month, but he has returned with more – and if you have rambling roses, then his timely tips are especially for you. 

While it remains important to maintain the deadheading process for some roses, others, including rambling roses, have now finished everything they will do this summer, and will no longer flower.

So, if you have rambling roses, then Monty’s latest garden ideas will explain how to preserve future potential, but he urges you to act this month in his latest blog. 

Monty's top tip for creating more flowers from rambling roses

Monty's exact instructions for ramblers depend on how you want them to grow, whether that's loosely or in a tight, well-trained shape. However, before sharing his rose garden ideas, Monty reveals how to categorize a rambling rose if you're unsure. 

‘Ramblers tend to be much more vigorous and always have a mass of small flowers that never repeat once they have finished, Monty explains. He then continues, sharing his timely expertise. 

‘Many ramblers are best grown into a tree, and these can be left unpruned apart from straggly, unkempt growth. However, if space is limited or you are training the rose in any way [then] this year’s new shoots should be tied in or cut back according to the circumstance.

'Remove any damaged or very old shoots, cutting them right back to the ground,’ he instructs – this of course is more dramatic than simply deadheading roses.

If you decide to train your rambling roses around a vertical support, then Monty has tips for that too. He recommends winding the stems in a spiral to promote an abundance of growth in the future. ‘The more horizontal the stems can be trained, the more flowers will be produced next year,’ he says. 

To conclude the process, Monty recommends tying any loose growth before applying mulch which prevents weeds and locks moisture – thus promoting beautiful blooms long into 2022. 

The future is already looking bright, but with Monty’s tips, it’s going to involve a host of sumptuously smelling petals too.

Taking rose cuttings is an easy way to create new plants from your favorite roses, and is completely free. In our opinion, you can never have too many roses; the stalwart of a country garden, they bring fragrance and color from June all the way through to December and, with so many types available, there's a variety for nearly every situation. 

Planting roses and growing roses from cuttings have the advantage of being free from suckers, however they can grow with less vigor. 

Our step-by-step instructions on how to grow roses from cuttings.

How to take rose cuttings

Rose cuttings can be taken at any time of the year, but it will depend on what type of cutting you take. There are two ways to take rose cuttings – as hardwood cuttings or as softwood cuttings. 

Hardwood cuttings are taken from mature growth, albeit from that current year, during fall and winter when the rose is dormant. Softwood, stem-tip cuttings are taken in late spring and early summer from new-season growth. 

Which method is better is very much up for debate, as various sources recommended different methods. Softwood cuttings are far quicker to root, taking only a couple of months, whereas hardwood cuttings are far slower to root but are generally viewed as more reliable. 

How to take hardwood rose cuttings

1. In early fall, after flowering, select healthy shoots of about pencil thickness. Remove the flower and cut off a length around 12in. 

2. To prepare the cutting remove the leaves and cut the shoot down to around 8in. At the top cut at an angle, just above an outward facing bud, and at the bottom make a straight just below a bud. The bud is the point at which a leaf attached to the stem. Place these in a polythene bag to ensure they don’t dry out.

3. Prepare a bed for your cuttings. Choose an open site, but one that is shaded from the midday sun. To plant the cuttings, make a narrow, slit-like trench and dribble in sand to improve the drainage. Alternatively create individual holes 6in apart using a dibber or piece of bamboo cane and sprinkle sand in each.

4. Place the cuttings vertically into the trench so that a third of the shoot is above the soil. Cuttings will need to be placed at least 6in apart. Infill with soil, firm and water.

5. In a year’s time, the cuttings should have developed a root system and can then be carefully lifted using a fork and planted in their final position. 

How to take softwood rose cuttings

1. These should be cut in late spring and summer from new growth. They should be cut in the same way as a hardwood cutting – above a bud at the top and below a bud at the bottom, however they can be shorter, around 7in. 

2. Remove all leaves apart from the top leaflets, stripped down to two leaves. 

3. Before planting the cuttings, you can at this stage dip the bottoms of the cuttings in rooting hormone, available as a powder or liquid, to stimulate growth.

4. Plant the cuttings into a pot filled with an equal mixture of compost and sand. Create holes with a dibber will help protect the cutting.

5. Water well and cover with the pots a plastic bag secured with a rubber band. 

6. By autumn a good root system should have developed, the plants can then be potted on into more nourishing compost and, by the following fall, they should be ready to plant into their final position. 

How to root a rose cutting

To root a rose cutting you need to take either softwood cuttings in late spring or summer or hardwood cuttings in early fall to late winter. 

If taking hardwood cuttings, plant these into a narrow trench in a prepared bed. Sprinkle in sand before planting to improve drainage and then infill and water. 

Softwood cuttings can be done in the same way, but can be smaller and planted into pots filled with an equal mixture of compost and sand and then covered with a plastic bag. 

Softwood cuttings should root within a few months, while hardwood cuttings will take longer, however after a year both should have developed a good root system and the plants can then be planted into their final position.

Gardener’s World expert gardener Monty Don reveals a key tip to growing roses from cuttings: ‘One tip to improve rooting is to damage the leaf nodes – you can either nick them with secateurs; you can bruise them… and that will provoke roots from that point, so if they’re buried I’ll get roots all the way up and hopefully a healthier plant.’

You can also try rooting rose cuttings in water to propagate them.

FAQs

Landscaping with roses is made easier if you can take rose cuttings to grow from; it will also allow you to ensure that your favorite blooms are repeated across your garden.