Plan Ahead For a Romantic Rose-filled Summer Garden
Winter might not feel like the obvious time to think about planting roses but now is a perfect time to buy the bare-root, ready to burst into life as soon as spring arrives. Cottage gardens are forever fashionable, and roses are at the heart of their dreamy, romantic appeal.
There are excellent modern roses that combine beauty with resilience. Intense pink ‘Gertrude Jekyll’ is a favourite for its scent and vigour, while ‘Desdemona’ is a superb creamy white rose with a wonderful fragrance. ‘Olivia’ is soft pink, ‘Vanessa Bell’ gentle yellow, and ‘Boscobel’ a peachy-pink delight. For a bit more colour still, ‘Lady of Shallot’ is a beautify burnt orange. For larger gardens, ‘Penelope’ makes a generous shrub.
Climbing roses such as pale pink ‘Blush Noisette’ or the scented ‘The Generous Gardener’ add height and drama, smothering walls, arches, or pergolas, often alongside soft purple wisteria for a timeless look. Peachy pink compact rambling rose ‘Open Arms’ is lovely for a smaller garden. Add a bit more magic by climbing a clematis such as ‘Etoile Violette’ through the roses. While low-growing Rosa ‘Carpet’, available in amber, bright pink and white, makes a low-maintenance groundcover.
Species roses like Rosa glauca with its grey/purple foliage and Rosa mutabilis with pinky peach flowers bring naturalism and sophistication, with airy, relaxed forms and delicate single flowers as well as good hips. Other roses grown for hips to add winter interest include Rosa moyesii ‘Geranium’, while Francis E. Lester holds its display well into winter.
For shady corners, roses such as white ‘Iceberg’, yellow ‘The Country Parson’, dark purple, pink ‘Darcey Bussell’ and peach orange ‘The Lark Ascending’ tolerate shade.
Blue-toned geraniums, salvias, and nepeta harmonise with the pastel shades of English roses, while later asters, gauras, and penstemons extend interest into late summer and coincide with the roses’ second flush. Roses prefer not to be smothered at their base; interplanting rather than underplanting lets plants grow together and close gaps naturally.
Soil preparation is key. Roses thrive in enriched, well-drained soil. They thrive in moist conditions and benefit from feeding in April and again at the end of June. Choosing disease-resistant varieties helps reduce ongoing maintenance. Prune shrub roses by roughly half, removing thin or tired stems to encourage new growth. February is the ideal time to prune roses to set the plant up for a strong spring.
This article first appeared in the February issue of SE22 magazine.