Roses for All Reasons

Modern roses grow better and flower for longer. So, if you’ve never grown them before, now is the perfect time to start.

Whether you’re a new gardener or a seasoned plant-lover, modern roses have lots of benefits. They’re simple and easy to grow, they flower for longer and they don’t need complicated pruning and care. Once they’re planted, they’ll flower year after year, bringing colour and fragrance to fences, arches, borders and patio pots. Roses mix beautifully with other plants – especially perennials that bloom in mid-summer and other flowering shrubs, like weigela and philadelphus – and some varieties make brilliant cut flowers for a vase indoors. We’ve selected some appealing varieties here, and you’ll also find an exciting selection of roses in store.

Roses for pots and borders

Small to medium-sized roses and compact varieties grow well in pots, or in the middle of beds and borders. They like a rich deep soil or compost and, if you plant them early spring, you’ll enjoy colourful blooms from June to September.

Roses for cutting

Roses last longer indoors if you cut the stems early in the morning while the air is cool. For added impact, why not combine with cut stems of alchemilla, alstroemeria, salvia or phlox which all grow easily in a sunny garden.

Roses for climbing

With longer stems and a spreading habit, climbing roses look amazing when planted against a wall or fence, or grown over an arch or an obelisk. Some varieties bloom once in a crescendo of colour, while others produce flowers over many months.

How to get better blooms:

• Feed in spring, and again in July, with a specialist rose care product.
• Apply a thick mulch in autumn to keep plants healthy and discourage weeds.
• Snip off faded blooms to just below the base to encourage more flowers.