Any Rose experts? What sort of soil? When to plant?

[Piffle]

I'm new to roses, having hit 36 I now feel old enough, plus I feel that my 2 Jack Russell pups might not like the thorns and thus leave some greenery uneaten.
I am planning a couple of big climbers (rambling Rector after seeing Gardeners World Friday)in one area.
And I would like some pretty fragrant roses for one border (will be underplanted with annuals and groundcover - dogs notwithstanding)
so the border is clay with some topsoil and compost tilled in. What else can I add over the winter to enrich it and make it truly rose friendly?
Any specific roses I should avoid/choose
And when should I buy them and plant them.
TIA

I'm not an expert, but I would say that you will be okay with clay, as roses like fertile, moist soil. I would definitely dig in some well rotted manure to the soil first. If you do it now it will start to break down in the soil over winter, providing nutrients and better drainage by next spring.

You can buy bare-rooted roses in winter, which are cheaper, so you could get a bigger and better plant. These can be bought mail order and can be planted any time from now (I think, although check with the grower).

Not sure whether David Austin Roses do mail order, but their varieties are about the best in terms of looks and disease resistance. If you are starting from scratch I would recommend these. Whatever you buy, I would check with the person you buy from that it is going to suit the soil, aspect (North/S/E/W) and amount of shade/sun.

Good luck.

My gardner says now is the ideal time to buy/plant - and roses will grow in virtually any soil. IIRC, they like clay, so you're halfway there.

I have always bought from a garden centre and the info on the tags is usually good - tells you if whether to expect loads of pretty looking roses, or if they will be fewer but highly-scented etc. and garden centre staff are quite knowledgable too.

try crocus.co.uk and they will detail the conditions necessary for each, soil/light/ph

wow never expected such quick replies!
Will get dp to dig in decent manure this w/e (I cannot do it am 24 wks preg and recovering from appendectomy)
and order after that
I did think you could plant them in the winter
Will go and look now
Tahnks everyone!

Don't forget that if you are putting extra compost in with the roses to use ERICACEOUS compost and not normal all purpose compost. Roses really do not like normal compost...

Thanks
Jaysus soooooo many varieties of rose available...

I like the old fashioned ones, the ones with double flowers, not the big standard ones.

Like these

they are gorgeous
I need some decent climbers too for large front hedge, garage and trellis area.
And a couple of decent standard rose
I want smelly ones

I can highly recommend "Sceptr'd Isle" by David Austin. It is a shrub rose (ie not a climber) but has huge old fashioned pale pink cup shaped blooms and a really nice scent.

Very vintage.

Of climbers, I know that "Madame Alfred Carriere" has a very good reputation with smallish white/cream flowers and a nice scent.

I personally would make space for a Rosa Gallica Versicolour - a so called "painted rose", which looks like Raspberry Ripple. Denman's garden (of John Brookes the garden designer/writer) has some lovely examples.

Can you tell I can't wait to have a bigger garden than my current tiny space?

ooooh lovely tips thx
I have a decent sized garden I guess it just needs a little love....

piffle, the best tip i ever heard for climbing roses was on gardeners question time and john cushnie recommends teasing out the branches of your climber and tieing them horizontally, you will be amazed at how many bloom you will get

i did it with my alfred carriere and when i say this may i had about 200/250 blooms that is no lie on a width of about 8foot. it was amazing, my neighbours came to see it especially.

so once you get a good bit of length to them, do the above. you will be sleeping in your garden of roses! i came back from hols and at 11pm my dh couldnt get me in from the garden!

thanks for that hermkyne
I am a bit good with clematis, but fancy a change or an addition. I do love my clibers as I have a lot of wall and fence to cover, old owners used bamboo sheets to cover the bricks but you guessed it
The Jack Russell pups have eaten it...
I wonder if I buried them it would qualify as organic compost? [joke]

my favourite rose is called Souvenier du Docteur Jamain - and it was my favourite long before Monty Don mentioned it on Gardener's world. fabulous dusky purple velvet blooms with a knockout perfume, very sexy. But a bit fussy - maybe one for later on. You can't go wrong with anything from David Austin (yes mail order); billions to choose from but the catalogue does help you select. Or Beales, also good old fashioned varieties and a bit cheaper. Ooh, I'm yearning for summer now...