Roses

[PattyDukeAstin]

Years ago my dad had a rose bed in the garden and I would like something similar. Dad died years ago so I cannot ask him. I have vouchers for David Austin and I am looking to order 3-4 bareroot roses that would work well together. I am thinking shades of pink and some good fragrance. Also how far apart should you plant (think I always plant too close together)? Thank you!!!

Gertrude Jekyll is great if you want a heavily scented pink.

David Austen has a guide to spacing.

https://www.davidaustinroses.co.uk/blogs/news/how-far-apart-should-rose-shrubs-be-planted

I planted some of mine way too close together. 😂

I like the crammed in look anyway, less bare soil means less room for the weeds to grow (or I don't notice them as much) 🤣.

I think 3 or 5 roses is better than 4......odd numbers always seem to look better grouped together.

David Austin roses I particularly like are:

Desdemona (a very pale pink, almost white with a lovely fragrance.)

The Shepherdess (pale pink/apricot and seems to have fewer thorns than other types)

I also agree with Getrude Jekyll for strong fragrance.

My mum's favourite was Pam Ayres - a yellow with pink tips/edges to the petals, pretty, very flamboyant.

Thanks for this thread as I love roses and want to grow my own too!

Roses are pretty selfish and like their own space. They will grow to fill a space but give them room to get established.

They like good drainage and need feeding properly a few times a year, usually when the new growth starts.

Bare root roses do very well as they are dormant and don't mind being moved at this stage.

Prepare a good bed. Dig deep and add in lots of organic material, preferably well rotted horse manure. Needs full sun usually for roses to thrive in uk.

I'd put in decent supports at this stage.

Plant carefully following David Austin's guide to planting.

Worth bearing in mind that Ramblers are prolific and climb and ramble.
Climbers are roses that put out side shoots that need training along supports, not up as I discovered.

And shrub/bush roses are fairly good with minimal support and form a nice rose bush.

Water in well until roots establish.

All my David Austin are thriving (alongside an unexpectedly beautiful pound shop rose). I get three flowering times a year with the extra feeding. Beautiful fragrance.

Gertrude Jekyll is so lovely - a beautiful colour and scent but the flowering is relatively short - worth it while it lasts I think. If you have a few others with a longer lasting flowering season they will look well together. I have 2 Iceberg climbers. They have no scent but they flower like Topsy ( white) & so are very pretty. Gertrude Jekyll will grow to a short climber and to get more flowers when big enough bend the stems over about 90 degrees and fix to a trellis or indeed round one of those obelisk things you can get for a bed or a pot - it encourages more shoots . (Well true of any climber )

Thank you for all the responses - really helpful.

Can I just pop on and ask are there any roses that are ok for pots?

@Ladybird69 all my roses are in large pots as the soil where I live is not suitable. It's too alkali and I decided after a few years of sad roses that they are happier in pots.

Big pots about 2-3 feet across and same in height.

Years ago I had rose beds that thrived in other homes but not here.

Mine are doing really well in big pots. They are huge now. Lots of rotted manure, drainage crock in the bottom and pot raises so the water can drain away easily.

I feed them every time they decide to put on new growth which is about three times a year.

@inloveandmarried thanks for the good news and the advice. I’m so excited that I can finally get some roses into my garden. Now to choose them, they’re all so beautiful.