Whenever I talk to a client about their plants and planting plan I always do my best to get them to buy in to the idea of having some roses.  I think the recent trend has been to ignore them a bit in planting plans and I’m not sure why.  They just don’t seem to have been that popular.  Perhaps we are looking back to the days when gardens had a specific ‘rose garden’ and I can see that that is neither practical or even that attractive in the smaller gardens that some of us have in London for instance.  But to have one beautiful variety of rose just popping out amongst other shrubs and perennials is so lovely.  Really lovely and old fashioned too.  However I like to think New Vintage rather than old fashioned of course.  Don’t underestimate the power of the rose to make you feel good.

Reasons for loving roses:

• colour – there are so many different colours that you will always find one that works for you
• fragrance – it is a shame to buy a rose without a lovely smell.  Always check this out
• evocative aspect – push your nose into a rose, give a good sniff and you will probably find yourself taken back to your childhood or a happy time
• different uses – climbers, ramblers, standards, old english, wild, hybrid tea, floribundas, dwarfs and miniatures, endless possibilities
• aspect – generally tough, reliable, luxuriant, loving sun and fertile soils

Here are some of my favourites.  Their descriptions are taken from David Austin’s handbook of roses.  If in doubt always check out David Austin for your roses, they know everything there is to know about roses http://www.davidaustinroses.co.uk/

St Swithun rose

This lovely rose has large, saucer-like flowers filled with over a hundred small petals.  It is a lovely pure soft pink and has a strong pure myrrh fragrance.   A beautiful rose with tall, slightly stiff, bushy growth and smooth, greyish-green foliage.  It is tough, reliable and healthy and also works as a climber.

Scepter’d Isle rose

A pretty rose bearing cupped flowers which are a soft pink shading to a paler pink on the outer petals.  This rose flowers freely and continously and has a powerful English myrrh fragrance.

Graham Thomas rose

Admittedly you have to like the colour yellow (albeit rich and pure) in your garden but if you do this is a stunning rose for you.  It is an English Musk hybrid, a climber and can be a standard.  It has been voted the World’s Favourite Rose and has a fresh Tea Rose fragrance.  As a climber is it very successful.

Gertrude Jekyll rose

An English Old rose but can also be a short climber.  One of the prettiest roses of all.  To the middle or the back of a border it stands out.  It has a strong fragrance, the quintessential rose fragrance in fact.  It is a very healthy reliable rose.  Fight to get it!

The Lady of Shalott rose

Again it is a bold colour choice but what a choice.  Absolutely fabulous either mixing in or clashing with your other plants.  It is one of the most reliable and hardy roses and is highly resistant to disease and continues to bloom throughout the season.  Each petal has a salmon pink upper side which contrasts beautifully with the golden-yellow reverse and it has a pleasant, warm, tea fragrance.

Eglantyne rose

One of the most beautiful roses.  Perfectly formed soft pink flowers have petals turning up a little at the edges to form an almost saucer-like shape.  Sweetly scented, a charming and delicate Old Rose fragrance.  It works well as a standard too.