Rose garden ideas – 14 colorful rose gardens to inspire
The presence of a rose garden has been universally associated with a sense of sophistication and romanticism. The rose is a firm fixture in the English park, and for a good reason. It is highly adaptable and is beloved for its showy flowers and exquisite fragrance. Roses come in many shapes and sizes, including climbers, ramblers, bushes, shrubs, and ground cover roses; they also come in a wide range of colours, scents, and whether they repeatedly bloom or only once.
When you think of a rose garden, traditional rose gardens that celebrate the timeless beauty of roses may come to mind. Their symmetrical layout and geometric borders characterize these gardens, meticulously maintained box hedges and rose bushes that are often grouped in colour-coordinated patterns. Roses are beautiful no matter where they are planted; a formal rose garden is not necessary to enjoy them in your garden. Roses may be grown in various settings, from climbing over a pergola to containers on the patio.
We’ve included various rose garden plans to help you plant them in your yard.
ROSE GARDEN IDEAS
Many decorators will set aside a particular spot for roses because of their beauty. Garden designer Matthew Giampietro of Florida feels roses deserve centre stage. “I enjoy working roses into landscapes, whether through the creation of a formal rose garden, an outdoor “room” for roses, or even just a border of roses,” says one gardener.
A rosary was a walled garden dedicated solely to roses, a common practice in the past. However, modern gardening advises interspersing roses with other plants, such as perennials, biennials, and annuals, to update the garden’s aesthetic and protect the roses from diseases. The sulphur in the leaves of certain salvias (such as the spectacular hot-pink ‘Cerro Potos’) is known to have antifungal properties.
1. PLANT ROSES AS HEDGING OR EN MASSE
“We try to integrate the lux aspect of roses into the gardens of modern residences,” says Nathan Tuno, a landscape designer with Roots Landscape Inc. in Pennsylvania.
Try planting roses as a hedge or in a massive mass grouping for a stunning modern garden design. Use cold, modest colours like white and pink, or add a splash of brightness with yellow. We prefer to Knock Out roses like Sunny Knock Out, and White Knock Out. While remaining relatively unfussy, they produce a profusion of beautiful but fragile blossoms.
2. PLANT ROSES FOR A WILDLIFE GARDEN
Wild species roses (or single and semi-double roses that have the look of wild roses) are popular among garden designers because they offer a lovely informal, natural look and provide food for wildlife.
Kirsten Coffen, a landscape architect and designer based in Maryland, adds, “I especially enjoy the pasture rose (Rosa Carolina).” This rose, which is indigenous to North America, thrives in humid climates and on slopes. The spring and summer blooms of vivid pink are a famous nectar and pollen source for pollinating insects.
Beautiful ideas for a wildlife garden, these wild roses perform admirably as a rose hedge or as part of a mixed native hedge.
3. GROW ROSES THROUGH A TREE
In the summer, a rose growing through a tree is a charming addition to any garden. Make sure you select the proper tree, and the right rose for a knock-out combination.
One of the world’s foremost authorities on roses, Michael Marriott, recommends picking a rambler that won’t get too big and smother nearby trees. A free-flowering wanderer with a delightful musky aroma, “Francis E. Lester” is one of my favourites. Its single pink flowers resemble those of a wild rose. Similar quantities of tiny orange hips follow these. It would be suitable for a medium-sized mature tree like an old apple. Once you reach your full height as a tree, all that’s left to do is look at it in awe because you’ve eliminated the need for more care.
4. GROW ROSES AS GROUND COVER
Wide varieties of prostrate roses feature solitary or semi-double blossoms that attract beneficial insects and help keep weeds at bay.
Kirsten Coffen states that the roses in the Flower Carpet range in colour from bright yellow and white to deep red and pink. “As a ground cover, they go well with pale blue catmints (Nepeta), which cool down the fiery hues of the flowers. Such roses are my go-to when I need a splash of colour by a doorway or sidewalk.
5. GROW A ROSE GARDEN OVER A SEATING AREA
Roses are an excellent choice of flower to grow next to a dining area because they bloom reliably and have a pleasant scent. For a lovely garden refuge, try training a trailing rose, like David Austin’s Phyllis Bide, across an arch over a bench. A medium, pleasant perfume accompanies the little, pale apricot-pink flowers of Phyllis Bide, and the plant repeatedly blooms throughout the summer.
6. USE ROSES TO BRING COLOR TO INFORMAL MIXED BORDERS
Grow roses more relaxedly, including them into a border of shrubs and herbaceous perennials for added colour and height. The Cottage Garden at RHS Rosemoor borders shows how easily you can achieve that dreamy, quaint cottage garden vibe by planting things like Achillea Mollis and Sea Holly amongst the flowers.
7. PLANT ROSES IN COLOR BLOCKS FOR IMPACT
Large groups of the same type of roses are common in formal rose gardens, and they can be pretty stunning when planted in clusters. If you decide to do this, remember to only plant in odd numbers. The Queen Mother’s Rose Garden at RHS Rosemoor features an impressive collection of contemporary rose varieties, including Hybrid tea (large-flowered), floribunda (cluster-flowered), and shrub roses, and it is sure to spark your imagination.
8. LINE A PATH WITH ROSE ARCHES
This picture of the walled rose garden at National Trust Mottisfont demonstrates how training climbing roses over pergolas and arches along an avenue or pathway can make walking through the park a genuinely enchanted experience. The angles in this picture are covered in Rose Adelaide d’Orléans. The Generous Gardener, Malvern Hills, and Constance Spry are three other unrivalled-smelling climbing roses that would do well on an arch. National Trust Mottisfont is home to the National Collection of pre-1900 old-fashioned roses and is a must-see if you’re looking for rose garden ideas.
9. PAIR ROSES WITH LAVENDER FOR A COTTAGE GARDEN FEEL
Infusing your garden with colour and aroma all summer long with a classic pairing, shrub roses and lavender are a winning choice. David Austin Roses suggests pairing its Boscobel rose with English lavender for a stunning and low-maintenance garden display.
10. USE RAMBLING ROSES TO SOFTEN GARDEN WALLS AND STRUCTURES
Growing roses that can climb or sprawl is a great way to add height and colour to a landscape while hiding any eyesores. David Austin’s Phyllis Bide, a classic rambler that can grow up to 4.5 m in size, is perfect because it blooms profusely and stays compact.
11. GROW A ROSE GARDEN AROUND A DOORWAY
Having a rose bush planted by the doorway draws attention to the opening. Choose thornless rose varieties like Mortimer Sackler or The Shepherdess if you want to plant them near a door, a bench, a walkway, or a spot where kids play.
12. BRIGHTEN UP PATIOS WITH POTTED ROSES
Bringing fragrance and colour to a patio, roses may be planted easily in containers, even if square footage is limited. David Austin Roses offers several excellent container-friendly rose varieties, including the Harlow Carr, Princess Alexandra of Kent, Desdemona, and Vanessa Bell.
You may also use raised garden bed plans to grow roses in a more organized environment.
13. GROW A ROSE OVER AN OBELISK TO GIVE HEIGHT TO BORDERS
To add height to muddled borders, grow a climbing rose and an obelisk. Gertrude Jekyll is a fantastic option for an obelisk because of its wonderful aroma and classic elegance, enhanced by its powerful Old Rose scent.
14. CREATE A FOCAL POINT WITH A ROSE-COVERED PERGOLA
The growth of climbing or rambling rose over a pergola or gazebo can be a stunning focal point in a garden. Ramblers, such as the massive Rosa mulliganii shown here in the National Trust’s care at Sissinghurst Castle Garden, are an attractive option because of their clusters of flowers that spill over the edges of their container’s meandering, carefree demeanour.
HOW DO YOU START A ROSE GARDEN?
Prepare your path
If you want your roses to bloom their best, you should plant them in soil that is neither too sandy nor too clayey but instead is well-drained, somewhat acidic, and has a medium texture. If your soil isn’t quite like this, don’t worry; a little additional work now can pay off with a thriving plant that brings you joy for years to come.
Start them well
The risk of ‘rose illness’ is substantially increased if new bushes are planted in a location where roses have grown within the past three years. This happens when the new plant is attacked by a fungus that previously lived in the soil and developed around the old plant’s roots. In places with poor soil or where roses have been cultivated in the past, it is recommended to apply about 30g of mycorrhizal fungi per rose bush.
Choose the right rose
Mixing bush roses with perennials in island beds is a brilliant idea; miniature roses are perfect for use as edging plants before the taller roses. However, shrub roses can be planted singly to serve as a stunning focal point or to create a colourful screen in clusters of different varieties. Roses that aren’t as large as others can be grown in containers.
Care for your roses
Maintaining a tidy rose garden requires regular deadheading of the roses throughout the flowering season.
WHICH ROSES ARE BEST FOR WILDLIFE?
Single and semi-double flowering roses are best for bees and hoverflies because they provide easy access to nectar and pollen. As a general rule of thumb, if the yellow stamens of a rose are obscured, it is not suitable for animals.
Some excellent examples that perform well in borders are the lovely, white Jacqueline du Pré and the upbeat, striped rosa Mundi (R. gallica ‘Versicolor’). The modern, organic feel sought after by many garden designers is primarily achieved using single and semi-double kinds.
Michael Marriott recommends Comte de Champagne for its medium-sized, single, soft-creamy-yellow blossoms for wildlife. They are highly sought after by animals due to the abundance of golden stamens at their centres. Without such intervention, they will likely produce an attractive crop of hips.
‘Scabrosa,’ with fruit resembling cherry tomatoes, and ‘Geranium,’ adorned with excellent flagon-shaped scarlet hips in the fall, are two more great shrub roses that give hips to feed birds in the autumn. It’s no secret that ramblers like “Francis E. Lester” are great for the hips, but plenty of others like it. However, not all roses have hips, so ask your vendor.
