Lesson 1
Choosing the right rose
The trick to roses is matching the type to your space. For pots: patio and miniature roses, or compact English shrub roses. For walls and fences: climbers (one main flush + repeat) or ramblers (one spectacular summer flush).
Disease-resistant favourites: 'Olivia Rose Austin', 'Munstead Wood', 'Lady of Shalott' (English shrubs); 'The Generous Gardener' (climber); 'For Your Eyes Only' (single, RHS gold medal patio rose).
Buy bare-root in winter (cheapest, healthiest) or container-grown the rest of the year. Avoid garage forecourt roses — they're often grafted onto poor rootstock.
Rose types in 90 seconds
- Patio / miniature — 30–60 cm; perfect for tubs.
- Floribunda — clusters of flowers; good middle bed roses.
- Hybrid tea — one flower per stem; classic florist rose.
- English / shrub — rounded bushes, repeat flowers, often fragrant.
- Climber — long arching stems trained on a structure.
- Rambler — vigorous, one huge summer flush, often thornless cultivars.