Arguably the most iconic garden plant, Roses have been a standout choice for gardeners across the world for hundreds of years. With so many varieties available, there’s a rose for almost any garden and planting scheme, but it can be hard to know where to start. If you’re new to roses, or just want to learn more, read our ultimate guide to roses below.
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Types of roses
Broadly speaking, all roses can fit into 3 main categories:
Old garden roses:
Old (or antique) roses date back to before 1867, and as such are generally hardier and more resistant to diseases. Unlike modern roses, they only bloom once in a season, but their flowers are typically more fragrant.
Species (or wild) roses:
Species (or wild) roses are thorny and mostly single-flowered, known for being exceptionally tough, disease resistant and attractive to wildlife. Being wild, they’re extremely low-maintenance and don’t have the cross-breeding history of many roses today.
Modern garden roses:
Modern garden roses were bred after 1867 and are generally the most popular choice these days (they are mostly what you’ll find when you browse our website and other plant suppliers). Modern garden roses are known and admired for their highly ornamental properties; they grow very large, colourful blooms and are usually repeat-flowering.
Roses can then be broken down further into subgroups. Here are some of the most common:
Hybrid Tea roses
Ideal for: rose beds, formal rose gardens
Hybrid teas comprise the largest group of roses in the UK. Roses in this group produce large, highly scented single flowers (usually with that classic rose shape) on straight, upright stems in a variety of colours. Foliage tends to be minimal and they make beautiful cut flowers, which has made them a popular choice among florists and flower arrangers. Hybrid tea roses are hardy and repeat flowering and like all roses prefer full sun but will tolerate a little partial shade. Potted varieties can be planted at any time of year.

Rose 'A Whiter Shade of Pale'

Rose 'Hopes and Dreams'

Rose 'Volcano'
Floribunda roses
Ideal for: mixed beds and borders, more compact varieties for pots and patios
Floribunda are a cross between Hybrid Tea and Polyantha roses, known for their colourful, lightly scented flowers that grow in large clusters. They have a longer flowering period than many other varieties and are considered one of the easiest groups to grow. Potted varieties can be planted at any time of year.

Rose 'It's a Wonderful Life'

Rose 'Anniversary Wishes'

Rose 'Minerva'
Polyantha roses
Ideal for: fronts of borders, garden edging, container planting
Polyantha are similar to Floribunda, but generally more compact overall with slightly smaller, more densely packed blooms. They are tough and easy to grow with a good resistance to diseases.
Grandiflora roses
Grandiflora are a cross between hybrid tea and floribunda, combining the showy blooms of the former with the longer flowering period of the latter.
Climbing roses
Ideal for: decorating walls, trellises, and other climbing supports, and adding vertical interest to the garden
Climbing roses are generally more vigorous, with upright canes that require training to a climbing support for the best results. Most climbers grow large blooms and are repeat-flowering.

Climbing Rose 'Crimson Cascade'

Climbing Rose 'Peach Melba'

Climbing Rose 'Ozeana'
Standard roses
Ideal for: creating focal points in the garden, framing doorways, lining driveways, adding height to a scheme
Standard roses are small “lollipop” shaped trees, with a long, single grafted stems (normally about 1 metre tall) that are topped with their foliage and flowers. They look great in pots or planted as groups.
Groundcover roses
Ideal for: banks, rocky areas and slopes
Groundcover roses are pretty much what they sound like: low-growing, spreading shrub roses that are normally wider than they are tall. Mostly repeat-flowering with clusters of slightly smaller blooms, groundcover roses will form a wonderful “carpet” of colour.
Miniature roses
Ideal for: pots and patios, fronts of borders, window boxes
Miniature roses are very small, compact rose plants that are normally repeat-flowering. Their limited growth means they are ideal for more restrictive planting situations.

How to plant roses
Roses tend to prefer full sun. You can choose a spot with less light but they won’t produce as many beautiful blooms.
Most soil types are suitable provided they are well-draining, but the best soil is a firm loam made up of 60% clay and 40% sand. As with other trees and plants, it is best to incorporate some compost or organic matter into your garden soil when planting. A deep soil is preferred, as roses have a fairly long tap root system.
One thing to be aware of when planting a rose is Rose Replant Disease (or Rose Sickness). This can occur if you're planting your rose in a location that has previously been occupied by a rose, and can stunt the new plant's growth. An easy way to circumvent this is by treating your new rose with Rootgrow (mycorrhizal fungi). Simply sprinkle your Rootgrow in the hole before planting. Alternatively you can remove the old soil and replace it with fresh soil from another part of the garden.
How to care for roses
Like other trees and plants, your rose will need to be watered well and regularly for the first few years after planting, throughout spring and summer. Increase watering if there are extended periods of hot or dry weather. If you’re planting in autumn, you may only need to water a little.
Once planted, keep the area free of competing weeds for the first couple of growing seasons.
Roses can be fed to improve their flowering and encourage healthy growth. For those planted in the ground, we recommend doing this twice a year, once in March/April before they start flowering, and again in mid-summer. Those in containers usually need to be fed more frequently. Always check the manufacturer’s instructions before applying feed.

How to prune roses
Roses will benefit from annual pruning to keep them healthy and in good shape. Newly planted roses should only be lightly pruned in the first year, to help them focus their energy into establishing a stronger root system.
For most roses, including modern and repeat-flowering varieties, the best time to prune is in late winter to early spring, around the time when their new growth begins. On repeat-flowering varieties, dead flowers should be removed in summer to encourage flower production. In general, rambling and climbing roses, as well as once-blooming varieties, are best pruned in summer, after they’ve finished flowering.
Start by removing any dead or damaged branches, and then any that are crowded or crossing. Make sure you are cutting at a 45 degree angle above an outward facing bud. Also remove any weak, spindly or thin growth (branches that are thinner than a pencil) as well as any older woody growth. Also remove any suckers that are growing below the graft.
If you’re not sure how much to take off, a good rule of thumb is to take 1/3 off the previous year’s growth.