Roses are more than just beautiful flowers—they bring elegance, glamour, and a delightful fragrance to any garden. Surprisingly hardy, they can thrive in a variety of conditions, making them a versatile choice for gardeners of all levels. Here’s our guide to some of the best roses for different situations.
Best roses for shady spots
While most roses thrive in full sun, many varieties can grow well in partial shade, provided they receive at least four hours of sunlight a day. Here are a few shade-tolerant favourites:
- Rose ‘Claire Austin’ AGM – This climbing rose produces abundant lemon-yellow buds that open into creamy white flowers with a strong myrrh scent. Reaching up to 3.75m (12ft), it looks stunning trained against a wall or fence.
- Rose ‘Scarborough Fair’ AGM – With clusters of soft pink semi-double flowers and a musky Old Rose fragrance, this rose flowers prolifically throughout summer. It’s robust, healthy, and reliable.
- Rose ‘Kew Gardens’ AGM – A charming shrub rose with large clusters of white flowers with golden stamens. Buds open from pale apricot, and red hips follow, offering a long season of garden interest. Perfect for a compact informal hedge.
Best roses for pots
You don’t need a large garden to grow roses. Patio and container roses have been specially bred to flourish in pots. Choose a pot at least 30cm in diameter and 40cm deep, use a loam-based compost, water regularly in spring and summer, and feed with a granular rose fertiliser in spring. Top picks for containers include:
- Rose ‘Sweet Dream’ AGM – A popular patio rose with clusters of lightly scented peach-pink double flowers in summer and autumn. Exceptionally floriferous and perfect for pots.
- Rose ‘Ballerina’ – A small shrub rose with big impact, producing pink and white flowers in large clusters all summer. Tolerates partial shade and grows beautifully in containers.
Best roses for scent
Few things say “rose” like a truly fragrant bloom. These varieties are perfect if scent is your top priority:
- Rose ‘Arthur Bell’ AGM – A golden-yellow floribunda rose named after the founder of Bell’s whisky. Its intoxicating scent is unforgettable.
- Rose ‘Gertrude Jekyll’ AGM – This vigorous shrub produces pink double flowers with a delicious Old Rose fragrance from early summer onwards. Ideal for cutting and displaying indoors.
- Rose ‘Generous Gardener’ AGM – Elegant climbing rose with soft pink, fragrant flowers throughout summer. Grows up to 4.5m (15ft), perfect for pergolas, archways, or doorways, even in partial shade.
We have a wide range of roses and other flowering shrubs available at Carpenters Nursery. Come visit us and find the perfect rose to enhance your garden’s beauty, fragrance, and charm!
