Roses are a forever garden classic. Kirsty McLean talks us through some of her favourite blooms.
Roses are anything but old fashioned. With improved resistance and reliability, repeat flowering and a revival in the most incredible range of fragrances, they are a must have for any modern garden. Climbing, rambling or shrub, there is something for everyone – and to suit our climate here in the North of Scotland. A word of warning however, position is important. Whilst some varieties will tolerate a bit of shade, if you have a choice, it’s best to select a sunny, sheltered location protected from harsh winds. It’s also wise to ensure the ground is well-draining (avoid water-logged conditions!) and soil enriched with organic matter such as composted manure or task-specific compost.
If we rewind a little, the best time to plant roses is early spring or autumn before the frosts arrive.
Plant the roses with the knobbly joint (known as the graft union) about 2 inches/5cm below the soil level to protect against frost. You can easily identify the graft union, it’s where the branches meet the roots. The planting hole should be wide enough to spread roots (roughly 45cm/18inches) and deep enough to accommodate this depth. Selecting the best rose for your garden is the hardest bit because there is just so much to choose from. But here is my list of tried and tested, broken down
into handy categories.
Climbing
- New Dawn: Hardy, soft pink flowers that repeat and with a strong fragrance
- Zephirine Drouhin: Hardy, thornless, cerise-pink – long flowering, fragrant and tolerant of light shade.
- The Generous Gardener: Hardy, pale pink, repeat flowering with an old Rose musk scent.
- Dublin Bay: Compact, hardy, deep red rose with a delicate fragrance.
- Golden Gate: Hardy, golden-yellow bloom that is fragrant and repeat flowering.
- Coral Dawn: A more modern climbing rose that will withstand a bit of shade.
- Coral: Double flowers, long-flowering with a medium scent
Rambling
- Albertine: Salmon-pink, highly scented flowers that repeat.
- Felicite Perpetue: Creamy-white, hardy, scented rose that will tolerate shade.
- Paul’s Himalayan Musk Pale: Pink vigorous growth with a strong musk fragrance, tolerates
partial shade.
From hybrid tea roses to shrub roses, there’s a rose to suit almost every garden. We’re incredibly lucky to have our very own local grower here in the North-east. Cocker’s Roses has been growing roses suitable for our climate since 1841, so you can’t go wrong. And lastly, if you want a more natural, wilder look to grow as a hedge for instance, then Rosa rugosa or Rosa spinosissima (Scotch Rose or Burnet Rose) are what you need. They are incredibly strongly scented with a sweet, heady/honey-like smell and very vigorous, so be careful where you plant them.
