Garden roses are among the most popular flowering plants. Gardeners from all over the world have a weakness for these thorny yet delicate flowers. It seems that even though we’ve grown roses for over 5000 years, we simply cannot get enough of them.
Roses belong to the Rosa genus which includes over 300 species and thousands of varieties. Choosing the right rose for your garden is not just a matter of looks. You also need to consider the plant’s ease of growth, its resilience, and the way it blends into your overall garden décor.
To help you make the right choice, we have selected 10 gorgeous varieties that will add a touch of elegant beauty to your garden without requiring too much effort on your part.
The ‘Absolutely Fabulous’ Rose
You can also find it labeled as the Julia Child rose or the Floribunda rose. This bush rose received the Rose of the Year award in 2010. It blooms in early summer and it continues to deliver gorgeous buttery-yellow flowers until late fall. It can reach a top height of 100 cm with a similar spread.
Its flowers have a distinct licorice fragrance. It is relatively easy to care for, having a high disease resilience. It can grow in different types of soils, but it will thrive in a soil rich in nutrients, especially if it is mulched with compost and fed some high potash fertilizer.
Due to its size, you can plant it in a middle row in flower borders, but you can also grow it without problems in a large pot. Pruning is only necessary towards the end of winter and if you want to enjoy its flowers as much as possible, you will have to deadhead it regularly.
‘All My Loving’ Rose
If you enjoy making flower arrangements with fresh flowers from your own garden, we advise you to plant this hybrid Tea Rose. This type of rose is quite popular for its long stems and centered blooms.
“All my loving” roses are among the most popular plants for flower arrangements. These roses flower in late spring, featuring gorgeous light red or dark pink blooms which retain their rich colors even under bright sunlight. All My Loving roses are very hardy, and they thrive in moist, well-drained soil with full sun exposure.
Yearly mulching and regular deadheading in the summer are encouraged to prolong flowering. This rose bush is medium-sized, with an average height and spread of 100 cm. It also has a high resistance to diseases. Nonetheless, it is best to water it early in the morning, so that the soil can drain properly until the evening, thus reducing the chances of fungus and diseases.
‘Constance Spry’ Rose
This is a climbing rose known for its large, deeply cupped, creamy pink flowers. It is reasonably easy to manage for a climbing plant. Also, it can be a great way to add some height to your garden or to beautify an arch, a fence, or even a wall.
The ‘Constance Spry’ Rose grows in all types of soils, and it thrives in full and partial sunlight. These beautiful roses flowers only once in early summer, but their myrrh fragrant, luminous pink flowers are quite the showstopper and they last about a month. The bush can reach a top height of 6 m with a 2,5 m spread.
‘Diamond Days’ Rose
If you want to give your garden an elegant, classic look, we advise you to plant a white hybrid tea rose. White flowers are ideal for creating a relaxing space in your garden, which invites you to melt your worries away.
The diamond days roses feature creamy white blooms with a light-yellow center which make a beautiful contrast with their lush dark green foliage. These roses have a relaxing citronella fragrance which is very appreciated in flower arrangements.
The Diamond days rose bush can reach a top height of 1 meter and a 60 cm spread, which makes it suitable for the last row in flower borders. This rose will bloom in April, and its beautiful flowers will last until the middle of the summer.
‘Mister Lincoln’ Rose
While all rose colors have their charm, we all have a weakness for red roses, and you simply can’t grow a rose garden without at least one dark red variety. We recommend Mr. Lincoln due to its extraordinary damask fragrance.
This is a Grandiflora rose, which is a subgroup of hybrid tea roses. It features the same long stems as hybrid teas, but each stem bears clusters of lovely flowers, instead of individual blooms like the hybrid teas.
The blooms of these roses also seduce through their velvety texture. This variety blooms repeatedly from early spring to late summer. The bush can reach a top height of 180 cm with a 90 cm spread. It prefers full sun exposure and rich, moist soil with good drainage.
‘China Doll’ Rose
This is a Polyantha rose, a dwarf bush that reaches a top height of 50 cm with a 70 cm spread. It is popular due to its abundant clusters of light pink flowers. Its small size makes it suitable for the front row in flower borders, but you can also grow it in a pot or enjoy it as a superb hanging flower.
It can also make for a great ground cover. It blooms repeatedly from early spring to late fall, and it prefers full sun and partial shade. The flowers have a mild, fruity fragrance. This rose variety has great heat and disease resilience. Nonetheless, due to its spreading nature, this rose does require regular pruning.
‘Rhapsody in Blue’ Rose
If you are looking for a less than ordinary rose, you cannot go wrong with Rhapsody in blue. Its deep purple flowers with bright yellow centers will be the focal point of any garden. This tall bush can grow up to 150 cm in height and it can reach a top spread of 90 cm.
The ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ rose prefers full sun exposure and rich, moist soil with good drainage. To encourage a rich flowering, mulch and fertilize it in late winter or early spring. It is suitable for hedges and borders, but you can also grow it in a pot. Although it is resilient to heat and diseases, it can be susceptible to dark spots. It blooms repeatedly from early summer to late fall.
‘Victor Hugo’ Rose
The Victor Hugo rose is another gorgeous type of Grandiflora hybrid tea rose. It features intense carmine flowers that bloom from late spring to the middle of the fall. Each stem bears about 5 gorgeous flowers, ideal for arrangements.
This rose is appreciated not only for its intense color but also for its woody and slightly spicy fragrance. It prefers full sun exposure and moist yet well-drained soil. It reaches a top height of 100 cm. Pruning is essential in spring and winter to promote growth and repeated blooming.
Hampshire Rose
This is a ground cover rose, perfect for adding some color to a large garden area with minimum effort on your part. Although it does not bloom for an extended period, its scarlet flowers with gold centers can last until autumn if you take good care of them.
The Hampshire rose can reach a top height of 30 cm with an average spread of 60 cm. Due to its small size, this shrub is suitable for the front row in a mixed flower border. You can easily grow it in pots, as long as you offer it full sun exposure.
It is relatively easy to care for, but due to its proximity to the ground, it will require regular pruning, particularly during winter. It blooms from June to September and it will delight you with a mild fruity fragrance.
‘Madame Anisette’ Rose
When it comes to intense fragrances, no rose is more memorable than Madame Anisette. As the name suggests, this rose has a strong anise fragrance with touches of woody mirth that will dominate the overall fragrance in your garden. Its blooms will enchant not only your scent but also your eyesight with gorgeous clusters of creamy flowers with light shades of apricot.
It prefers rich soils with good drainage and full sun exposure. Even though it is relatively easy to care for, this rose will take its time to achieve its full potential. So don’t be surprised if it does not bloom in its first year. It will make up for it when it fully matures. It can reach a top height of 2 meters with an average spread of 80 cm. This rose will bloom repeatedly from spring to autumn.
Conclusion
These are only a few of the many rose varieties that can add a touch of elegance and a romantic fragrance to your garden. Most roses will get along well with other perennials, and their hardiness makes them suitable for any garden.
Regular feeding and deadheading are essential to encourage flowering, but most roses require minimum gardening skills, so you won’t have to put too much effort to be rewarded with gorgeous displays of velvety flowers.
We’d love to know what your favorite roses are, so share your thoughts in the comments below!