My Top 5 Roses

 

Roses have a timeless charm, filling gardens with colour, fragrance, and elegance. I adore roses for their beauty, resilience, and ability to transform any space into a floral paradise. Here are my top five roses, why I love them, what plants pair well with them, and how to care for them. Roses are often  over-looked in contemporary planting schemes but I feel they can give good structure and of course amazing fragrance…who doesn’t like sniffing a rose!!

1. Rosa Gertrude Jekyll

This classic English rose is a showstopper with large, deeply scented pink blooms. It’s a repeat-flowering variety, so you get to enjoy its beauty all season long. I use this rose a lot as it is such a good ‘doer’ as they say in the gardening world

Why I Love It:

• The rich, old-world fragrance is incredible.
• It looks stunning in borders and mixed beds.
• Its repeat-flowering nature keeps the garden vibrant for months.

Perfect Plant Partners: Pair it with lavender, salvia, or catmint for a beautiful colour contrast and to attract pollinators.

Care & Pruning:

• Deadhead spent flowers regularly to encourage repeat blooms.
• Prune in late winter or early spring, cutting back old wood and shaping the plant.
• Ensure well-draining soil and full sun for best results.

 

2. Rosa New Dawn

This vigorous climber produces soft pink, semi-double flowers that bloom throughout summer. It’s highly disease-resistant and adaptable to various conditions. An oldie but still a goodie especially for semi shade

Why I Love It:

• A reliable and resilient climber, perfect for trellises and pergolas.
• Delicate, romantic pink flowers with a light scent.
• Blooms consistently through the season.

Perfect Plant Partners: Clematis and honeysuckle make great companions, enhancing vertical interest and attracting pollinators.

Care & Pruning:

• Train the canes horizontally to encourage more blooms.
• Prune after the first flowering to maintain shape.
• Feed with rose fertilizer in early spring.

3. Paul’s Himalayan Musk

A breathtaking rambler with clusters of small, pale pink flowers that create a cascading floral display. It’s perfect for covering large spaces with ease. It is rampant so make sure you give it good support!

Why I Love It:

• The sheer abundance of flowers is mesmerizing.
• An intoxicating fragrance fills the air when in bloom.
• Ideal for covering large walls or pergolas.

Perfect Plant Partners: Mix it with wisteria or climbing hydrangea for a dreamy, romantic look.

Care & Pruning:

• As a rambler, it requires little pruning—just remove dead wood and weak stems after flowering.
• Needs space to spread, so plant in an open area with strong support.
• Water deeply, especially in dry spells.

 

4. Desdemona

This elegant white rose boasts a strong myrrh fragrance and disease-resistant foliage, making it a top choice for formal gardens.

Why I Love It:

• The pure white blooms glow beautifully in the garden.
• A strong, unique fragrance that lingers.
• Compact and easy to care for.

Perfect Plant Partners: Pair with blue delphiniums or silver-foliage plants like Artemisia for a striking contrast.

Care & Pruning:

• Deadhead regularly to extend the blooming season.
• Prune lightly in early spring to maintain shape.
• Apply mulch to retain moisture and suppress weeds.

 

5. Rosa Port Sunlight

With warm apricot blooms and a delightful fragrance, this rose is a wonderful addition to cottage-style gardens. I just love how this rose unfurls from its bud. Its unusual colour is really striking!

Why I Love It:

• The soft apricot colour adds warmth to any garden setting.
• Highly fragrant and continuously flowering.
• A robust and easy-to-grow variety.

Perfect Plant Partners: Pair with foxgloves and geraniums for a soft, romantic display.

Care & Pruning:

• Regular deadheading encourages more blooms.
• Prune in early spring to maintain a healthy shape.
• Water well in dry periods and apply compost annually.

 

Roses bring timeless beauty and joy to any garden. With the right care and companions, they thrive and provide continuous blooms season after season. Whether you prefer climbers, ramblers, or compact varieties, there’s a rose for every garden style. Don’t forget all roses are heavy feeders so they need a good bag of compost/horse manure/farmyard manure annually to keep them well fed.

All these roses are available  from David Austin Roses

Which of these roses is your favourite? Let me know in the comments!

Happy gardening! 🌹

At Healinggardens we are always happy to help with planting your garden