Ancient or modern, bushes, stems, climbing or miniature: the world of roses includes tens of thousands of varieties, enough to confuse anyone in a garden center. Here’s how to choose, plant, and combine your roses so they bloom for a long time without becoming a chore.
It is called the queen of flowers and, frankly, it does not steal its title. The genus Rosa has been cultivated since antiquity and has given rise to several tens of thousands of varieties, nearly 5,000 of which are available in French nurseries alone. Each year, about a hundred new varieties are added to this already dizzying catalog.
To navigate this universe of roses, we classify them into four main generations based on the origin of the plant, and then into groups according to their shape: ground cover, miniature, bush, shrub, climbing, vine... In other words, there is a rose for every corner of the garden, including on a balcony. The only exception: avoid the immediate vicinity of a pond, as roses hate constant moisture.
Nota Bene: contrary to what everyone repeats, roses do not have thorns but prickles. The distinction is not just a matter of vocabulary: a prickle is a formation of the epidermis, so it can be removed without harming the plant, while a true thorn (like that of barberry, pyracantha, or hawthorn) is secreted by internal tissues.
A tasty little detail to finish: the word Rosa is said to derive from a Sanskrit term meaning "flexible." It is unclear what kind of flexibility was meant, perhaps the supple stems of climbers. The word is almost identical in all European languages, indicating a considerable antiquity.
The boundary is actually very simple: varieties obtained before 1930 are considered old roses, while those created after are classified as modern roses. Everything else stems from this pivotal date.
Old roses are vigorous, bushy, with an opulent and flexible growth habit. They are covered in June with a multitude of simple or very double flowers, often with exceptional fragrance. Their two drawbacks: for the so-called "non-remontant" varieties, flowering lasts only a month and a half at most in May-June, and some are susceptible to diseases, mainly powdery mildew and marsonia (black spot disease). On the other hand, many bear decorative hips in the fall, and it is among them that we find the most powerful climbers, with climbing roses having flexible branches reaching 8 to 10 meters.
Modern roses are mainly divided into two families. Tea hybrids, or bush roses with large flowers, range from 80 cm to 1.50 m, developing five to seven main branches from the base and bearing a single flower at the end of each stem that can exceed 10 cm. Polyanthas, floribundas, and grandifloras, grouped under the name of bush roses for mass planting, form small shrubs of 50 to 80 cm whose branches emerge directly from the ground and produce continuously renewed bouquets from May to October.
Halfway between the two worlds, English roses created in the 1960s by David Austin combine the retro charm of generously shaped and fragrant flowers with a blooming period that lasts throughout the beautiful season. However, caution is advised: their stems lack rigidity (the flowers often tilt towards the ground) and they require regular treatments against marsonia.
Let's say it right away: the rosebush is among the most demanding plants in the garden. The reason is genetic. Most varieties are the result of a multitude of crossings that have complicated their genome, leading to a logical fragility. Nothing insurmountable, but three points are non-negotiable.
The soil: deep, loose, permeable. Ban fresh manure, which causes root rot. Carefully loosen the soil, as compaction directly harms the health of the root system. Rosebushes also do not appreciate limestone.Exposure: maximum brightness, but no scorching sun. Count on at least four hours of direct sunlight per day. In partial shade, flowering is significantly less abundant, and the risk of fungal diseases increases.Fertilization: a special "rose" fertilizer, rich in potash and magnesium, applied at least once a year.
A well-established rosebush in the right place will reward you for years. A rosebush planted in compacted soil, in the shade of a wall, and never fed will languish and catch everything that comes by. It's as simple as that.
Things are moving, and rather in the right direction. In the past, breeders primarily sought the beauty of the flower. Today, they focus first on very strong lines: natural disease resistance is now one of the top priorities, alongside vigor, overall growth habit, flowering duration, and fragrance. It is reasonable to think that rose bushes that require no treatment or even pruning will become more common.
Creating a new rose is no improvisation: it takes at least ten years of patient observation and rigorous selection for a variety to come to fruition, with each criterion being compared to existing varieties.
Nota Bene - the ADR label. Among the many distinctions that honor roses, the ADR is one of the most difficult to obtain. It is awarded after three years of testing in eleven trial gardens spread across Germany, where the rose bushes receive no phytosanitary treatment or winter protection. If you garden north of the Loire, look for this logo; it is a guarantee of peace of mind. In the United States, the most prestigious equivalent is the AARS, awarded after trials in twenty-five gardens.
In the same vein, the so-called "landscape" roses (Décorosiers, Meillandécor, Nirpaysage, Clos fleuri...) are vigorous shrubs exceeding 1 meter in height, flowering from the base of the stems, which bloom almost continuously from June until frost and can be allowed to grow freely. Their flowers, seen up close, have lost the refinement of the classic rose to resemble the wild rose, but if they have grown too much, a quick trim with hedge shears in winter is sufficient.
Regarding the calendar, it all depends on the type of planting. Roses sold **bare-rooted or in clumps** can be planted from late October to mid-March. Those offered **in pots or containers** can be planted at any time, except during frost, extreme drought, or heatwaves.
Dig a cubic hole 40 to 50 cm on each side, preferably a week before planting so that the soil can aerate and loosen naturally. Throw a good handful of roasted horn or a slow-release base fertilizer at the bottom, then cover it with a layer of light soil so that the roots are never in direct contact with the fertilizer. Mix a scoop of slightly acidic organic amendment (manure, seaweed, heather soil) or special rose soil with the original soil.
If the roots are bare, **praline**. First, trim their ends with pruning shears, then dip them in an organic mud (pralin, once a mixture of clay and cow dung, is now sold as a powder to be diluted). This soak encourages the production of root hairs, thus aiding recovery, and helps the young rose withstand drought better. Pour any excess into the bottom of the hole.
For planting: place the rose in the center, roots well spread out flat on a small mound of light soil. Check the depth, **the grafting bulge should be level with the surface or buried 2 to 3 cm deep, no more**. Cover with well-crumbled soil enriched with a scoop of fertilizer made from manures and seaweed and 10 liters of potting soil, then firmly compact (with gloves!) to ensure particles penetrate between the roots: there should be no air pockets, which can cause drying out.
Finish with a generous watering of 6 to 10 liters per plant, even if the soil seems moist. With a spade, push the soil outward to form a crown 5 cm high all around: this is the watering basin, which retains water exclusively for the roots. After a fall or winter planting, cover the soil with 10 cm of straw, dead leaves, or compost to protect the roots from frost.
**Nota Bene - the trap of "the same location."** If you replant a rose where another rose previously grew, replace the original soil with good topsoil over a square area of 80 cm on each side and 50 cm deep. Without this precaution, the new planting will remain weak even under good conditions. It is suspected that rose roots emit toxins that disturb their peers, a phenomenon known as allelopathy.
A rosebush is not eternal, and that's good news: it gives you the opportunity to welcome healthier and more flowering varieties. Large climbers and some old roses can live for over fifty years, but many roses, especially large-flowered bushes, no longer provide full satisfaction after about ten years.
The same logic applies to container gardening: if well cared for, a rosebush lives in a pot for an average of five to eight years. When it loses its compactness and becomes bare at the base, it's time to replace it. As for standard and weeping roses, which are spectacular but fragile, their lifespan also caps around ten years: older specimens become less decorative, and the stem does not maintain enough rigidity to support overly developed foliage.
A very useful reflex: spread your roses across several areas of the garden rather than concentrating them all in one spot. This significantly limits the impact of diseases. Forget about the "old-fashioned" rose garden, which accumulates the risks of infestation and offers no decorative interest outside of the blooming period. In winter, lacking leaves and flowers, these beds take on a decidedly dreary appearance.
Occasionally installed in a massif, on a terrace or balcony, stem and weeping roses create relief and a rather successful quirky touch. They come in three main heights: low stem (40 cm), intended for pot cultivation, half-stem (70-80 cm), and high stem (1 to 1.20 m) for bushy forms, with the weeping varieties reaching 1.40 to 1.70 m.
Technically, these are bush varieties (polyanthas or hybrid teas) or climbing and trailing for the weeping types, grafted onto a vigorous wild rose stem. A direct consequence: permanent staking is mandatory. In pots, support securely with a stake and place the container sheltered from prevailing winds; otherwise, the head will eventually droop.
Regarding variety selection, one crucial piece of advice: a stem rose is much more harmonious when it displays a natural and relaxed expression. Small flowers, even the simplest ones, carried in abundant bouquets, create a much more charming decor than the sophisticatedly shaped roses of hybrid teas, which seem stuck in a pin cushion. It’s the overall effect that matters, not the detail.
If you still insist on a hybrid tea as a "rose tree," cultivate it alone in a large pot, as a nod or a focal point. These varieties do not easily harmonize with the rest of the plantings.
Some dwarf roses do not exceed 40 cm in height: these are the miniature roses, pruned for pot life. Sturdier than ground cover varieties, they form compact balls that spread little, with a profusion of small simple or pompom flowers in all colors, from yellow to red, including orange, white, and pink. One thing is missing: fragrance, which is non-existent. Maintenance is limited to maintaining a regular shape and regularly cleaning the faded branches to encourage new blooms.
To successfully grow a rose in a container, here are some concrete rules:
A container of 30 cm deep is sufficient for compact varieties; count on 40 cm for taller ones. The diameter should be slightly less than the spread of the rose.Mix equal parts good garden soil and a fairly loose planting mix. Soil enriched with mycorrhizae (fungi that live in symbiosis with roots) is highly appreciated by roses.Never let the substrate dry out: water on average twice a week, without wetting the foliage. Above 25 °C, switch to watering every two days.Roots are sensitive to stagnant water. A hole at the bottom of the pot and a layer of 3 to 5 cm of clay balls or gravel will solve the issue. Do not use a water reservoir tray outdoors, except under a canopy.Fertilize at the beginning of spring with a slow-release fertilizer, or twice a month from April to the end of September with a liquid "rose" solution, always after watering. Wait two months after repotting before any fertilization.
When planted in the ground, miniatures create lovely small flowering borders from spring until the entrance of winter. Plant them close together, every 20 to 30 cm, so that the clumps eventually merge into a continuous line. There are also miniature climbing roses, perfect at the back of a container in front of which annuals or perennials are placed, and miniatures grafted onto a 20 cm stem, called "short-stemmed" roses.
Beware of false good deals: the adorable mini-roses in flowering pots found in stores, propagated by cuttings, are ephemeral plants. Their lifespan ranges from one week indoors to three months on a sheltered balcony. Consider them seasonal plants; they rarely survive the winter.
The most common mistake is to buy one rose bush, then another of a different variety, and then a third... resulting in a disjointed mass where each plant gets lost in the scenery. The rule is simple: plant at least four to five plants of the same variety, ideally five to seven, to create a strong color mass effect that attracts the eye.
This grouping also has another very practical advantage: it prevents the rose bushes from being overwhelmed by the abundance of leaves and flowers from neighboring perennials, which would hinder their blooming.
Bush roses should also be pruned very short every year. This is not just for aesthetics: flowers appear on the shoots of the year, and lack of pruning leads to unsightly elongation of branches that become bare at the base as they age. Short pruning results in beneficial rejuvenation and maintains the bush's stout shape. Tea hybrids, on the other hand, are pruned each year just before the growth season begins.
Two warnings to conclude. Classic compositions where all the rose bushes, of the same height, form a homogeneous and monochromatic mass placed alone on a lawn are now outdated: there is a current trend to integrate roses into varied arrangements that mix shrubs and perennials. And avoid mixing grouped flower varieties with large flower varieties in the same bed: the former produce a profusion effect that is appreciated from a distance, while the latter require close inspection to admire the shape of each bloom. Harmony rarely occurs.
Planting roses of a single color creates a striking mass effect that catches the eye from afar. It looks beautiful in a large garden, with strong hues: red, orange, or yellow. In a smaller property, soften the tonic effect of warm tones with a bit of white; the note becomes immediately more refined.
White soothes. It softens the strength of other flowers while subtly highlighting their presence. Display it in partial shade and admire it backlit to appreciate the diaphanous transparency of the petals: it works wonders in regions with overcast skies. It pairs very well with lavenders and blue flowers, which it softens a bit, or with silvery gray foliage like wormwood, silver sage, and santolina.
Pink is a boon: it practically goes with everything. It only clashes with orange, and it is not always comfortable with yellows, whose brightness dominates its pearly subtlety. A strong pink fades next to reds, but a very pale pink enhances the brightness of a vivid red. Pale pink varieties harmonize perfectly with blue-flowering perennials or glaucous foliage.
Red is the most sought-after color yet the most difficult to use: it quickly gets overwhelmed under too bright a sun, turning black, and it dulls in the shade, darkening the ambiance. Use it in discreet patches rather than in masses, pairing it with white flowers, cream or silver variegated foliage. Avoid blue and mauve, as well as pink flowers that dull its brightness. On the other hand, a few shades of yellow make it warmer and more inviting, a perfect combination for very sunny regions.
Yellow brings a burst of warmth, but most varieties fade as they age and do not withstand the elements that stain their flowers. Pair them with pale roses for delicacy, vivid reds for vigor, or blue flowers like delphiniums and annual salvias. Orange, which comes in salmon or apricot shades, is almost incongruous in a garden: try it in partial shade, in a bouquet, or paired with intense blue, purple, or possibly very pale yellow.
Nota Bene: blue roses and black roses do not exist. The so-called "blue" varieties are adorned with a faint violet hue simply because delphinidin, the blue pigment found in plants like larkspur and aconite, is absent from the Rosa genus's genome. These roses primarily have an enchanting fragrance. As for "black" roses, they are always more purplish.
Roses that bloom from the base are rare. This is the technical reason why they are systematically associated with shrubs and perennials: the companions dress the base and enhance the whole. Old roses, in particular, benefit from being treated as full-fledged shrubs, preceded in spring by flowering bulbs and extended in summer by perennials.
Choose generous and whimsical perennials, those that bring flexibility to the flowerbed:
Blue tones, which pair well with yellow or pink roses: aconite, agapanthus, columbine, bugloss, large bellflowers, catnip (Nepeta x faassenii), garden iris, lavender, larkspur, blue sage, large-leaved veronica.Yellow tones, which pleasantly accompany yellow, orange, or red roses: yarrow, anthemis, mullein, gaillardia, helenium, rudbeckia, goldenrod.Pink tones, which play softly with white or yellow roses: yarrow Cherry Queen, columbine, astrantia, self-heal, erigeron, penstemon, phlox, pigamon.
For contrasts, rely on complementary tones (orange and purple, yellow and blue) or stark opposites (yellow and red). However, it is often much happier to play with pastel colors and shades, especially since the dark green foliage of modern varieties beautifully highlights soft colors. The basic rule: limit the number of varieties in a single composition to avoid a multicolored cacophony. And always add a touch of white in a bed of red roses; it makes their brightness more luminous while softening their natural aggressiveness.
A gardener's tip: to achieve a more abundant bloom on a rose bush with flexible branches, arch them towards the ground and hold the tip of the branch "upside down" by attaching it to a small stake. The result is spectacular.
Let's start with a surprising truth: botanically, climbing roses do not exist. They have neither hooks nor suckers to cling on their own. This term refers to varieties whose long, vigorous, and flexible stems are suitable for training or wrapping around a post. Good news: since they have nothing to grip onto, they do not damage walls, and their deciduous foliage allows the masonry to breathe.
To dress up a façade, choose varieties with relatively rigid stems, often the climbing forms of modern roses. They need a framework to which the stems can be tied as they grow: the ideal is a decorative trellis, sturdy and attractive in winter when the rose has lost its leaves. Check the mature growth of the variety; some top out at 2.5 meters while others reach 10 meters. For flowering, fan out the stems, forcing each branch (without excess) to take as oblique a position as possible, possibly complemented by bending the less rigid stems downward. This constraint triggers a very abundant flowering. With age, the base of old stems becomes bare and the flowers rise towards the tips: plant a shrub or a large-flowered clematis at the base.
For pergolas and arbors, we prefer ramblers, which have a much more flexible habit, with long slender stems of 4 to 5 meters or more. They generally do not need to be tied: they are simply spiraled around the support. The best ones are found among old roses. Spectacular, they are covered in flowers from late May to mid-June, but few varieties are repeat bloomers. Pair them with wisterias and small-flowered clematis to extend the effect.
A detail that is often overlooked: if the arbor houses a resting area or an outdoor dining room, choose varieties with very double flowers, thus sterile (their stamens have transformed into petals). This will limit the presence of bees and other pollinators just above the table.
The flexibility of ramblers also allows for the creation of beautiful rose garlands along the edges. Stretch a wire or nylon line horizontally 40 to 50 cm off the ground, leaving it a bit flexible. Plant the roses every 3 to 5 meters and keep only two main stems per plant, eliminating all other shoots: tie one to the right and the other to the left. Horizontal training encourages the development of almost all axillary buds, multiplying flowering shoots and covering the entire length of the stems with flowers.
Finally, to flower a dead tree or mask an unsightly building, there are climbing roses, a supercharged version of ramblers, with the most vigorous extending arms of 10 to 12 meters. Equipped with formidable claw-like thorns, they cling to their support on their own. None are repeat bloomers, but their flowering from May to June lasts about a month and leaves no one indifferent. Last advice: many produce generous clusters of decorative fruits in autumn, so do not prune them after flowering; wait until the end of winter.
If you are just starting out, don't look for the rarest rose in the catalog. Instead, start with a rose bush known for its disease resistance, choose a clear location with at least four hours of direct sunlight, prepare a hole 40 to 50 cm wide a week in advance, and watch the grafting bulge, which should be level with the soil or buried no more than 2 to 3 cm.
Plant in groups of four to five plants of the same variety for a mass effect, surround them with perennials to dress the lower stems, add a touch of white if you've chosen red, and prune your shrub roses short each year. On a balcony, a miniature rose in a pot 30 cm deep, watered twice a week without wetting the foliage, will give you flowers until frost.
And above all, don't hesitate to renew: after about ten years, most bushes produce less. Replacing an old tired plant with a recent and healthy variety is often the gesture that brings life back to an entire bed.
Author Audrey on 11 July 2024
Home and Garden : Garden
Author Audrey on 05 September 2023
Home and Garden : Garden