Few gardens are as beloved as rose gardens. That’s because roses are the first flower you think of when buying a bouquet for a loved one, and the first flowers you think to plant when establishing a flower garden. Real estate agents have also observed that an established rose garden can add tens of thousands to the value of a home.
For dedicated flower lovers, designing and planting a garden of roses is just the beginning of a long-term love affair with the classic flower. Collecting unique varieties becomes almost an obsession and, when exploring an expansive formal garden, it’s not unusual to stumble upon an entire section dedicated entirely to hundreds of rare and unique rose varieties.
If you need proof, look no further than gardener Laine Staniford who, for close to two decades, transformed a bare paddock at her property in Bridgetown, WA into a breathtaking rose garden. By 2017, she had planted more than 700 roses at the property, with some heritage varieties dating back to the pre-1900s.
Rose variety Souvenir de Madame Léonie Viennot scrambles over the garage at Sunnyhurst Winery.
(Photo: Claire Takacs)If this sounds like your idea of gardening heaven, read on for our roundup of the best rose garden ideas to inspire. Whether you’re a beginner gardener, or expanding your existing garden to accommodate your burgeoning rose collection, these tips are sure to set you in the right direction.
ROSE GARDENING 101
If you’re never planted roses before, the following in-depth guides will help you build up your knowledge of growing and caring for roses:
‘Le Marc’ climbing roses rise up over an arch in a tiered sloped garden.
Rose garden design ideas
Roses are a versatile flower that look great in almost any kind of garden design style. Broadly speaking, when it comes to designing a rose garden, there are two main approaches to consider: formal and manicured or romantic and rambling.
In a formal garden, crisp lines of a hedge will give structure to a spray of roses. When roses are not in bloom, the hedge will minimise the appearance of the thorny rose bushes and keep the garden evergreen and tidy.
White iceberg roses are contrasted against a manicured hedge in a formal garden.
(Photo: Nicholas Watt / Story: Belle)A rambling rose garden, in contrast, will look fabulous underplanted with perennial flowering shrubs and evergreen plants.
A rose walk at a rambling rose garden in the NSW Southern Highlands. The roses have been underplanted with perennials.
(Photo: Michael Wee / Story: Country Style)How to prune roses
If you want to ensure your rose bushes look neat and produce plenty of flowers come springtime; pruning them is essential.
The best time to prune roses is in winter when they have finished flowering.
WATCH: Charlie Albone demonstrates how to prune roses and buxus bushes:
Types of rose plants
There are many types of rose plants available in Australia: hybrid tea roses, floribunda roses, bush roses and shrub roses.
Hybrid tea roses produce a single bloom on each stem and make perfect cut flowers for vase and bouquet arrangements. Floribunda roses produce a cluster of flowers on each stem and look great in cottage garden beds.
‘Blossomtime,’ a repeat-flowering climbing rose bred by crossing ‘New Dawn’ with a hybrid tea rose.
(Photo: Michael Wee / Story: Country Style)Bush roses produce either single or cluster flowers on a dense bush while shrub roses are similar to bush roses in appearance but are larger and have the ability to spread.
Heritage vs modern rose varieties
Roses are further differentiated by whether they are a heritage or modern rose variety. In short, heritage roses (also known as old-fashioned roses) are usually large, bushy and grow up to 2 metres in height. Modern roses, on the other hand, tend to be upright, branching shrubs available in an endless array of colours.
Heritage variety ‘Bourbon rose’ originated on the Isle of Bourbon (now called Reunion) near Mauritius.
(Photo: Simon Griffiths)Best rose varieties to plant in Australia
The best rose variety to plant in your garden will depend on a number of factors. Before you select a variety, take stock of your garden and think about what you’re trying to achieve. Will you need climbing roses, shrub roses or fragrant roses?
If you want to cover an unsightly wall, or a garden shed, you may want to choose a climbing rose such as the vibrant pink ‘Cicely Lascelles’ or the creamy apricot ‘Desprez a Fleur Jaune.’
Climbing roses flourish along a sunny wall.
(Photo: Brigid Arnott / aremediasyndication.com.au)Rose varieties that thrive in Australia will be drought-tolerant, sun-loving and pest and disease resistant. Iceberg roses, Coconut ice roses and Sally Holmes are three popular varieties that do well in the Australian climate.
If you want your rose garden to smell wonderful, seek out fragrant rose varieties like Boscobel, Mister Lincoln or Perfume Passion.
Don’t forget about companion plants
Having an entire garden dedicated solely to roses may sound like a great idea, but the reality can be quite different.
When in full bloom, roses are undeniably beautiful plants. But when the flowers fade and only their thorny underside remains, the garden can begin to look quite scraggly.
‘Claire Martin’ shrub roses and climbing ‘Banksia’ roses underplanted with African daisies at Bundella Flower Garden.
(Photo: Michael Wee / Story: Country Style)The solution to this is to underplant roses with medium-sized shrubs that will not only hide the base of the roses, but will deter nasty insects like aphids from taking up residence. The best companion plants for roses include sage, thyme, lavender, rosemary, garlic, allium and chives.
Be inspired by other great rose gardens
Roses remain a beloved flower for their long-held association with romance. To inspire the design of your own garden, wander through 10 of the most romantic rose gardens in country Australia.
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