Roses growing around a doorway is many people’s idea of the most idyllic garden feature. What could be nicer than a frame of bright blooms and delicious scent to greet you every time you come home?
Pottering round the Cotswolds last summer, I spotted one of those pretty thatched stone cottages that Americans think of as typically English and with the traditional roses round the front door. Well, sort of. In fact, most of the flowers were round the chimney and the stems by the door were mostly bare, even of leaves. Problem? Wrong variety.
Some climbing and rambling roses can produce shoots that go from ground level to head height in one season, so the right choice is crucial. Roses for round the door, or even roses in containers, need to be much less vigorous. And, of course, we’re looking for months of colour and fragrance too.
Musky fragrance
The A plant produced by crossing two distinct parents, often different species, to produce offspring that combine the characteristics of both. Hybrids can occur naturally, but crosses are often made deliberately by plant breeders to produce plants with better yield, improved flowering or vigour, or improved disease resistance.
A type of flower that has extra petals, often having a fuller appearance. Plants with double flowers are often considered more ornamental and showy than those with single flowers, though they are generally not as good for wildlife, having little or no pollen. Some plants naturally produce double flowers, while others may be bred for this trait. Examples of plants with double flowers include roses, sunflowers, dahlias, and zinnias.
A bud is a small, undeveloped shoot that contains the potential for new growth. Buds are typically found on stems, where they can be apical (found at the tip) or axillary (found between leaf axils) and may develop into leaves, shoots or flowers.
The top round-the-door rose
Little Rambler ‘(Chewramb)’ is a miniature rose that climbs or forms a lax shrub with thorny, arching stems bearing dark greeen foliage. Clusters of fragrant, blush pink, fully double blooms repeat-flower through summer and autumn; suitable for a shady north-facing wall. About 2m in height. Hardiness rating: H6.
The popular favourite
Rosa ‘Maigold’ is an early-flowering, thorny-stemmed climbing rose with plentiful, glossy rich green foliage, and fragrant, semi-double, coppery-yellow blooms flushed orange. Flowers in late spring or in early summer and in a good summer will repeat flower until autumn. 3.5m in height and up to 10cm across. Hardiness rating: H6.
An English climber
Many of David Austin’s English Roses make excellent, relatively restrained, climbers. The peachy-pink cupped flowers of A Shropshire Lad (‘Ausled’), fade prettily to pale pink as they age, have a strong, fruity fragrance and the rich, dark green foliage sets the flowers off beautifully. Cut the shoots that have flowered back to three A bud is a small, undeveloped shoot that contains the potential for new growth. Buds are typically found on stems, where they can be apical (found at the tip) or axillary (found between leaf axils) and may develop into leaves, shoots or flowers.
The rosarian’s rose
This most famous of English Roses, Graham Thomas (‘Ausmas’), is named for the great rosarian and recommended by its raiser as a climber rather than for growing as a shrub; its growth is more lax than that of other English Roses. The pure rich colouring of the cupped flowers, coupled with their powerful tea rose scent and their long season, is always captivating. 2-3m. Hardiness rating: H6.
Perhaps the best scent of all
Rosa ‘Constance Spry’ is a large, climbing rose with thorny stems. It bears abundant grey-green foliage, and rounded, fully double, pink flowers 12cm in width, with a strong myrrh scent, produced in one flush of flower in midsummer. 6m in height. Hardiness rating: H6.
Restrained rambler
We usually think of rambling roses as growing like the one I saw strangling that Cotswold chimney or growing into large mature tress. Open Arms (‘Chewpixcel’) grows in the same way but is much more manageable. The peachy, perfumed semi-double flowers with their musky scent have golden centres and fade to pale rose pink as they mature. Good in a large pot. Miniature Rambler. 1.8-2.4m. Hardiness rating: H6.
Famous for hips as well as flowers
The creamy pink, semi-double flowers of ‘Penelope’ open from slightly orange tinted buds and fade to white in summer heat. Very prolific, flowering on old and new growth, ‘Penelope’ is very generous with its musky fragrance. In winter, look forward to unusual coral pink hips. “One of the very best roses for creating a white effect without being white,” wrote Graham Thomas. Hybrid Musk. 2-2.4m. Hardiness rating: H5.
Repeat flowering rambler
An unusual rambler, ‘Phyllis Bide’ is neat in growth, repeat flowers reliably over an unusually long period well into autumn, has very few thorns, and comes with small, unobtrusive foliage. The small, semi-double, apricot and pink and gold flowers mature to pale rose pink with paler centres and, although not powerfully fragrant, there is an attractive sweet scent. Ideal by doors and paths. Rambler. 2-3m. Hardiness rating: H6.
Interesting colour
Rosa Warm Welcome ‘(Chewizz)’ is a climbing rose with coppery young foliage contrasting with the small, fragrant, bright orange, semi-double flowers produced in clusters. It repeat-flowers from summer to autumn. About 2.5m in height. Flowers 4cm across. Hardiness rating: H6.
