Roses have been used in gardens for hundreds of years, from the rose gardens of southern Rome during the days of the Roman Empire through to the seventeenth century bloom in popularity in France, when Napoleon's wife established an extensive rose garden at Chateau de Malmaison near Paris, and up to the modern day when we benefit from a truly massive range of varieties.



Roses are considered one of the most romantic cut flowers to give to a loved one and on St Valentines day every female secretly desires at least one red rose. While red roses are extremely popular garden roses are available in a vast range of colors. Black roses are becoming a popular choice with many landscape gardeners but black roses are not really black, rather, they are a very, very dark red. Although a bunch of black roses may be depressing the simple addition of pure white roses creates a completely different mood.

Hybrid Tea and Floribunda roses are extremely popular in the garden, these, usually free standing, varieties are generally trouble free and easy to grow. The named varieties offer rich wonderful colors with some, such as "Harry Wheatcroft" available in striped colors. HT roses offer blooms on a single stem whereas Floribunda varieties offer blooms in clusters.

There are also climbing and full standard varieties of roses. Climbing roses are the perfect way in which to cover a wall, trellis or archway. They look great when used in conjunction with other shrubs or trees and are suitable for growing in pots and tubs. Most climbers are fragrant and can be extremely useful in a small garden where space is limited as they climb freely creating a wall of color. Full standard roses are roses grafted on to a 1m stem. They are usually supplied with at least three or more strong branches which will very quickly grow into an elegant bush. Full standards are often used as a focal point in the garden and the elegant bushy head roses look fantastic on a patio.

Double roses are more difficult to find. They are usually very highly scented and develop into 1-1.5m bushes which, with a little care and attention, will produces masses of flowers throughout the summer for many years. A more unusual use for roses is ground cover. A variety called "The Fairy" is suitable for ground cover. This prolific cascading rose is ideal in borders and grows well in tubs. It spreads to about 1m and flowers from June to October.

Miniature roses grow to only around 25-40cm but they are available in a number of different colors (pink, red, lilac, yellow and white). A new variety "Rose Nostalgie" produces a combination of cherry red and creamy white, fragrant, blooms. These roses can look great at the front of a border but are spectacular in a container garden or on a small patio.

Rose gardening can be great fun, not only do you produce fantastic cut flowers throughout the summer but you have a wonderful garden plant that continues to produce more and more blooms throughout the season. Roses can appear in a border alongside many other perennials and annuals but a bed of only roses can have a very traditional look and feel that is difficult to create using any other plant.

Roses really are something very special and caring for roses is not as difficult as it sounds. If you do not already have them in your garden why not take a look at adding one or two of the most popular varieties this year? If you are unable to do so yourself why not hire a landscaping contractor who will be able to do everything for a very reasonable price. We are sure that you will not regret it.