Charming English Roses

Roses sometimes show signs of illness that can be easy to mistake for one another. Two common problems are downy mildew and blackspot. Both affect foliage and can weaken the plant, yet they present differently and thrive under distinct conditions. Recognising these differences allows gardeners to respond appropriately and preserve the health and beauty of their roses.

Rambling roses are an impactful addition to any garden, especially when they clamber up trees, creating a romantic and wild display. Planting rambling roses up trees may seem challenging, but with the proper techniques, you can achieve a beautiful and spectacular result with ease.

It’s something that catches gardeners out time and again. A rose you’ve grown before, chosen for its particular shade, opens in a colour that seems unfamiliar. Maybe it’s paler. Maybe there’s a flush of pink where there wasn’t one before. Maybe the whole bloom looks like it belongs to another plant altogether.

Growing a rose in a pot brings beauty right to the doorstep. Whether nestled against a garden bench, standing proudly on a sun-drenched terrace or softening the edge of a courtyard, container roses offer a graceful solution for smaller spaces. With the right care, they will flourish for many years to come.

If you grow roses, you’ve likely heard about blackspot, that pesky fungal troublemaker that loves to spoil even the most beautiful bushes. It’s one of the most common problems gardeners face, and while it doesn’t kill your roses outright, it can really take the wind out of their sails if left unchecked.

This rose is not fussy. It grows well in many conditions but does best with at least four hours of sunlight a day. It tolerates some shade and suits almost any garden aspect - north, south, east, or west - so long as the soil allows roots to breathe and doesn’t stay soggy. To support healthy growth, mixing in some compost or well-rotted manure at planting helps enrich the soil and improve its texture.

Roses sometimes show signs of illness that can be easy to mistake for one another. Two common problems are downy mildew and blackspot. Both affect foliage and can weaken the plant, yet they present differently and thrive under distinct conditions. Recognising these differences allows gardeners to respond appropriately and preserve the health and beauty of their roses.

Rambling roses are an impactful addition to any garden, especially when they clamber up trees, creating a romantic and wild display. Planting rambling roses up trees may seem challenging, but with the proper techniques, you can achieve a beautiful and spectacular result with ease.

When we picture allotments, most of us think of tidy rows of beans and brassicas, the glint of fruit cages, and perhaps a weathered shed with a kettle always warm. Roses are seldom part of that picture. Yet they deserve a place in such spaces, bringing scent, colour and gentle structure in ways that support both the eye and the ecosystem.

The Gertrude Jekyll^® rose is known and loved for its rich, classic fragrance and those beautifully shaped old-fashioned blooms. Though it began in England, gardeners in very different parts of the world have welcomed it into their gardens with equal affection. To celebrate this special rose, we reached out to growers in Japan, Italy and the United States to hear how Gertrude Jekyll^® grows and blooms in their own climates and garden styles.

In the quiet town of Woodbury, Connecticut, sits the Old Glebe House Museum, an 18th-century parsonage with a remarkable story to tell. Within its grounds lies something truly special: one of only three gardens in the United States designed by the legendary British plants woman, Gertrude Jekyll. It is also the only one fully realised according to her original plan.

Gertrude Jekyll. For many today, the name belongs to a rose - rich pink, deeply fragrant, always dependable. But long before it was attached to one of David Austin’s finest creations, it belonged to a woman whose influence shaped the English garden itself. She was not flamboyant, not loud, but she left an imprint that endures quietly in the folds of herbaceous borders and the soft haze of summer blooms.