Skip to content

"There is something rather special about planting at this time of year. The garden may be quiet, but a newly planted rose already carries the promise of the season ahead."

The Journey of a Bare Root Rose

From the field to your garden.

Why Choose Bare Root Roses?

Excellent value. An economical choice, particularly when planting in quantity or creating a larger display.

Quick to establish. Planted while naturally dormant, bare root roses have time to settle into their new surroundings before the growing season begins.

Flowers in the first year. Repeat-flowering roses can reward you with beautiful blooms in their first summer.

Easy to plant. Light to handle and straightforward to plant, bare root roses need only a little preparation before going into the ground.

A lighter way to plant. With no pot or soil, bare root roses are naturally lighter to transport and arrive in plastic-free, compostable packaging, helping to reduce waste along the way.

A Rose for Every Corner of the Garden

Whether you are planting a single specimen or filling a generous border, there is a bare root rose suited to the space you have.

Gardener's Tip
Before planting, soak the roots in water for at least two hours. Dig a generous hole and prepare the soil by loosening the base and incorporating well-rotted manure or soil improver. Sprinkle mycorrhizal fungi directly onto the roots before planting.

Position the rose with the base of the stems around 5cm below soil level. Backfill, firm gently and water thoroughly.

If you can’t plant straight away, keep the rose in its packaging somewhere cool, dry and frost-free for up to two weeks.
Read more
Gardener's Tip
Before planting, soak the roots in water for at least two hours. Dig a generous hole and prepare the soil by loosening the base and incorporating well-rotted manure or soil improver. Sprinkle mycorrhizal fungi directly onto the roots before planting.

Position the rose with the base of the stems around 5cm below soil level. Backfill, firm gently and water thoroughly.

If you can’t plant straight away, keep the rose in its packaging somewhere cool, dry and frost-free for up to two weeks.
Read more
Gardener's Tip
Before planting, soak the roots in water for at least two hours. Dig a generous hole and prepare the soil by loosening the base and incorporating well-rotted manure or soil improver. Sprinkle mycorrhizal fungi directly onto the roots before planting.

Position the rose with the base of the stems around 5cm below soil level. Backfill, firm gently and water thoroughly.

If you can’t plant straight away, keep the rose in its packaging somewhere cool, dry and frost-free for up to two weeks.
Read more
Bare Root or Potted?
Both are grown with the same care. The difference is simply how, and when, they arrive.
Potted
At a later stage in their lifecycle, they are grown in pots and can be planted any time of the year. Slightly higher in price due to the care required, but they have an immediate impact and are ideal for gifting. They flower often in the same season.

From the Kitchen Table to Gardens Around the World

The story of David C. H. Austin’s bare root roses begins not in grand gardens or greenhouses, but in the heart of a family home - at the kitchen table of Bowling Green House in Shropshire. It was here that a young man, captivated by the beauty of Old Roses, began to imagine something new: roses that would combine the grace and fragrance of the past with the reliable flowering of modern varieties.

Read our story

A bare root rose is a dormant rose supplied without soil or a pot. It is lifted from the field during the cooler months, carefully packed and sent ready to plant.

Bare root roses are planted during their dormant season, from October to April. Choose a position suited to the variety, prepare the soil well and avoid planting when the ground is frozen or waterlogged.

If you cannot plant straight away, keep your rose in its packaging somewhere cool, dry and frost-free. It can be kept this way for up to two weeks.

Yes. Once planted and established, repeat-flowering varieties can produce their first blooms in the summer following planting.

Both will grow into the same beautiful rose. Bare root roses are particularly good value and ideal for planting during the traditional rose season, while potted roses offer the flexibility to plant throughout the year.

Yes. Many bare root roses can be grown successfully in a suitably generous container. Choose a variety appropriate for container growing and give it sufficient room to develop.

Prepare the ground thoroughly, removing weeds and loosening the soil so the roots can spread naturally. Adding well-rotted organic matter can help improve the soil before planting.

No. Bare root roses are simply supplied at a different stage of their natural growing cycle. Planted correctly during the dormant season, they establish readily and grow on strongly as spring arrives.

A bare root rose arrives dormant, so it will look very different from a rose in full growth. It will have a developed root system and pruned stems, ready to establish once planted. Exact size will naturally vary between varieties and individual plants.

Yes. Our roses are covered by our five-year guarantee. If your rose fails to grow, we will replace it free of charge.

If your rose fails to grow, we’ll replace it for free

Expert advice & aftercare to keep your roses blooming

We’ve won 30 RHS Chelsea Flower Show Gold Medals

Are you in the right place?