Which Types of Roses to Grow in Your Garden

Gardeners have been growing rose plants since the earliest times; over 160 different rose species have been discovered in the wild, and countless different varieties have been bred by generations of rose growers. Probably the most popular of all flowering garden plants, they come in all shapes, sizes and a huge range of colours, and many have a wonderful fragrance. All roses are summer flowering, some for only 3 or 4 weeks, others continuously through much of the summer.

Some rose bushes are best planted in a formal garden, but others lend themselves to the informal setting of a mixed border, climbing across a garden trellis or pergola, or even scrambling through a tree or hedge in woodland or wildlife gardens.

There are a bewildering number of different classifications and types of roses, but the most popular groups are described below.

Species Roses

These are the original wild roses, from which all the others are descended. They are medium to large deciduous shrubs with single, five petalled flowers, often followed by large brightly coloured rose hips, and many are sweetly scented. They are the only roses which grow true to seed.

Old Garden Roses

These include the ancient Gallica and Damask roses, and a number of more recent hybrids. Most but not all have very intricate, densely double flowers and many are sweetly scented. They vary in height from 3 – 7 feet. A number of different species and their hybrids are still widely cultivated.

Hybrid Tea Roses and Floribunda Roses

These are the most numerous, and for many gardeners the most popular of all the different types of roses. Lending themselves generally to formal plantings, they are mostly small to medium deciduous shrubs 2-3 feet in height. They come in almost every shade and colour including even blue, and many are fragrant.

The many different varieties of HT roses generally bear large double flowers up to 4 inches across carried singly or in loose clusters.

The floribundas carry dense clusters of rather smaller, generally single, flowers.

Modern Shrub Roses and Rugosas

The modern shrubs are the most varied group in size, habit and flower form, They vary in height from two feet to 10 or 12 feet, and their blooms, often repeat flowering, may be single or double and come in a full range of colours.

Most modern shrub varieties, and the rugosas, make very good hedging. All go well in a mixed border, and the larger varieties make spectacular specimen plants.

Patio and Miniature Roses

Genuine miniature roses have tiny leaves and flowers on delicate, twiggy stems and shoots and grow to only around 15 inches high. Patio roses are slightly bigger, most varieties being a cross between miniature and floribunda roses.

Climbing and Rambling Roses

Growing climbing roses is quite easy and next to the hybrid teas and floribundas, they are the most widely grown of all roses. Most grow from 8 -12 feet tall, but the most vigorous may reach 30 feet and more. They generally need to be tied in to a support, but some use their hooked thorns to support themselves as they scramble through another bush or tree.

Flowers may be single, semi double or double, and usually appear in clusters, with individual flowers varying from one to four inches across in different varieties of climbing rose.

Ramblers have large clusters of flowers on long flexible stems, and throw up new stems from ground level each year.

Ground Cover Roses

These are low growing shrubs with a thickly branching, spreading habit. They carry clustes of small flowers in most of the normal shades, but few are scented.

They are grown for their attractive appearance rather than utility, as they don’t give the dense year round cover needed to suppress weeds.

More Information on Different Types of Roses

Rose care and cultivation.