The Season of Bare Root Roses

By the end of September, the rose garden is changing. The exuberance of summer is fading, and the rhythm of the season is slowing. Many English Roses are setting hips now, their once-constant flowers giving way to clusters of glowing fruits. Yet the borders need not feel diminished. With the right companions, roses can be framed and supported so that the garden still sings with colour, texture and grace well into autumn.

Imagine a garden where the air is filled with the gentle perfume of roses and every corner seems to invite a pause, a quiet moment of reflection. English shrub roses, with their soft, cupped blooms and delicate fragrances, have long been linked with the elegance and charm of period dramas. These gardens are more than a collection of plants. Each rose adds to the story, creating a sense of romance and timeless beauty.

Each summer the Proms bring music, tradition and joy to the Royal Albert Hall. From the first shimmering notes to the final chorus, audiences are carried into a world where sound becomes memory. At David Austin^®, we mark this festival in our own way, with roses that are themselves named after music and musicians who have moved us. These varieties hold within them the same qualities of rhythm, harmony and timeless beauty.

Some roses seem to hold a story in their petals, and Rosa Penelope Lively is one of them. Named for the much-loved writer, this English Shrub Rose carries both elegance and quiet depth, a living tribute to a voice that has shaped contemporary literature.

When we speak of “shade” in the garden, it is important to be precise. Few roses will prosper in deep shadow, but many are perfectly happy with four or five hours of sunlight a day. Think of those north-facing walls or quiet spots that bask in morning or evening light. These are not wasted spaces; with the right roses, they can become some of the most enchanting areas of the garden.

Guest blog by Helen Cross - Author, Journalist, Presenter, and School Gardening Champion. At the start of every gardening session with a new group of children, I always ask them what flower, fruit, or vegetable they would like to grow in their school garden. You might be surprised, but over the last five years, three or four out of every ten children have told me they want to grow roses.