As the days grow longer and the warmth of spring fills the air, your roses begin to come back to life. But with the change in season, you might notice some tiny visitors on your plants – aphids.

With the spring sunshine finally reaching the garden, now is the perfect time to check in on your newly planted bare root roses. They're just beginning to settle in, and the care you give them over the next few weeks will make all the difference to how well they grow and bloom this summer.

In any well-loved garden, the thoughtful tasks often have the most impact. Among them, mulching stands out as a simple yet powerful way to care for both your plants and the soil beneath them. Beyond its practical benefits, mulching reflects the gardener’s instinct to nurture, protect, and encourage healthy growth with every passing season.

By following these simple steps, you will ensure your bare root climbing rose gets off to the best possible start.

The best time to plant bare root roses is during their dormant period, typically between late autumn and early spring. Planting during this time allows the roots to establish before the growing season begins.

Planting a climbing rose in a pot can add beauty and structure to your garden, provided you choose the right container and follow proper planting steps. Climbing roses can thrive in pots as long as they are 12ft or shorter, and with the right care, they will grow beautifully. 

Bare root roses are best planted between October and April, during bare root season. This gives them time to establish ready to bloom come summer. The only time we recommend that you don't plant is when the ground is frozen, waterlogged or in drought conditions.

Bare root roses are excellent plants for growing in pots. English Roses, with their shrubby, bushy habit are ideal for growing in large pots and containers. Unlike many other potted plants, English Roses will flower in fragrant flushes throughout the summer and into autumn.

Planting a climbing or rambling rose in a pot is one of the most effective ways to introduce height, fragrance and structure to smaller gardens, courtyards and terraces. Whether used to frame a doorway, create a flowering screen along a wall or soften the lines of an obelisk, these roses offer a remarkable display when given the right conditions. Though the approach demands a little more upkeep than planting in open ground, the rewards are considerable: abundant blooms, repeat flowering, and a sense of movement and beauty that elevates even the most compact of spaces.

For a successful garden, getting planting distances right is important. Plant shrub roses too closely together and the border becomes overcrowded. Plant too far apart and you will see areas of bare earth between each rose. When planting you want to take into account the grown size of the rose, this means to begin with, while your roses establish themselves, you may see gaps between them.

Training a climbing or rambling rose allows you to direct the growth of your roses for even coverage. However you decide to grow and train your climber or rambler, it will need tying-in to secure it to the support structure. Training climbers or ramblers up structures, such as arches or fences, brings blooms up to eye level, creating a splendid floral feature.

It’s time to prepare your roses for the year ahead and give them a prune. Ideally, complete this task while the roses are still dormant, usually between January and February. If your roses have leafed and you still have not pruned it is still better to prune, but this may push back the flowering period until later in the season.