Need advice on roses, what type, where to grow, where to buy and where to plant

susananwms

Novice gardener and think i will always be.  I seem to be lucky and mostly everything grows but have chosen plants badly ie too close together, not what I expected, planted in wrong position, taking over other plants... could go on forever

Anyway have removed 2 jasmine plants, a clematis, topiary tree and some alium to make room for type of garden that I want....nice flowers and colour ie roses.  I like red, peach, dark pink...also like the paler colours

I have small garden with some established plants, nothing is more than 3 years old.  Have one very vigorous montana which I have left to do its thing at bottom of garden and then lobbed it over fence to neighbour who was quite happy, all others I am keeping trimmed down ie honeysuckle, other clematis and climbing rose that does'nt climb!

I want a climbing rose (maybe 2) and I think a bush rose or ground cover (not sure of the difference)

One position is against a 3ft old stone wall gets the sun from about 12 till 6pm.  Another is against a 6ft fence which gets early morning sun till about 2pm.  Both areas have good soil, everything grows anyway.  The other place is more difficult, is area in front of plastic shed but gets very little sun for short period in morning and soil is boggy in Winter (am going to add more compost there as advised)

Have googled extensively but ended up more confused than ever, every site gives different recommendations, have cut list of roses down to 18 but still do not know if these are right choices

Would love some correct and helpful advice so that I make the right choices this time

newbie77

I was in similar situation last year, lost as what to choose. Then i followed same method as what i used for house hunting. You need to start with what is your preference and what you can comprimise and not compromise on. Colour, fragrance, reliably season long repeat flowering, size, growth habit, disease resistance etc. Even though there are so many different roses, I couldnt find one with all things best! Specially fragrance and health combination. So eventually there isnt really a whole lot to choose from.

Once you have your list of preference and compromises, go to various main rose selling websites and find the ones you like with those pref ticked. Compare those and make a shortlist. Then search for each one in forum and ask for feedback too. 

susananwms

Thanks Newbie, I have already done that and think I am more confused than ever, all I want is something colourful and looks like a rose.  Every site gives different roses that they say are the best, I have managed to limit this down to 18 but now forgotten what each one is suitable for or best place for it to go, am currently going through them again.  Am so frustrated.  I also cannot work out why the same rose is so many different prices in various places.  Been looking now at bare root or potted ????? This gardening buisness is not easy if you want to get it right

newbie77

How many do you need? You need put shortlist in an excel sheet with attributes you are interested in and links to buying websites and compare what each one says

or just go by heart and buy the ones you like look of. It is after all roses and you can replace in few years time if it doesnt work out to be right choice.

susananwms

Im thinking maybe 3 to start with.  Have just found a site with pictures and names and groups roses come in and categorizing them, will have a look at that and see if any come up from  list I have already made. If not a garden centre it is i think and take their advice.  There is just too much information about and I do not retain info like i used to

Mary370

You'd be better waiting until Autumn and buying bare roots.......my preference for a rose would be disease resistance, colour,  repeat flowering, scent.  There are a few serious rose growers here, maybe if you asked them in the Rose Thread what they would recommend, then you can go check them out yourself.......good luck 

Joy*

I would try to look at roses in flower before you choose. It's not easy, I admit, at present but seeing the way the rose grows and being able to smell the perfume is an enormous help. I  would have made different choices had I known how some of mine would turn out.

susananwms

Thanks for your comments, I have decided maybe choose one at a time and have spent ages looking at different sites, some brilliant some not so good. 

I want a climbing rose for a 6ft fence that has morning sun till about 2 pm, soil is good from results so far and have reduced no of choices to 7, the reasons behind these choices are because they have been mentioned on more than one site,  I like the look of them, they sound easy enough to look after and are climbers

All I want is something that has bright coloured flowers, flowers throughout much of summer, will climb a fence if trained and does not look thin and scraggy (I apologise to expert rose gardeners here as I know it is an art but I just want something easy)

I hope some people on here maybe able to tell me if I am completely wrong or that I am going in the right direction

The plants are Blaze, Don Juan, Jasmania, Lady in red, New Dawn, Rambling Red and Golden Showers

I do hope that at least one of these would be suitable or maybe even 2 side by side?

Marlorena

@susananwms
...where do you intend to buy your roses from please?  I have not seen some of those for sale in the UK, unless via Amazon or somesuch...  you obviously like red roses..

susananwms

I gather that most of the roses I listed must be red seeing you think I like red ones I did not realise that, but yes I do like red but also peach and pink , also white and cream but I do prefer the brighter colours

I have not even looked at where to buy yet, I am just trying to get a feel for the right kind of rose to get for what I am looking for. 
  
Previously I have bought plants from supermarkets, hardware stores, online and nurseries and to be honest I have found that the money you pay does not guarantee a healthy and vigorous plant, some of the cheaper ones have done better than the more expensive ones.

I may be wrong but I think maybe you have to be more careful with roses? Anyway i just want to ensure that I am buying with a bit more thought and choosing a bit more carefully than previously where I just bought, planted and was delighted when it grew flowers.

Who knows it may turn out to be my downfall...I hope not

Anyway any advice on what rose to buy to climb my fence from my list would be so welcome.....even if they are all not suitable or that I cannot buy in the UK (never even thought of that)

Marlorena

Well I've never seen Blaze, Don Juan or Lady in Red for sale in the UK so I think you can scrub those off..  unless for sale on Amazon but I don't look there too often.. I don't know a Rambling Red either, but there is a Rambling Rosie..

For a dark red rose you should choose 'Dublin Bay'... otherwise Jasmina, and Golden Showers are easy enough to obtain, along with New Dawn.. 
It comes down to how much you want to spend, where you intend to buy them from and when, which will decide your choices really...  there's no point in recommending roses unless one knows where you intend to shop for them, then we look at what their inventory is..
You could also buy roses from B and Q, or other such outlets, but they often don't have names attached...