The Allure of English Roses

The captivating fragrance of English roses and their laid-back cottage style are but two things for which English roses are known. Their appearance is marked by lots and lots of petals crammed into every flower. When they begin to bloom, they can resemble a Tea Rose form, but as they mature and the petals further emerge, they can take on a more “cabbage rose” style appearance.

Many English Roses are great in containers, so you can enjoy them where you spend time during the summer, on your deck or patio! While typical cutting roses are Hybrid Teas, there are several varieties of English roses that are perfect for the vase (see notes below) and the flowers are clustered instead of a single bloom at the end of a long stem.

Here are a few of our favorites from this year’s selection:

Rachel’s favorite: ‘Munstead Wood’. I love the unusual color – it’s crimson in bud, then opens to a velvety deep, dusky red. It has an amazing, Old Rose fragrance too and is disease resistant.

Matt’s favorite: ‘Golden Celebration’. I like the huge golden flowers and the strong Tea Rose fragrance. It makes a pretty large shrub and is covered in flowers that bloom on long, arching branches.

Cindy’s favorite: ‘Carding Mill’. It’s the perfect shade of apricot that looks incredible in my garden. I planted it with ‘Dark Star’ Ceanothus (shrub) as an evergreen backdrop, and Nepeta (perennial) skirted around the base. It smells fantastic too!