Roses: How to choose the right type for your garden | House & Garden

Rosa ‘Boscobel’ in a walled garden in east London

Before shopping, decide what you want from your rose. How big would you like it to grow? What sort of soil and light does your garden have? Perhaps bold colour and a repeat flowering habit are crucial; maybe scent or wildlife appeal is top of the list. An Award of Garden Merit is usually a good indicator that it's a reliably healthy rose, but maybe the character and romance of the older historic roses is more important, or perhaps the modern, natural look of the wild roses is paramount. With 265 species and over 30,000 hybrids, there is sure to be one that suits.  

The root system can be damaged whilst planting a container rose, especially if the rose has recently been potted up (this is common in spring). Therefore, bare root plants (which are cheaper) are arguably preferable. However, bare root roses can only be purchased and planted from November to March; the advantage of containerised plants is that they can go in the ground at any time of year, and the majority are perfectly good plants, despite what the bare root fanatics say.  

If buying mail order from a specialist supplier (such as David Austin, Peter Beales, or Trevor White), request a plant that hasn't just been potted up. If buying at a nursery, inspect the plant to check it's in good condition: the leaves shouldn't show signs of disease and the roots should not be pot-bound; if the compost surface is clagged with moss, there is risk that the rose has been in the container for a long time, so gently slide it out of its pot and if the roots are growing around and around the base in a dense, coiled mesh, put it back or ask for a discount because it's pot-bound.  

Opt for repeat-flowering varieties, which have the