Growing Roses in Ireland

Types of Roses

Before planting, it's helpful to understand the different types of roses and how they perform:

• Hybrid Tea Roses: Known for their large, well-formed blooms and long stems, ideal for cutting gardens or as specimen plants.
• Floribunda Roses: Produce clusters of blooms, perfect for borders or mass planting.
• Climbing Roses: Great for covering arches, pergolas, and walls, adding vertical interest to the garden.
• Shrub Roses: Bushy and robust, excellent for mixed borders or informal hedges.
• Ground Cover Roses: Low-growing and spreading, perfect for slopes or filling gaps in beds.
• Miniature or Patio Roses: Compact and ideal for containers or small gardens.

Choosing the Right Garden Style

Roses are incredibly versatile and can complement a variety of garden styles:

• Cottage Gardens: Combine shrub and floribunda roses with perennials for a romantic look.
• Formal Gardens: Use hybrid tea and floribunda roses in geometric beds edged with box or lavender.
• Wildlife Gardens: Many shrub roses, especially those with open, single blooms, are great for pollinators.
• Contemporary Gardens: Climbing roses against rendered walls or pergolas soften modern lines.

When, How, and Where to Plant Roses

• When: Plant bare-root roses from November to March. Container-grown roses can be planted year-round, ideally in spring or autumn.
• How: Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball. Add well-rotted manure or compost, set the rose with the graft just below soil level, backfill, and water well.
• Where: Most roses require a sunny location (6+ hours/day), with well-draining, rich soil - even those that are suitable for partial shade will likely do better in full sun, where the foliage will be kept dryer in our often humid climate (see 'Dealing with black spot' below). You should also avoid wind-blasted or overly exposed sites.

8 Rose Varieties That Do well in Ireland, even in the West:

1. Gertrude Jekyll (David Austin) – Deep pink shrub rose with strong perfume and disease resistance.
2. The Lady Gardener (David Austin) – Shrub rose with flowers in a lovely shade of pure apricot with a tea fragrance that has hints of cedarwood and vanilla
3. Golden Celebration (David Austin) – Rich yellow blooms with a strong tea fragrance on a rounded shrub. Perfect for a sunny site.
4. Trumpeter – An Ardcarne favourite, this floribunda, or cluster-flowered rose has dark glossy foliage with rich red blooms
5. Bantry Bay – Climbing rose that has lovely semi-double, pink flowers with a subtle fragrance. Perfect for trellises and arches.
6. Rosa bracteata – Single-flowered shrub rose, great for wildlife-friendly gardens that can also be trained as a climber.
7. Rhapsody in Blue – A bushy shrub rose with very fragrant, cupped, semi-double purplish-blue flowers fading to slate-blue, suitable for partial shade.
8. Flower Carpet Roses - hardy roses that come in a range of colours with glossy green foliage.

Trumpeter Rose - Photo by Yoko Nekonomania (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Ongoing Maintenance and Care

• Feeding: Use a balanced rose fertiliser in early spring and again after flowering.
• Pruning: Prune in late winter to remove dead or crossing stems and shape the plant.
• Mulching: Mulch in spring with compost or bark to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
• Watering: Water deeply in dry periods, especially for newly planted roses.

Dealing with Black Spot

Black spot is a common fungal disease in Ireland's humid climate. Leaves develop dark blotches and fall prematurely. As with any disease, prevention is always better than cure. To prevent black spot taking hold on your roses in the first place you can take these important steps:

• Keep the foliage as dry as possible, since the spores need a wet surface in order to germinate.
• Avoid overhead watering, or water early in the day so the foliage has time to dry before nightfall.
• Improve the air circulation around your roses by spacing them properly and pruning them regularly.
• Grow your roses where they will receive ample sunlight, which speeds drying of the foliage.

That said, in our humid climate, particularly here in the west and despite all preventative measures taken, you might still come across the issue in a particularly damp season (and we've had plenty of those in recent years). If that is the case, whilst you can't exactly reverse the disease, you can stop it spreading by using a fungicide such as 'Rose Clear'. However if you are looking for a more environmentally friendly, homemade solution you may want to try the following:

Homemade Organic Treatment:

• 1 tablespoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of horticultural oil or liquid soap (not detergent) so that the mix sticks to the leaves.
• 1 litre of water

This remedy was tested by a Cornell University researcher with positive results. Mix and spray weekly, especially in damp conditions or after rainfall. Remove and dispose of infected leaves (do not compost) and ensure good air circulation around your plants going forward.

Final Thoughts

Roses can be a stunning and surprisingly low-maintenance addition to any garden in Ireland, when you choose suitable varieties and provide the right care. With a little planning and some well-timed attention, you’ll be rewarded with months of blooms and the unmistakable beauty that only roses can bring. Whether it’s a fragrant David Austin shrub in a sunny corner or a climbing rose framing your doorway, there’s a rose out there that’s perfect for your garden.

We have a wide range of roses available in our stores near Boyle and in Roscommon Town, or you can browse our selection online. Should you not find a specific variety you are looking for, you can contact us via our online contact form, give us a call on 071 966 7091 or pop in and chat to one of our helpful staff and we'll do our best to source the perfect rose for you.

Cover photo - Scented Path, Mount Congreve Gardens, near to Ballyduff, Co Waterford, Ireland - Photo by David Dixon (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Banner Image by Hans Linde from Pixabay