Choosing the perfect rose for you can be a difficult job, not only because of the vast choice of roses! There are a few things to consider … where will you grow your rose? How much sunlight will it receive? Do you have a frame or arch for it to grow over? Which colour do you like? Which fragrance are you after?
With so many things to think about, our rose experts have created a list of their favourites for you to help you get started. We stock hundreds of roses at Coolings, including a large selection of David Austin roses, and we are sure that you’ll be able to find the perfect rose for you.
There are a wide variety of Coolings roses available for you to choose from. These top quality roses are sure to make a spectacular addition to your Summer garden and we know that you will love their strong performance. Our rose experts Lizzie & Louise (from Coolings Wych Cross Garden Centre) have picked six of the highlights!
Rosa ‘Open Arms’
Family: Rambling Rose – Size: Up to 10ft – Colour: Pink
‘Open Arms’ is a strong flowerer with a light fragrance, ideal for growing up walls, fences or obelisks. It has small, semi-double flowers, starting as soft pink and quickly fading to pale pink with prominent golden stamens. It holds a RHS Garden of Merit Award.
Rosa ‘Rhapsody in Blue’
Family: Shrub Rose – Size: 4.5ft x 3ft – Colour: Purple
‘Rhapsody in Blue’ holds the RHS Garden of Merit Award and is the closest thing yet to a blue rose! It makes an impressive addition to the garden, with its semi-double flowers purple and mauve and a sweet fragrance.
Rosa ‘Oranges and Lemons’
Family: Floribunda – Size: 3.5ft x 2.5ft – Colour: Orange and Yellow
If you’re looking for something a bit different, then ‘Oranges and Lemons’ is a sure winner! This unusual and striking feline variety sports bright orange and lemon striped flowers. It is a repeat flowerer, with a slight fragrance.
Rosa ‘Chandos Beauty’
Family: Hybrid Tea – Size: 4ft x 3ft – Colour: Peach
This beautiful, light apricot variety with pink flushes is a soft and pretty addition to the garden. It has an outstanding scent and is a strong grower! Repeat flowering, its attractive spiral flower shape make for lovely cut flowers.
Rosa ‘Love Knot’
Family: Climbing Rose – Size: 6.5ft x 5ft – Colour: Red
‘Love Knot’ is a superb climbing rose, with beautifully shaped scarlet-red blooms. Flowering throughout Summer, it has a delicate fragrance and is a reliable grower. Ideal if you are looking for a classic red rose.
Rosa ‘Absolutely Fabulous’
Family: Floribunda – Size: 3ft x 3ft – Colour: Yellow
This phenomenal floribunda displays gorgeous yellow flowers which contrast against its bright green foliage. Identifiable by its distinctive liquorice fragrance, ‘Absolutely Fabulous’ flowers throughout Summer and was named Rose of the Year in 2010.
We are also delighted to be a stockist of over one hundred varieties of David Austin roses, outstanding roses which make beautiful garden shrubs and are bred for best quality. These are six of our top David Austin selections.
David Austin Rosa ‘Lady of Shalott’
Family: English Shrub Rose – Size: 4ft x 4ft – Fragrance: Tea – Colour: Orange
Named after Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s famous ballad, this fiery shrub rose produces orangey-red, chalice-shaped blooms. It has an interesting fragrance of tea mixed with spiced apples and cloves. Awarded the RHS Garden of Merit Award.
David Austin Rosa ‘Desdemona’
Family: English Shrub Rose – Size: 3.5 ft x 3.5ft – Fragrance: Old Rose – Colour: White
A peachy white shrub rose with chalice-shaped blooms, ‘Desdemona’ sports incurved petals and forms a neat rounded shrub. Named after Othello’s tragic heroine, this pretty rose has a strong Old Rose fragrance with hints of cucumber, lemon and almond blossom.
David Austin Rosa ‘The Lady of the Lake’
Family: English Rambling Rose – Size: Up to 12.5ft – Fragrance: Fruity – Colour: Pink
This rambler is one to impress, growing up to 12.5ft, and giving off a fresh citrus fragrance. ‘The Lady of the Lake’ produces sprays of pretty, semi-double pale pink blossoms. The name stems from the ambiguous enchantress in the legends of King Arthur.
David Austin Rosa ‘Wollerton Old Hall’
Family: English Climbing Rose – Size: Up to 12ft – Fragrance: Myrrh – Colour: Apricot
Named after the beautiful private garden, this climber has chalice-shaped flowers of apricot. Growing up to 12ft, this fragrant climber has a fragrance of myrrh and is ideal for growing over an archway to form an impressive feature.
David Austin Rosa ‘Harlow Carr’
Family: English Shrub Rose – Size: 3ft x 3ft – Fragrance: Old Rose – Colour: Pink
‘Harlow Carr’ is named after the RHS’s northerly Yorkshire garden and is a beautiful mid-pink rose. It is free-flowering and has a strong Old Rose fragrance. ‘Harlow Carr’ makes an excellent choice for a mixed border or pots with its delightfully shaped flowers.
David Austin Rosa ‘Queen of Sweden‘
Family: English Shrub Rose – Size: 4ft x 3ft – Fragrance: Myrrh – Colour: Pink
A repeat flowering rose; its flowers open up in to wide cups, beginning as apricot pink and changing to soft pink. ‘Queen of Sweden’ has a delightful myrrh fragrance and was named to commemorate the Treaty of Friendship and Commerce between Sweden and Great Britain.
If you need any more help with choosing a rose, please don’t hesitate to pop into one of our centres and speak to a member of staff. Our knowledgeable and friendly staff will be delighted to help you with your choice.
Images of David Austin roses used with permission of David Austin Roses.