Stunning Ways to Landscape With Roses

Landscaping with roses is one of the easiest ways to create a perfect blend of form and function while also increasing your curb appeal. Roses are one of the most beloved garden plants and they’ve been around for what seems like ages. A classic choice, roses are perfect for landscaping, and they are so versatile. But there are a lot of things to learn about using this flower in your landscaping. 

There are so many different ways to do it, and so many different types of roses you can plant. Landscaping with roses could be as simple as a couple of rose bushes in the front yard, or something much more elaborate like a small statuary with formal landscaping. From low-lying bushes to tall rose trees or vining trellises, there’s something for everyone. 

Let’s take a look.

Planning Your Rose Garden

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First, if you decide you want to add roses to your landscaping, you need a solid plan of action. Make sure you know what it takes to grow beautiful roses.

For the best results, you’ll want to take steps that ensure you choose the right roses and the proper location for them to thrive in your landscape.

Types of roses

There are many rose varieties, and it can be hard to choose which one you want for your home. There are old favorites like the classic red rose, but there is a whole world of roses out there that can be just what you need! If you aren’t sure where to start, here’s a list of some great choices:

• Climbing roses
• Hybrid tea roses
• Miniature roses
• Groundcover roses
• Shrub roses
• David Austin roses
• Grandiflora roses
• Floribunda roses
• Polyantha roses
• And more

They need plenty of sun, as well as good air circulation to help prevent disease. It’s important to place them in a location where other large trees or shrubbery are not blocking their access to sunlight. 

Then, you’ll want to make a plan for how you want your roses to look. What’s the overall theme or look you’re going for?

You can look at magazines or at photos online to help you with inspiration. We have gathered some of our favorite ideas here to help you, too. You may decide to copy one or more of these ideas or use them as a jumping-off point to come up with some ideas of your own.

Now let’s look at some ideas for your rose landscape:

1. Container roses

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A simple, elegant place to start is with roses in a container garden. This might also be a good choice for people who live in a climate that isn’t friendly to roses year-round.

If you plant in a container, you can always bring them inside or into a greenhouse when the weather is bad. Another benefit to container roses is that you can move them around for the best lighting if needed.

2. Arches and Arbors

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Arches and arbors are beautiful, classic, and easy to pull off with roses. The landscaping look works best when the arches have a purpose, so try to plan them around entries to pathways, or leading from one section of the garden to another.

All you need to do for this one is to plant a climber on either side of the arch. A single plant won’t grow up or over the other side, but they will meet in the middle, and it will look like one big, long piece. You can twine and tie the stems around your arbor or archway.

3. Rose Walls

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If you’d like to create a rose wall, there are several ways to do this successfully. When you display your flowers in a vertical arrangement, it can give an entirely new look and feel to the landscape.

You can build the wall in the front of your house, or have it cascade down a fence, or even down the wall of a shed or building. Walls provide structure in the garden, but they aren’t always attractive, so this is a way to work around that.

4. Grow Horizontally 

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You can also grow your roses horizontally by training them along a fence or trellis. This is a good way to spruce up the look of a chain-link fence or create a border wall sectioning off parts of your garden.

5. Create an Entrance

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Another way to use roses in your landscaping is to create an entrance with them. It could be the entrance to your front door, or the entrance to the back of the garden, or the side of your yard.

What a beautiful and romantic way to greet guests and homeowners as they come and gon each day. 

6. Use Roses as a Background Planting

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Roses don’t always have to steal the show. Ground cover roses are naturally short in stature, and they come in a variety of colors. They have long-spreading branches that work well when you want to use roses as a background planting.

Some of the best groundcover roses are:

• Red ribbons
• Sweet vigorosa
• Happy chappy
• Wedding dress
• Scarlet meidilands

7. Create a Mixed Border

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It’s also possible to create a mixed border with roses. You can use groundcover roses named above, mixed with other shrubs, perennials, or shrub roses. Combined, it will create a mix of colors and textures that make a beautiful border in your landscaping.

8. Plant in a Hedge

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Plant your roses in a hedge if you want the dual function of privacy or a way to wall off certain parts of the landscape.

Are roses good for hedging? Most wild roses are good for hedging, but there are some other varieties you can choose that will work in hedges, but might need routine maintenance and trimming

9. Cover a slope

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You can also use roses to cover a slope. The best choices are groundcover roses and shrub roses, as they work best in hillside and slope planting. Mixed with ornamental grasses and native plants will complete the look.

With these ideas in mind, let’s also look at some additional tips that will help you to be more successful with your efforts.

10. Line Your Driveway

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Another great use for roses is to line your driveway for a beautiful, dramatic entrance to the property. You can do this with hedge roses, with taller rose bushes, or with decorative fencing (or walls as in the image) that has climbing roses on it. A row of tree roses will always add to your curb appeal.

Next, let’s look at some tips for getting your rose landscaping done right.

11. Lavender and Rose Trees Lining the Walkway

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What a gorgeous color and texture combination! The deliciously smelling lavender plants create a gorgeous background for the pink rose trees lining this walkway.

12. Add a Bench for a Quiet Spot in Nature

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What a beautiful spot for a quiet afternoon after work! Sit and smell the fragrance in the air, breathe deeply, and listen to the bees having a day. 

Other great choices to add to a hangout spot include lavender and tasty herbs like basil, rosemary, or cilantro. 

Tips and Tricks for Landscaping with Roses

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If you’re going to use roses in your landscaping, here are some tips and tricks to make things easier for you. First, the best spot for roses needs about 6-8 hours of sun a day.

• Choose your style – A good first step is to know what kind of style you’re going for with your roses. Do you want a full garden? A decorative trellis? A full bed that lines your property? Deciding on the landscaping style upfront is going to help you in the planning phase.
• Pick a color scheme – Next, you want to choose your color scheme. This will be for the roses, as well as for any other flowers, plants, shrubs, or non-living elements you’re adding to the landscaping. You need to know how it will all flow together.
• Prepare your soil – Once you’re ready to go, it’s time to prepare the soil. To give your roses the best chance at successful growth, you want to prepare the soil properly. Roses prefer rich, well-draining soil and they lean toward the acidic side. A pH of 6.0-7.0 is ideal.
• Plant and wait – With all that done, you are ready to plant your roses and then wait for them to grow in beautiful. You will enjoy the look of them and also tending to them over the years.

Companion Plants For Roses

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You should also learn a bit about what other plants go well with roses in your landscaping. This is how you will complete the entire package and bring all the different elements together to master the look.

Here are some things you can plant with your roses in the landscaping.

• Flowering companions – some flowers, such as petunias, verbena, or calibrachoa, will enhance the look of roses in the garden. 
• Groundcover – use good groundcovers such as perennial geraniums, bugleweed, or dead nettle.
• Shrubs – create contrasting colors and texture from the roses by planting shrubs. Good evergreen choices are boxwood, senecio, holly, or sweet box.
• Vines – adding climbers or vining plants is another way to supplement the roses in your landscaping. Good vining companion plants to roses are clematis.

Landscaping with Roses FAQ

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Time to Choose

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Roses are a beautiful addition to any yard or garden. They come in many different colors, sizes, and even shapes! There are so many varieties of roses that you can find the perfect one for your gardening needs.

They also make wonderful gifts for loved ones or yourself! Roses show love and care, which is why they’re such an attractive plant to have in your home.

With the information you’ve learned here, you can begin planning your own rose landscaping ideas and then putting them into action. Remember that you can use as few or as many roses as you want in your landscaping. You can also mix different types of roses to achieve a stylish and unique look.

Roses are easy to find, come in a variety of colors, are very versatile, and despite requiring some labor for upkeep, they are a great choice for landscaping for many people.