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.
Table of Contents
Planning Your Rose Garden
First, if you decide you want to do roses in your landscaping, you need a solid plan of action. 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 is hard to know 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 also. 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
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 in 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
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
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 them cascading 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
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. Grow vertically
As we mentioned above, you can grow your roses vertically if you decide to build a rose wall. But this is just one way of displaying them vertically. You can train roses as well as other vining flowers like clematis to go up the trellis or fence and create beautiful landscapes.
6. Create an entrance
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.
7. Use roses as a background planting
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
8. Create a mixed border
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 makes a beautiful border in your landscaping.
9. Plant in a hedge
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.
10. Cover a slope
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.
11. Line your driveway
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 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.
12. Lavender and rose trees lining the walkway
What a gorgeous color and texture combination! The deliciously smelling lavender plants create a gorgeous background for the pink rose trees lining this walkway.
13. Add a bench for a quiet spot in nature
What a beautiful spot for a quiet afternoon after work! There’s a little bit of everything in this relaxing spot: pink and red roses, mixed with foxgloves, and many low to the ground herbs and flowers, creating the perfect place to take a breatk.
Tips and Tricks for Landscaping with Roses
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
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
What should you not plant next to roses?
There are some plants you should not plant next to your roses because they can steal nutrients from the roses or otherwise cause them to die. First, avoid plants that shade the roses too much, so that they don’t get adequate light. Large trees and shrubs will compete for resources and should also be avoided.
Is banana peel good for roses?
You may have heard that tossing banana peels into your roses will help them grow. Does it work? Banana peels actually provide many of the nutrients that roses need for growth, and you don’t even need to compost them first. If you want to take advantage of this, just add two or three banana peels to the soil when you plant new roses to give them an early advantage. Banana peels provide calcium, phosphates, sulfur, and magnesium.
Is urine good for roses?
You may have also heard that urine is good for roses. Human urine is rich in nitrogen, as well as urea, which has high levels of potassium and phosphorus, both of which are good for roses. If you want to use human urine as a rose fertilizer, you should mix one cup of urine with eight cups of water in a watering can or jug, then pour around your roses. Just remember that is it very strong and should always be diluted.
Are eggshells good for roses?
Eggshells are very rich in calcium and can help the roses grow by strengthening the walls of the rose’s cell tissue. This helps them to fight off disease and even pests. To use them, you can just grind them up a bit and then work them into the soil.
Do roses like coffee grounds?
Another common household item that you may have heard you can use on your roses is coffee grounds. They can be a good thing if they are used at the right time of year and in the right amount. Otherwise, it can be too much and might harm your roses. Too much will give them nitrogen burn and can kill them. This is also why you should never sprinkle right next to the plant. You want to put them spread out a bit in the soil and allow rain, worms, and other natural processes to work them in.
What is the best homemade fertilizer for roses?
There are many different homemade fertilizers you can use for roses. Naming the best is hard because it depends on the type of roses, the type of soil you have, and what the climate is like in your location.
Some examples of homemade fertilizers you might consider are used tea bags and eaves, eggshells, diluted human urine, coffee grounds, banana peels, apple cider vinegar, powdered milk, fish bones, and baking soda.
Conclusion of Landscaping with Roses
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.
