There’s no flower more famous than a rose! These elegant flowers are the star of classic rose gardens, but they can look at home in a whole range of approachable design styles. Read on for our expert tips on rose garden design and a wealth of inspiration from our favorite rose garden ideas.
Rose Garden Design Tips
They may be notoriously finicky flowers, but you don’t have to be afraid of growing roses! While your grandmother’s roses might have required constant care and attention, there’s a whole range of rose varieties out there that suit different climates, care levels, and garden styles. Some newer cultivars are remarkably hardy and can thrive for even the most casual weekend gardeners.
With that being said, every plant has unique care requirements, and roses have particular needs you should think about well before you break ground. Good rose gardens balance the plants’ needs and your needs! You want to make sure that your roses thrive and that no one gets scratched up by thorns when they’re walking to the patio.
Ask yourself these questions to help narrow down your perfect rose varieties:
- Do you want a layered rose look with other flowers incorporated or will roses be the star?
- Do you want climbing roses to scale a pergola or fence? Would you prefer a freestanding bush? Or perhaps miniature roses small enough to fit in a pot?
- Where do you want your roses? Think about the scale of your plants so they don’t dwarf your outdoor furniture or seem teeny tiny compared to your mature trees.
- Are you planting in a high-traffic area? Either choose thornless roses or leave space between your roses and your paths and seating areas to avoid passers by getting snagged on thorns.
- What is your climate and hardiness zone? Make sure you select rose varieties that suit your region and weather conditions.
- How much light do you get? Most roses require 6-8 hours of sun each day, although you may be able to find varieties that suit your climate which can grow with less.
- What is your soil like? Roses prefer well-draining soil with an acidic pH between 6.0-7.0. You may have to amend your soil with compost and other organic matter to match their needs.
- How much care do you want to devote to your roses? Some roses can be fussy, so make sure to select easy-care cultivars if you don’t want to be chained to your garden.
You should also think about all the things that go into any strong garden design. For example, what kind of style do you prefer? Do you want a classic English garden, or do you prefer some focal point roses in a modern design? What color palette do you want to work with? You can find more considerations in our full Guide to Landscape Design!
When you’ve figured out what you want in your rose garden, it’s time to sketch it out. Mapping out your space and figuring out exactly what should go where will help to avoid headaches before you’re knee deep in the dirt. Think about where to place your plants for them to thrive while also maintaining places for you to relax and play in your outdoor space.
If you’re feeling intimidated by the prospect of tackling your rose garden design alone, we’ve got your back! Our experienced landscape designers know the nitty gritty of designing a beautiful rose garden, and we can find the perfect roses and perfect look for your own garden. Let us know what you’re looking for and we’ll help bring your wish list to life.
Rose Garden Ideas
Looking for a little style inspiration to help you create your perfect rose garden? We’ve compiled a list of the latest trends and enduring classics in rose garden design that we love to incorporate into our own landscaping plans.
Make an Unforgettable Entrance
Frame the entrance to your home with roses for a charming upgrade to your curb appeal. Plant roses to climb the fences around your garden gate or dress up your arbors with beautiful blooms. Complete the look with low surrounding plants for a finished look that shows you have an eye for detail. The flowers and fragrance will draw your guests in and have your neighbors asking for care tips!
Establish Colorful Foundation Planting
Foundation planting along the base of your home helps it to feel like an integrated part of your landscape, and a colorful selection of roses and other plants will create a vibrant display. Choose a variety of shrubs and flowers that will bloom in spring, summer, and fall for visual interest throughout the year.
Create a Mixed Border
You can grow roses at the border of a path or any other landscaping feature with smart planning. Use low-growth roses near the front of your border and larger, semi-climbing varieties in the back to create height and layers. Mix your roses with thorn-free shrubs and other plants at the edges for mixed borders that are friendly to pets and humans alike.
Control Erosion with Roses
Roses are more than just pretty blooms—they can also help to reduce erosion. Choose ground cover varieties like Drift® and Flower Carpet® roses to cover any runoff-prone slopes in your landscape. You’ll turn your hillside into a garden and reduce your landscaping headaches in one fell swoop.
Colorful purple pink garden, with rose and salvia
Plant in Containers for Small Spaces
Don’t have a large yard? Not a problem! Skip the garden space required for a formal rose garden and opt for rose species that can grow and thrive in containers. This is a great rose garden design solution for apartments, small backyards, and adding a pop of color to a patio or porch. Many traditional roses can be planted in large pots or even wooden barrels to sit on your deck. You can plant miniature roses in even smaller pots, making them ideal for easy-access elevated spots.
Plant a DIY Rose Garden
Looking for a rose garden design that really makes roses the star? Section off part of your garden as a rose-only bed. (Pro tip: you can use raised beds for easy soil amendment!) Planting roses together makes it easier to keep your garden healthy since you’re growing plants with similar care requirements in the same space—you can even stick to multiple colors of the same variety for ultimate ease. Mix pink and white roses for a romantic look or go wild with orange, yellow, and lavender shades.
Plant a Front Yard Rose Garden
There’s nothing quite like the cheerful explosion of color from blooming rose bushes to boost your curb appeal! A large rose bush or two planted in your front yard will become the focal point of your landscape all summer long—and give you a beautiful view out your front window while you’re washing dishes.
Grow Climbing Roses Vertically
Whether you’re short on space for rose bushes or you love a romantic rose garden design, climbing roses might be just the thing for you. Climbing roses can climb pretty much anything—think arbors, pergolas, and more—for big impact with a small footprint on your garden square footage. Combine your roses with other vines like clematis for an exciting flower combination! A little advance planning will result in beautiful rose arches over your garden seating areas next season.
Cover Fences & Walls
Add a little color to any plain wall or fence in your yard with roses. Bushy rose varieties will bloom right through a picket fence for a festive front yard look. Climbing roses can be trained to grow horizontally for coverage across a solid wall, making a beautiful backdrop for any backyard seating area.
Start Wildlife Gardening with Roses
Roses can provide beauty for your backyard and contribute to your local ecosystem! Bold rose blooms make them a great addition to a pollinator garden, and fruiting roses will produce a bounty of rose hips to feed wildlife (and people with adventurous palates). An easy way to make sure that your roses will be as beneficial for your environment as possible is to pick a native variety that is specialized for your region.
Use Roses as Ground Cover
Climbing roses grow tall, rose bushes are mid-height, and ground cover roses grow nice and low to the soil. We always recommend layering different heights of plants to create visually interesting gardens, and low-growing rose cultivars like Drift® and Flower Carpet® are a perfect filler for any areas missing that bottom layer. Roses can keep your garden design interesting from top to bottom!
Play with Roses in a Cottage Garden
Rose garden design doesn’t have to be formal and stodgy. On the contrary, roses are a favorite in cottage garden design, which is all about having an untamed and exuberant style! Combine different heights, colors, and sizes of roses to keep your cottage-style hodgepodge cohesive or mix in other flowers, shrubs, and vines for a more eclectic display.
Plant Rose Bushes as a Hedge
Plain hedges are lovely, but blooming rose hedges are much more fun! You can create an impressive hedge that adds beauty and privacy to your garden by covering a tall fence in climbing roses or planting a row of dense rose bushes all on their own.
Start With a Small Rose Garden
You don’t have to go wild with your rose garden design. A single flower bed of roses or one large statement rose bush is all it takes to create an eye-catching feature in your landscape. If you want your roses to have an even bigger impact, pick an unusual color like lavender or even a variegated cultivar.
Go Monochromatic With a One Color Rose Garden
If you find a variety of rose you love, go all in for a big impact! This rose garden design uses a row of statuesque white roses trained into trees for an elegant result, but you can use your favorite color to match your own unique landscaping style. Pink roses add a romantic touch, while red conveys luxury and drama.
Do these rose garden ideas have you dreaming of your own perfect garden design? Whatever your aesthetic, a few roses (or a whole lot) added into your landscape will add vibrant color and have you breathing in their dreamy fragrance all season long. If you’re not quite ready to start planting, drop your questions in the comments below or look through our design portfolio for more rose garden ideas and landscaping inspiration!
