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Too Much Choice?

We believe that diversity is important. It's our philosophy to maintain a comprehensive list of roses, to encourage as many different varieties as possible to remain part of England's great gardening heritage. However, with such a long list to choose from, it's not surprising that many of our customers say to us: 'You're the experts - you choose!'. So, although there are very many excellent roses for the situations listed, this section of our site suggests just four outstanding varieties of English Roses. They are all very highly recommended - easy to grow, healthy and reliable. Please click on any of the roses shown on this page to find more information about the bare root rose or to order a bare root rose. Many of these varieties are also available in our container rose collection. To search our container rose collection, please click here

Small shrubs

Charlotte Exquisite, cup-shaped flowers of medium size. Very hardy with bushy, upright growth.

Darcey Bussell Free-flowering, producing beautiful rosettes. Pleasing, fruity fragrance. Very healthy.

Sophy's Rose Lovely, broad, flat blooms. Upright habit. Exceptionally healthy and free-flowering.

The Alnwick® Rose Beautifully-formed rosettes produced freely. Reliable, healthy and easy to care for.

Medium shrubs

Gentle Hermione Charming blush pink blooms produced freely. Strong old rose scent with hints of myrrh. Very healthy.

Lady Emma Hamilton A healthy, free-flowering shrub with bright tangerine-orange flowers. Strong, fruity fragrance.

Strawberry Hill Beautiful cupped rosettes with a strong, delicious myrrh and honey fragrance. A superb shrub.

William Shakespeare 2000 Our most popular crimson. Traditional, quartered rosettes with an old rose scent.

Large shrubs

Claire Austin Creamy-white blooms with an outstanding fragrance: myrrh, meadowsweet and vanilla.

Golden Celebration A magnificent shrub rose producing large, deliciously fragrant blooms. Great all-round performer.

Jubilee Celebration Wonderful, reliable shrub rose. Many scented two-tone blooms. Superb for cutting.

Port Sunlight Apricot rosettes with a rich tea fragrance. Vigorous, upright growth. Exceptionally healthy.

For large pots and containers

Anne Boleyn Warm pink rosettes. Reliable and easy to grow. A beautiful rose with bushy growth.

Benjamin Britten Vibrant blooms with an intensely fruity fragrance: hints of wine and pear drops.

Grace Many apricot rosettes produced freely. Also ideal for the front of a border.

Munstead Wood Wonderful dark crimson with a compact habit. Position where it may be admired.

For fragrance

Gertrude Jekyll A very strong, rich and perfectly balanced old rose fragrance.

Jude the Obscure Strong, fruity fragrance with hints of guava and sweet white wine.

Lady Emma Hamilton A strong fruity fragrance with hints of pear, grapes and citrus fruits.

Scepter'd Isle Many cupped blooms with golden stamens. Powerful myrrh scent.

Roses for partial shade (at least 4-5 hrs of sun each day)

Grace Masses of apricot rosettes on a branching shrub. Excellent garden shrub.

Wildeve Distinctly-quartered pale pink rosettes. Fresh fragrance. Strong, healthy growth.

Molineux Flowers with exceptional freedom and continuity. Musky tea fragrance.

Crocus Rose Clusters of creamy-white blooms. An elegant, arching shrub.

Climbing roses for walls

The Pilgrim Climbing Soft yellow rosettes, produced freely. Classic tea and myrrh scent. A spectacular climber.

Teasing Georgia Climbing One of the world's most beautiful and reliable climbing roses.

The Generous Gardener Climbing Delicious mixed scent. Vigorous, strong and healthy growth.

St. Swithun Climbing Perfectly-formed, large, pink rosettes on a healthy and vigorous climber.

Climbers for rose pillars

A Shropshire Lad Climbing Strong fruity fragrance. Large, perfectly-formed rosettes. Vigorous, reliable and healthy.

Crown Princess Margareta Climbing Clusters of neat apricot rosettes with a glorious, fruity fragrance. Quite superb.

Gertrude Jekyll Climbing Large rich pink rosettes with a strong and complex old rose fragrance.

Graham Thomas Climbing A wonderful climbing rose. Rich yellow blooms with a strong fresh tea fragrance.

Climbers for pergolas

James Galway Climbing Neatly--formed, many-opetalled rosettes. Old rose fragrance.

Malvern Hills A beautiful repeat-flowering rambler. Clusters of small, musk scented blooms.

Mortimer Sackler Climbing Lovely, fruity old rose scent. Very reliable. Almost thornless.

The Generous Gardener Climbing Delicious mixed scent. Vigorous, strong and healthy growth.

Roses for hedges

Harlow Carr, Hedging Perfectly-formed old rose scented blooms. Vigorous, reliable and healthy.

Hyde Hall, Hedging Excellent repeat flowering. Forms a thorny, impenetrable barrier.

Queen of Sweden, Hedging Glowing pink blooms. Myrrh fragrance. Upright, bushy habit.

Wild Edric, Hedging Wonderfully scented, large, semi-double blooms. Very thorny. Superb health.