Frequently Asked Questions on Roses
What are the best roses for perfume?
The roses with the strongest perfume tend to be those from the old rose families that are once flowerers eg damasks, gallicas, albas, moss, centifolia and bourbon roses. The damask roses are the roses, rose oil and rose water are traditionally made from. If you particularly want repeat flowering scented roses, some of the rugosas have strong perfume and the Tea roses have perfume but not the real old rose perfume. A more modern perfumed rose would be Aloha (pink) which repeat flowers.
What are the best roses for rose hips?
The rugosa roses are the best to grow if you want to make products such as rose hip jelly, jam or syrup and the single (five petalled) roses tend to have the best hips. Ann Endt and Corylus are good examples (both pink).
If you want to grow ramblers for their rose hips, the really large once flowerers have great clusters of small rose hips that look spectacular in autumn and can be picked for flower arrangements. Wedding Day (white) is a good example.
If you want to grow ramblers for their rose hips, the really large once flowerers have great clusters of small rose hips that look spectacular in autumn and can be picked for flower arrangements. Wedding Day (white) is a good example.
What thornless roses are available?
Ken Nobbs, of New Zealand, tried to breed thornless ramblers and was reasonably successful, so take a look at his ramblers in the pink and purple sections. Good examples of thornless or few thorns, roses bred by Ken are Charlotte Kemp, Harriet Shepherd and Rev John Gare Butler.
What are the best roses for growing by the coast?
The rugosa roses have thick leaves that protect them from salt and wind, so choose roses from this family if you are after shrubs and bushes. If you want ramblers, look at roses from the wichuraiana family. Alberic Barbier (cream) is particularly proven in wind and salt as it grows along the side of the road at Pukerua Bay. Friends have had success with Blushing Lucy (pink) and Sander's White.
What roses can I use to cover a fence?
If the fence is no more than 1.8m high you can use Hybrid Musk shrub roses that are very long flowering, or you can use ramblers - many of the wichurana ramblers are really good.
What roses can I grow through trees?
Look for ramblers and climbers that are tolerant of shade - these are usually good tree climbers. Chinensis is a good pink repeat flowering rose that does well through a tree here.
What roses can I use to cover an ugly structure?
Go for any of our large ramblers.
What roses will grow well in a pot?
Some small bush roses that grow well in a pot are Sparkler (white), Whipped Cream (white) and some of the chinas, Old Blush (pink), Perle d'Or (apricot). The Hybrid Musk roses can be grown in half a barrel - Moonlight (white) and Danae (yellow) are lovely. All of the roses listed are also long flowering.
What about rose care?
See our rose care section.