We use cookies to make your experience better. Read more
Why choose an English rose plant as a gift
Are you looking for a gift for someone who loves nature and gardening? Discover why we think an English rose plant makes the perfect gift plus discover our top tips to help you choose the right rose plant.
Bare root or potted
Winter is the time to order and plant bare rooted roses. A bare root rose bush is typically grown in a field, dug up during the winter when it is dormant and sold without soil on its roots. You can also buy pot grown rose plants throughout the year. Our roses are sold in pots but there are a few key differences: we have chosen large, tall pots to ensure the roots have the space they need. Rose plants in shallow pots or containers that have had their roots bent up will never recover. If you are buying a bare root rose it needs to be planted immediately when it arrives (you can find more details here). Many potted roses also need to be planted quickly but as long as our rose plants are kept well watered they can be kept in the pot they arrive in for up to a year, which can be very useful when you buying a rose plant as a gift.
Pick a reputable source
It is important to buy your rose from a trusted grower. We would recommend looking for a plant with at least three decent-sized, strong branches emerging from the base that are open in the centre. The perfect rose bush has a shape like a wine glass. Our farm manager Rob Marsden has been working with our founder Rosebie for more than twenty years. Rob hand-tends each of our rose plants so if you are buying from us you can rest assured that it will have been given the best start.
Gift that keeps on giving
A rose plant is a gift that keeps on giving. Our rose plants will produce flowers in their first year and continue to bring joy, scent and colour for years to come. Most roses like a sunny position but are surprising easy to grow. All of the rose plants in our collection make gorgeous cut flowers as well as great garden plants.
Scent sensation
Not all roses are equal when it comes to scent. Many modern roses have been genetically modified to have their scent gene removed, and some garden roses have a much stronger scent that others. When choosing a rose plant we think it is worth also considering scent. All of the roses we grow are scented as we feel it adds so much to the pleasure and experience. Two of our founder Rosebie’s favourite scented roses are Margaret Merril and Chandos Beauty.
Perfect for pollinators
Giving a rose plant as a gift is also a gift for pollinators. Choose a rose variety with a more open centre such as Margaret Merril. British natives Rose canine (dog rose), Rosa rubiginosa (sweet briar) and Rose spinosissima (wild, Scotch or burnet rose) are all popular with bees. Bees also make a bee line for Rosa rugosa which we grow on our farm for its wonderful rose hips.
Space saver - gardening without a garden
Lots of roses thrive in pots so you don't need to have a garden to enjoy growing a rose plant. Some of our favourites rose plants for pots include Margaret Merril, Duchess of Cornwall and Penny Lane.
Good enough to eat
If you are buying a gift for a chef as well as a gardener then take a look at our exclusive collection of edible rose plants. These rose plants have been bred to taste as good as they look (and smell!). On the farm we have also found our edible rose plants to be strong, healthy and robust. Some of our favourites include: Nadia Zerouali, which tastes like lemongrass, Renée van Wegberg with the sweet taste of raspberries and Theo Clevers with a delicious strawberry aroma.