New season Roses are now in stock at our garden centres.

We have a selected a fabulous range of high quality Roses for this new season and am sure you will find just what you are looking for at Otter.

Roses are one of the nation’s favourite flowers, for the very good reason that this popular plant is so versatile. They look wonderful in so many different locations, and blend just as easily into a modern mixed border as they do in a classic cottage garden. There are shrub roses that work beautifully as a flowering hedge, wit hips to feed birds in winter, and climbing roses that scramble up and over arches and pergolas. Some roses happily spread across the ground, covering bare soil with their glossy leaves, while compact roses are bred to suit pots and containers, with dainty blooms and naturally short stems. Many add fragrance and rich, dramatic colours to your garden.

Planting and Caring for your Roses

Roses can last for many, many years and are easy to establish with the right planting and aftercare

Planting

To give your Roses the best start we recommend adding organic matter and mycorrhizal fungi to the soil area where the Rose is to be planted.  Always plant roses just below the crown, this will help to avoid the growth of ‘suckers’.   If you are planting in a pot or container, we recommend to use a Rose specific compost and, in this case, mycorrhizal fungi is not necessary.

Feeding

Feeding is very important for all Roses.  Our experts recommend to feed in the spring with a good quality Rose feed which will give strong growth and help the plant to produce lots of flowers.  However, it is essential for prolific flowering to feed throughout the growing season.

Deadheading

Once your Roses have flowered, we recommend deadheading to encourage another flush of flowers, do this by cutting each flowering stem back to three sets of leaves.

Pests & Diseases

Roses are not immune to pests and diseases and you may find your Rose is an attraction for aphids, or that it develops blackspot or rust, for example. The best way to keep disease at bay is plenty of water, regular feeding, and to take off any leaves with black spot and remove any that have fallen to the ground.  Our plant experts will help you select the right products to help with any pests or diseases for your Rose.

Pruning

Pruning your Roses is important to encourage fresh healthy growth and more flowers.

Simple steps for pruning:

  • Always use clean and sharp tools, and cut to an outward facing bud and at an angle away from the bud, this will ensure the rain does not settle above the bud and cause it to rot.
  • Whilst pruning, remove dead, diseased and damaged wood from all types of Roses.
  • The majority of Roses including Hybrid Tea Roses can be pruned in November and March.  Reduce the stems by removing the oldest to invigorate the plant.
  • With Climbing Roses cut back branches growing away from the structure and can’t be tied in easily.
  • Rambling Roses are best pruned after flowering in late summer as the new growth that a Rambling Rose puts on will provide the flowers next year.  If your Rambling Rose produces hips, prune as late as possible so birds can feast on them.
  • Patio & Miniature Roses may need little pruning.

For any questions on Planting or Caring for your Rose please don’t hesitate to contact our Plant Experts who will be happy to help you.

Our guide to choosing your rose

Choosing a new rose can be a daunting process as there are so many to choose from.  At Otter Garden Centres our team members will be happy to help with your selection and give guidance on planting and successful growing. Here is some information about what is so wonderful about each type of roses, which will help you to select the perfect rose for your garden.

BUY WITH CONFIDENCE  All our roses are guaranteed for 2 years.

If you would like a specific rose, please call ahead of your journey so that we can check availability.

Hybrid Tea Roses

The beauty of the Hybrid Tea rose lies in their stunning large blooms formed from long pointed buds that open to velvety petals beautifully arranged with a central cone, with each stem usually holding a single flower. They can provide long colour as will normally flower more than once during summer months. Many Hybrid Tea roses can also be very fragrant making these roses excellent cut flowers, and are perfect for growing where the fragrance can be enjoyed, making them ideal for beds and borders, or close to the front of the house or patios.

Floribunda Roses

Floribunda roses are prized for creating a mass of wonderful colour by bearing many flowers in large clusters and most will provide repeat flowering through the summer and into autumn. Ideal for growing in mixed borders, Floribundas are unrivalled for providing a colourful, reliable & long-lasting display and are easy to care for.

Climbing Roses

Climbing roses are an excellent way of bringing height and a feeling of abundance to the garden and are ideal for training against walls, obelisks, trellises and over arches. Climbing roses usually have flowers held singly or in small groups and most have the ability to repeat flower during the summer.

Rambling Roses

Similar to a Climbing rose, these are ideal for growing against trellises or walls, but will also be happy to ramble through bushes and into trees or hedges.  The growth of the stems can be prolific, with flowers which are usually small to medium size. Many varieties provide a  mass of colour in a single burst whilst other varieties will produce a second flowering.  Some varieties will also produce beautiful hips providing lovely autumn colour.

Patio & Miniature Roses

Patio /miniature roses typically grow to a height of between 30-90cm and have prettily formed little flowers. Bushy and compact, they can be grown in a pot making them ideal for use on a patio in a small, modern garden or added to the front of a border. They prefer a sunny to part shade location in your garden and will often repeat-flower throughout the summer.

Shrub Roses

Shrub roses come in a wide range of sizes and types and have many different uses in the garden. Many are fragranced and repeat flowering. They can be grown on their own as a specimen shrub, while others make excellent hedges. Many are bred not only for the beauty of their individual flowers but also for natural and shapely growth, making Shrub roses ideal plants for the garden.

Ground Cover Roses

Ground Cover roses are typically wider than they are tall and are an attractive way to cover the lowest point in a garden. They can be useful for hiding unsightly ground level features, or trail over paths and steps.  With small flowers, many will provide continuous colour through the season.

David Austin Roses

For almost 60 years David Austin Roses has been breeding exquisite English Roses. Renowned for their beautiful, often many petalled, repeat flowering blooms and enticing, rich fragrances there are now over 200 rose varieties bred by David Austin, each one making a fantastic contribution to any garden. At Otter, we have a selected range of David Austin roses available to purchase.