Best English Roses for Pots and Containers

Container Gardening, Best English Roses

Best David Austin Roses, David Austin Fragrant Roses, Top Roses for containers, Best Fragrant Roses for containers, Fragrant Roses for containers, container Gardening

Container gardening is a very pleasant and easy way to grow English roses. Their dazzling beauty and seductive fragrance are right up to eye and nose level for your guaranteed pleasure. Containers are also a fabulous option for those rose enthusiasts lacking garden space or facing soil and drainage issues.

English roses are not only sumptuous and fragrant, they also have the great advantage of repeat flowering in flushes, producing exquisite blooms time and again over a long season extending from late spring through to the first frosts. They also enjoy a particularly strong disease resistance, which, coupled with their graceful, slightly arching, bushy habits, make them ideally suited to be grown in large pots and containers.

The care requirements of potted roses are identical to those of landscape roses except for extra watering and fertilizing. Simply place your pots or containers in any sunny location, such as your deck, terrace, balcony, patio, or rooftop garden, where you can enjoy their fabulous blooms and perfume daily.

The following English roses are mostly recommended for pots and containers. As you will note, most of them won the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society.

Guide Information

Hardiness	4 - 9
Plant Type	Roses
Genus	Rosa, Rosa - English Rose
Exposure	Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest	Spring (Late) Summer (Early, Mid, Late) Fall
Height
Spread
Maintenance	Average
Water Needs	Average
Soil Type	Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH	Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage	Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained
Characteristics	Cut Flowers, Fragrant, Plant of Merit, Showy
Attracts	Butterflies
Landscaping Ideas	Beds And Borders, Patio And Containers
Garden Styles	City and Courtyard, Formal Garden, Informal and Cottage, Traditional Garden

Best English Roses for Pots and Containers

Hardiness	6 - 10
Height	2' - 3' (60cm - 90cm)
Spread	2' - 3' (60cm - 90cm)

Hardiness	6 - 10
Height	4' - 10' (120cm - 3m)
Spread	2' - 3' (60cm - 90cm)

Hardiness	5 - 10
Height	2' - 3' (60cm - 90cm)
Spread	1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm)

Hardiness	4 - 8
Height	5' - 10' (150cm - 3m)
Spread	3' - 4' (90cm - 120cm)

Hardiness	4 - 9
Height	4' - 8' (120cm - 240cm)
Spread	4' - 5' (120cm - 150cm)

Hardiness	5 - 10
Height	3' - 4' (90cm - 120cm)
Spread	3' - 4' (90cm - 120cm)

Hardiness	4 - 9
Height	3' - 4' (90cm - 120cm)
Spread	3' - 4' (90cm - 120cm)

Hardiness	5 - 10
Height	3' - 4' (90cm - 120cm)
Spread	3' - 4' (90cm - 120cm)

Hardiness	5 - 9
Height	3' - 4' (90cm - 120cm)
Spread	2' - 3' (60cm - 90cm)

Hardiness	5 - 9
Height	2' - 3' (60cm - 90cm)
Spread	2' - 3' (60cm - 90cm)

Hardiness	5 - 9
Height	3' - 4' (90cm - 120cm)
Spread	2' - 3' (60cm - 90cm)

Hardiness	5 - 10
Height	3' - 4' (90cm - 120cm)
Spread	2' - 3' (60cm - 90cm)

Growing Roses in Pots and Containers

Choose as large a pot as possible to provide ample space for the roots – at least 25 liters or half a barrel. Roses have deep roots, taller pots work best.
Container may be plastic or clay. Plastic fares better in cold climates where freezing may actually crack clay containers. Clay containers however provide cooler conditions for the roots during hot weather. If you opt for plastic, pick a light terra-cotta color rather than darker colors, as they heat up faster.
Make sure your container has drainage holes
Place your potted roses in a location with adequate light – At least 6 hours for a full sun rose variety or 4-6 hours for a shade tolerant rose variety.
Place a layer about 1 in. deep (2 cm) of gravel or other medium sized rocks in the bottom of the container.
Combine 1/3 good quality potting soil, 1/3 garden compost (if not available, then substitute more of the potting soil) and 1/3 well-composted mushroom or steer manure.
Add one cup of bonemeal to the soil. To increase the nutrient level, fishmeal and bloodmeal may be added.
Fill the container about 2/3 with the soil mix. Place the rose, then fill in around the rose with the remaining earth. Press down gently and firmly. The soil surface should be level with the bud union (where the rose is grafted onto the rootstock).
Water thoroughly.
Containers dry out more quickly than soil in the ground. Therefore, it is critical to water regularly your potted roses (or use drip irrigation) to keep the soil moist
For health reasons, provide good air circulation it is necessary to place the rose in a situation where it receives some moving air. This will reduce the incidence of fungus-related rose diseases.
Feed frequently to encourage blooming. First in spring, then after each flush of blooms – about every 4 to 6 weeks.
Re-pot every 2-3 years to refresh the soil
Containers may be mulched, wrapped with burlap, and placed against the side of a building for winter protection.

You may want to review these useful guides too

Best English Roses for Cutting from the Garden

Best English Roses for Hedges

Best English Roses for Mixed Borders

Best English Roses for Partial Shade

Underplanting Roses – Companion Plants for Roses

Learn How To Plant And Care for Your English Roses

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Photo courtesy: David Austin Roses (www.davidaustinroses.com)

While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.