Winter lingers on, but the sun shines, all the bare-root roses are planted, and the first inkling of Spring is in the air. it is always exciting to see the first glimpse of tiny delicate shoots coming out on the dormant roses. There are no roses as yet to photograph, but a selection of inspiring paintings to view instead.

There is a sense of the waning of winter now with more opportunities to be outside amongst the emerging bulbs in the garden. If it’s raining, there is still time to enjoy the last days of fire-side warmth and idleness before the flurry that is Spring.

In winter, when many plants are dormant and showing their bare bones, it’s a good time to assess your garden’s framework and make any adjustments. 

Every chance I have, I’m attempting to improve on the desolate sight the garden has become over winter. Hacking back dead looking perennials, reassessing if I want them back again in the same place. As I streamline the design to be simpler, and less cluttered my aim is to highlight the best roses of last year with some desired additions that will balance the garden.

­­Gardens are not made by singing “Oh how beautiful” and sitting about in the shade

Rudyard Kipling

“Roses and Bumblebees” by Paul de Longpre

Every gardener knows that under the cloak of winter lies a miracle …

Henry Winkler

The past winter season has been an eye-opener having not had deciduous trees before in the garden. Wow, what a mess they make, covering everything with dry crinkled leaves, and the frost damage to many perennials adds another layer of destruction to the landscape. Any plant that has survived the extent of the frost, snow and chill, and is still looks half decent has been noted. Many plants were struck this year that previously did not succumb to the bite of frost at all.

After assessing what worked and what was a disaster many plants have been moved to better positions or into pots. Recalcitrant roses that were looming over the garden border where people walk past out the front, have been removed and replaced with more suitable plants.

Several roses were relocated into pots for health reasons or for colour choice. There were some roses culled and taken out of the limelight if too close together, generally not doing well or facing the wrong way so growing into one another. There has been a lot of movement with repositioning in pots and garden alike.

The garden landscape has changed after constant focus and attention lately. It will continue to improve as the plants leaf out and the roses come into bloom. My hope is that these improvements will not only support the health of the roses but also enhance the beauty of the garden. Using the basic design principles is one of the best starting points for creating inviting garden spaces while still keeping the garden manageable, uncluttered, and balanced.

“The most noteworthy thing about gardeners is that they are always optimistic, always enterprising, and never satisfied. They always look forward to doing better than they have ever done before.”

Vita Sackville-West

Design Tips for Roses

By planting roses that are light in colour; the whites, softer pinks, apricots, creams and soft yellows help to make the garden space appear lighter and larger. Comte de Champagne, Belle de Seigneur, Coeur de Neige, Papi Delbard, Ellen Willmott and Creamy Parfuma are some of the new lighter coloured rose additions.

Mass planting of the same variety creates an easy to look after wow factor. Planting a few, say 3-5 of the same variety in a cluster or drift creates impact and simplicity. I’ve used Jubilee Celebration, Courtney’s Rose, Crepuscule and Lady of Shallot in groups of three for this aspect.

A hedge of smaller roses with taller varieties at the back and shorter ground cover plants helps to define the garden shape. This was done with Dolce Vita Roses in a beautiful apricot shade, plus Fire Opal and Ice Princess. The taller, larger rose or standards are grown behind as a backdrop along the fence  to create height and a layering effect.

Transition is another clever way to define garden rooms. Plant on arbours, fences or frames to define the space as you go from one to the other. I have planted Buff Beauty Roses across the fence with three standard roses in front. Buff Beauty is a climbing rose in a soft apricot yellow.

Your favourite plants are a perfect way to create a welcoming front entrance that softens the landscape. Pillar roses, topiary, arbours and specimen plants in large pots or a few select pots in a cluster.

Companion plants like English or French Lavender, Salvias, or Catmint, if repeated in the garden bed create flow, rhythm and continuity that soften transitions between the clusters of roses and impart an important backdrop to roses. Planting in odd numbers or groups of three or five roses will also add a natural look.

Repetition of form, colour and texture will help make gardens appear naturalistic and connected by bringing all the diverse elements together into a unified whole. The repeated planting of the same plants throughout the garden provides familiarity.

Also, by planting repeated forms of plants like various spires; Alliums, Delphiniums, Foxgloves, or Spirea shrubs provides height, and contrast. Remembering they do not have to be right next to one another to gain the same effect.

Many roses can be spectacular when planted horizontally or vertically. There are lots of types of climbing roses to adorn fences, obelisks and walls. Climbing roses maximise the space available and when combined with Clematis create unique colour combinations. Or they can soften the perimeter of the garden hiding unsightly structures or fences.

Climbing roses are planted to adorn a wall in the courtyard for colour impact amongst the evergreens, along the grey fence, and on several obelisks and pillars. But, also I’m trialling one to grow up a deciduous fruit tree and across the tall front fence.

The roses planted to cover the fences are; Crepuscule, Mme Alfred Carriere, Nahema , Pierre Gagnaire, Sally Holmes, Pierre de Ronsard , Pinkie, Twilight Glow, Penelope as a backdrop in different areas. The climbing roses for the pillars are Guy Savoy, Grahame Thomas and Kiss Me Kate..

Although roses are my main stars of the garden there has to be year-round interest too. This is my aim to achieve more layers of other plants and foliage for contrast, texture, shape and form. This is a work in progress, and will take time to achieve, to avoid another season of a fairly lack-lustre garden that is almost all dormant in winter.

Garden spaces need to have a sense of refuge, comfort and aesthetic appeal, so we can feel at one with nature whilst enjoying our outdoor areas.

“In garden design it makes sense to think of winter first.”

Naomi Slade

Finding appropriate space for all the new roses and remedying some plant choices made last year has been a rewarding yet exhaustive task. With an already crowded garden, what was needed was not only more space but a creative and tenacious approach to make new garden beds from the existing lawn. With nature’s help, we are set for a great season of roses in the garden; more varietals and styles of roses.

To dig in one’s own earth with one’s own spade, does life hold anything better?”

Beverly Nichols

All the garden pots of roses, have been redone with fresh new soil or the roses planted out in the garden, and new ones added to the pots and containers. What a great sense of achievement it is when things are improving, and I am quite chuffed at the progress of the last few weeks. The garden is still bare but not nearly as desolate or chaotic as mid winter. Rose pruning will start later this week, staking the climbers and finally the mulching of the garden for summer. Restoring calm and order is ever so therapeutic.

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The Header Image is The Roses of Heliogabalus by Lawrence Alma-Tadema 

Title Quote by George Eliot 

Content Di Baker 2025

Images as cited or Unknown