ENGLISH ROSE IDEAS FOR SMALL FRONT GARDEN PLEASE

This is going to make a great rose garden Bornagain, there are over 580 photos of members pink roses on Goypeadia why not have a look?

looks very smart and your plans sound lovely, sorry im not the best to ask ~ princess alexandra [DA rose] seems to have kept its shape and is supposed to be disease resistant.
did you manage to get to david austin??

Wow, what a great design, its going to look fab. I've also been studying roses lately, the ones appealing to me are the shrub and ground cover, repeat flowering varieties, various heights and spread, appear to be invaluable.

Fab BA! I love it...so neat and the curvy wall really adds something to it...takes away from the absolute formality you would have otherwise. You need something taller than Compassionate friends for the centre I think. I'm not sure what shades of pink you like, but have a look at Queen of Sweden, Mayflower, Princess Alexandra of Kent, Gertrude Jekyll and The Ingenious Mr Fairchild, Also might like to consider Mme. Isaac Pereire, and Chartreuse de Parme. The last two have huge flowers and very very powerful scent. You might need a little support, but I only use those semi-circular supports (2 interlocking) and they work a treat. For taller roses I sometimes use a metal Obelisk..would look lovely in your beds as a feature. There are so many to choose from aren't there! Enjoy...plenty of time to choose as DA don't usually deliver their bare roots before December anyway, and their website is lovely to browse through.

Not sure if this a sensible suggestion or not but your design immediately says Tudor / Elizabethan knot garden to me.
I think your plant selection sounds brilliant and my idea is to enclose the planting with very low clipped box hedging to give it that Tudor feel . Not sure if that would reduce your space too much, but anyhow, that's what jumped straight into my mind.

Thanks, I never thought of that Inverglen, but I suppose it does. I think I would love it.... if someone would look after the box lol:-)

Thanks Karen, I'm going bottom up if you see what I mean. I wonder if you have a pic of an obelisk used as a rose support in this way? I've no idea how to use it in this way and I suppose such big beautifil blooms need some support. I'm studying your suggestions, the problem is there are too many lovely DA roses:-)

Thanks all for your suggestions, I've been doing as you suggest Drc...only on page 5 taken hours lol:-) Jacques Cartier sounds lovely Bilbo, as do all suggestions, that's the problem lol. I clicked on you as I didn't recognise you, now find I do and you've changed your name...welcome back:-)

Sticki...I didn't get there and I did so want to see them in situ so I could study their form etc. Still I'm sure whichever ones I go for will be beautiful:-) Hello Da it's funny, but since being on here I've gone somewhat mad on roses too. Not many plants are so beautiful, flower for ages and smell divine:-)

I suggest a species rose like a rugosa or similar that still has stamens and pollen for the bees. Many David Austin roses no long feed bees--very urgently needed. The DA catalogue has wonderful species roses that are hardy, long-suffering, make beautiful shapes, and also are good for wildlife. After the flowering the hips feed the birds (or you can make rosehip jelly). Show your neighbours how to plant for wildlife too, not only for show.
Best wishes from Jennifer www.carpe-diem-gardens.co.uk

Love your garden design it is brilliant I am not up on roses only fell in love with them this year. Costas is the rose expert:)

Isn't it weird Nana, I think it must be this site, you know, seeing so many lovely roses has infected us with the rose bug:-) Carpe diem, worry not, back garden awash with creatures (many unwelcome, but what can you do?) this front bit is mainly for long flowering and ease of maintenance. I'm afraid my neighbours got fed up with my excuses that it was a wild life garden lol:-)

Brother Cadfael - David Austin. Huge pink flowers, strong perfume, little disease and is about 5' x 4'. Good for cut flowers too..

Brother Cadfael does seem to meet all criteria Diggin, many on GOY have it and love it. Karen, have you seen it in real life? Does anyone think I should have two different, maybe deeper pink roses in back beds or have the same one in all four beds? Can anyone tell me why I can't make up my mind lol. I see Apuldram roses have DA roses cheaper than DA. I have bought roses from them before and was very impressed by the quality and price, so i suppose they will be as good as those from DA:-)

I will get back to you on this, but I have brother Cadfael and it can reach 8foot, I also find that my Gertrude Jekyll gets blackspot .I wanted to let you know I got your pm and will be in touch when I've had a really long think, as in the past I have rushed in and put the wrong rose in the wrong place and ended up moving it, so you really have to be sure.

Thanks Rose...wow 8 feet high!!!!! This is why it's best to learn from people who have them, it says in D.A book 4' x 3'!:-)

Anyone got Geoff Hamilton? my fave gardener so maybe his namesake is wonderful too:-)

I love Queen of Sweden Karen, but think it's exceptionally thorny, one of the reasons I fell for Cadfael is that it's almost thornless, but if it's an eight footer well...:-)

I have Geoff Hamilton,its a lovely rose but doesn't like the rain at all and goes to mush, including the buds.One I would suggest to you which is totally reliable is " the Times" a David Austin rose. If you've seen my blog " I know its July" you will see most of my roses on there.Bonica ,if you have the room is my top favourite.The most perfumed roses i have are Icecream and fragrant cloud. I know this must be so confusing for you, but you have to decide on fragrance versus reliability as you don't always get both.Have you considered a blue rose. Rhapsody in blue is lovely and a good performer.Best of luck with this. look forward to seeing the end result.

I agree with Rose1949, Brother Cadfael can reach about 8 feet, but it can be easily tamed. I manage to keep mine at about 5 feet - give or take - and it seems to benefit from regular cutting for flowers indoors. It seems to flower non stop. Today it has 15 blooms on it and 21 buds.

I could have Brother Cadfael in the two larger back beds maybe...it does sound great...hmmm Bonica.....and poor old Geoff goes all mushy in the rain.....isn't this a great site:-)))

I've just looked for Costas as Nana d said he is a real rose expert....and he seems to have gone!!!!:-(

I'd plant Lavender round the edges rather than box. L. 'Hidcote' is a pretty low-growing one....

As for D.A roses, I'm a philistine, Ba. I like 'proper' rose shaped roses, not the balled up ones that DA sells. Sorry - but everyone to their own. ;-/

I got my new roses from Cants and Fryers. :-)

Ba - Costas hasn't gone. Type in 'Costas1' and you'll find him. :-)))

How funny, I used not to like the D A roses and then suddenly..struck by a shaft from Cupid...I'm besotted! I don't know if you saw my ideas for surrounding plants (top paragraph) but to save you time it was lavender little lady, which I've taken some cuttings from (still in bloom on back garden) pinks (smelly ones) and maybe gypsophylla which I've never grown before and know little about except it likes alkali. I wanted it to look a bit formal and smelly. I also have a pack of seeds from Gardens Illustrated mag, white nigella, which I thought might go too. I was hoping, with your vast plant knowledge, you would know the pros and cons of all the DA roses...you see what a reputation you have on here:-)))

I found Costas thanks to you Spritz, but nothing about roses etc...perhaps Costas1 is different from Costas? Costas has closed his account:-(

Strange, Ba - why don't you ask Costas1 if it is him wot is the rose expert? (N.B. Great grammar there! lol)

I am sorry about not liking and knowing all the DA roses. Now if you'd asked about hardy Geraniums, I'm your woman. ;-D)

I admit I didn't read the first paragraph properly, guilty as charged. :-/ I'm still having to nip in sharpish to use the PC when OH isn't on it, cos my laptop is still in hospital, boo-hoo.

By the way, you do know that Erigeron k. seeds itself into every nook and crevice around, don't you? It won't stay inside the lovely shaped beds you've made. However, it would indeed look lovely around the roses. :-))

I do have one little E K on back garden now and it's full of flower...how and when do I collect the seeds? :-)

You don't need to - it seeds itself, then you pot up the little seedlings when they're big enough. Why do the work when it does it all by itself? lol

When do seedlings come? Is it in the spring they sprout?:-)

Yes...in a word! :-)) They have distinctive leaf-shapes, so you'll recognise them.

Can't wait...just think...Spring...aaaah:-) Horrible windy wet day here again and not warm...just when I got used to late Summer:-(

Yes - the wind's still fierce this morning. I actually lit the logburner last night, I got so chilled! :-O

I'm just pleased we had our central heating done, unfortunately it entailed removing our gas fire as it was a back boiler...so no nice flames as yet:-( Wish I could have a log burner....I'm still considering the swap Spritz:-))

It would be worth doing - it's my ONLY winter blessing. You know I hate being cold. Brrrr....which reminds me, I must go and lay it up again.

I meant your kind offer of house and garden swap lol:-))

Oh - THAT! I'd forgotten. When are we swapping?

Very soon:-)

OK. I'll start tidying up.

Good-o :-)

I haven't finished sorting the garden out yet....

Not to worry, I'll take it as it is;-)

You'll have to clear up all the leaves, Ba. They're knee-deep in some places! Sorry. :-(