Welcome to the Peter Beales Roses Media Centre

Britain’s own Peter Beales Roses has an unrivalled breadth of experience and archive of wisdom about growing and tending the ‘Queen of Flowers’. Whilst roses – like most flowers – prefer to bask in beautiful warm sunlight, some varieties are markedly more tolerant of partial shade than others and can be safely planted against walls or other parts of the garden that might not get full sun. Here, we take a look at the best roses for planting in those shadier spots.

Looking to brush-up on your rose-growing skills? The experts at Peter Beales Roses have compiled this handy A-Z guide of everything you need to know to create displays that are worthy of a gold medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Peter Beales Guide to rambling roses page 1 Roses do not cling to the wall themselves like some plants do. Therefore they will require tying in. On a wall it is a good idea to put up trellis or wires for this purpose. As the rose grows it should be encouraged to grow horizontally outward and upward. The lower stems straight out where possible and the taller ones, up and then outward. In this way new growth will be encouraged, as will more flowers. On a pillar it is best, where possible to train the branches around it for the same reason as above. Ramblers for trees will need to be tied to the trunk to begin with until the branches meet those of the tree, thereafter, the tree will act as a natural support. To prevent all the flowers appearing at the top of a trellis, arch and curve the stems as much as possible, rather than keeping them straight. This will encourage side lateral growth which will encourage flowering lower down the plant. Attach stems to the trellis using loosely tied green string

Roses have always been a beloved choice for gardeners in the UK, due to their captivating beauty, alluring fragrance, and undeniable charm. They present a perfect starting point for beginners, as they are easy to care for and provide a great sense of accomplishment when in flower. With the right amount of sunlight, water, and well-drained soil, roses can thrive and bloom, even in the hands of inexperienced gardeners. Whether you’re looking for a rose to suit a cottage garden, balcony or backyard, Peter Beales Roses outlines the best varieties for those starting their gardening journey. Eager to start planting your new favourite rose? All the varieties detailed come in containers with a well-established root system, ready for planting from June. They also can be planted at any time of the year, offering those new to the rose-growing game more flexibility in planting and allowing you to enjoy the roses sooner. When planting roses, choose a sunny location with a minimum distance of 30cm from structures and avoid replanting where a rose previously grew in order to prevent disease. Pre-water potted roses before planting, use a rose feed and well-rotted manure, and water regularly throughout the summer to help them become established. If planting in containers, choose a pot with drainage holes, use quality potting compost, water and feed regularly, replacing the compost every three years to refresh nutrients. This is best done in January or February when the rose is dormant.

Our sense of smell is particularly important for the recall of memories, with certain wonderful fragrances - or unpleasant odours! - holding greater evocative power than others. Ian Limmer, head of the nursery and plant breeding programme at Peter Beales Roses, said: “Most of us have experienced the sensation of being transported back to a memorable occasion or certain strong feeling when triggered by a particular scent, such as the perfume of a loved one or the freshness of spring in the air. As one of the most distinctive scents of all, the fragrance or ‘attar’ of roses has great evocative power, which is why it valued so highly as a perfume. “The heady fragrance of roses can bring even more joy to the great outdoors – or at least an uplift in mood - not to mention the sheer visual delight which contributes to an overall sense of gorgeousness in a blooming garden. In terms of overall aesthetics, roses are one of the most definitive elements in the quintessential English country garden, whether they’re delicately climbing up walls, vigorously rambling over fences, standing pretty in containers, dividing spaces with style or filling out ornamental flower beds. The colour and variety is a matter of taste and how best to achieve the desired look, but to get the full benefit of the fragrance you should bring them forward into areas where you’ll be sitting or regularly walking past. Depending on the type of rose, there is variation in the fragrance, which can have undertones of musk, myrrh, fruit, spice or tea.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has teamed up with award-winning grower Peter Beales Roses to unveil ‘With Courage’ to celebrate 200 years of saving lives at sea. Image credit: Chris Taylor Peter Beales Nursery Manager, Ian Limmer, whose grandfather volunteered at Sheringham Lifeboat Station, Norfolk, for 30 years, has overseen the breeding of the orange rose which has been named ‘With Courage’ by the charity’s supporters. The name pays homage to one of the RNLI’s key values and the founder Sir William Hillary’s famous words ‘With Courage, nothing is impossible’. The floribunda rose will form part of Peter Beales’ display at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, starting on Tuesday 21 May and will be flanked by a D class lifeboat. Supporters will be able to buy the flower from Peter Beales’ website, with 20% of proceeds going to the RNLI to help fund crew kit and training as well as the overall running of the lifesaving service. Peter Beales has gifted 250 roses to the charity which have been planted at locations across the organisation including the National Arboretum, the grave of Grace Darling, who risked her life to rescue the stranded survivors of the wrecked steamship Forfarshire in 1838, and several lifeboat stations around the coast. Planting 25 of the roses outside the RNLI College in Poole, Dorset, was Peter Read, of Stewarts Garden Centre, who himself was rescued by Littlehampton RNLI when his diving boat started to sink in 2005.

Cultivating Beauty Peter Beales Roses advises on the best roses to plant if you have poor soil One of the world leaders in rose cultivation, Britain’s own Peter Beales Roses, has an unrivalled breadth of experience and archive of wisdom about growing and tending the ‘Queen of Flowers’. Whilst roses love rich, nutrient-dense soil, most homes are not blessed with gardens full of peat-enriched growing media or animals to help fertilise the earth. In fact, the opposite is more likely to be true, with many new houses built on top of rubble and crude, nutrient-poor soil. There is nothing like a few beautifully blooming rose bushes to make a new place look and feel like home, which is why the Peter Beales experts share their top picks if you have relatively poor soil in your garden.

One of the world leaders in rose cultivation, Britain’s own Peter Beales Roses has an unrivalled breadth of experience and archive of wisdom about growing and tending the ‘Queen of Flowers’. Here, we take a look at caring for potted plants and some of the best roses for planting into containers. The demand for roses supplied in containers has steadily increased, and tends to peak during the summer months. The big advantage of buying a rose planted in a container (rather than bare rooted), is that a good root system will have already started to develop. If purchased in summer, there will be the added advantage of the rose being in flower, bringing an instant boost of colour and fragrance to the garden. Whilst most roses are ultimately planted out, with the right care and attention, there are many varieties that will also thrive well in pots. Roses need a lot of food, water and sunlight, and this is doubly true of roses kept in pots, which require significantly more water than those planted out. Be especially mindful of this during hot summer days, when roses in pots require daily watering, especially when they’re flowering, and more frequently on very hot days, with a pot saucer to retain water. As well as putting the plant under stress, insufficient watering can also contribute to the development of rose diseases. It is difficult to overwater a rose, but they won’t like having their roots sitting in cold water for long periods. Make sure their containers have drainage holes and, ideally, a drainage layer inside the pot.