Roses go to pot

With the right choice of container and companion plants you can create eye-catching patio displays based on roses. The planting schemes below were demonstrated by Gardens Monthly editor Liz Dobbs and Horticultural advisor Julie Hollobone in the Rose Marquee of the 2007 Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

Julie and Liz discuss rose container schemes with a captive audience at Hampton Court

The demonstration gets underway

'Choose patio plants for temporary summer or winter displays, or herbs, hardy perennials and grasses for more permanent companions.'

If you love roses, but lack of garden space is a problem, then why not consider planting them in pots? Many roses, such as patio, small bush roses and standards, will suit a container.

Consider whether the planting will be temporary while a planting space is found, or more permanent, as this will influence the size of container and type of compost to use.

Permanent pots

For permanent plantings use a container with a minimum diameter of 45cm (18in) to allow for root space. The large volume of compost will hold plenty of water and help cool the roots in hot weather.

Temporary pots

For a temporary planting, a soil-less compost based on peat or peat alternatives is satisfactory. If the rose is to stay in the container for several seasons, use a soil-based compost for stability, long-term structure and better nutrient-holding capacity. Any compost with the formulation of John Innes No. 3 is ideal.

Drainage

Put a good layer, up to 10cm (4in), of broken pot crocks, coarse gravel or even broken polystyrene in the base of the container. This will assist water drainage from the roots and also reduce cold-weather damage to the pot.

Planting

Ensure that the roots or rootball are planted deep enough to cover the graft, and that the final compost level sits a good 3cm (1in) below the rim to allow for easy watering.

Feeding

For a temporary planting, the nutrients in the fresh compost will be sufficient. For a more permanent rose, add a controlled-release granular fertiliser for flowering plants at planting. Each spring, remove some old compost and topdress with fresh supplies of compost and fertiliser.

Planting recipes

A rose can sit in the container alone, but large containers have room for some underplanting. You can choose patio plants for temporary summer or winter displays, or herbs, hardy perennials and grasses for more permanent companions.

Try Rose of the Year 'Sweet Haze' with lavender in pots for a bee-friendly planting scheme

Bee-friendly planting scheme

Tall pot

Pale-pink rose 'Sweet Haze' (pic above) is attractive to bumble bees, along with the herbs when in flower. These tall Terrazzo pots are available in black and grey from Apta (link below). The purple and pink shades used here will blend well with a pale-grey pot, while bolder, more dramatic colours will suit the black version.
* Tall Terrazzo egg pot – like marble, but moulded from crushed concrete
* Rosa 'Sweet Haze' (compact shrub rose)
* 3 Lavandula 'Little Bee'
* 3 chives

Formal planting scheme

Square pot

Square, cube-style pots like this one will work well either side of a doorway:
* Regency square lightweight fibreglass pot with the appearance of lead
* Patio rose on a 90cm (3ft) standard stem
* 4 ivies, variegated or plain, to trail over the sides

Fruit herbal planting scheme

The young trailing rosemary plants make an attractive green ruff around the pot, but for extra colour substitute half with pink surfinia petunias for summer and violas for winter. A short, cylinder-style pot suits this arrangement.
* Pale terracotta cylinder pot
* Rosa 'Raspberry Royale' (patio rose)
* 3-6 rosemary plants in 9cm (3½in) pots
* 3 raspberry-pink Surfinia petunias

Hot planting scheme

Cauldron pot

A bright planting scheme for a sunny site in shades of orange deepening to a rich brown. Apart from the rose, the other plants are tender and would need to be removed to a frost- free site in winter:
* Rustic terracotta cauldron pot
* Rosa 'Hot Chocolate' (small floribunda)
* 3 Cosmos atrosanguineus (chocolate cosmos)
* 3 orange Diascia
* 3 white trailing Verbena

For these and a range of similar pots with prices ranging from £12.99-£39.99 visit Apta.

* Hampton Court Rose Marquee images supplied by Steve Bradley (Brad).