Assorted Rose

Assorted Rose (Rosa spp.) is a mixed selection of bush roses supplied in a pack of six, growing to roughly 1.2m tall and 1m wide. Because the varieties are not named you are buying a mixed border rather than a matched row, which is what most gardeners want along a fence or through a cottage bed. Expect fragrance, repeat flowering through the warm months, and colour across the range.

Why you'll love it

• A mixed border in one purchase. Six plants, a spread of colours, and none of the work of choosing individual varieties.
• Fragrance you can plant near a path. Bush roses hold their scent at nose height, which a climber or a tall hedge rose does not.
• Repeat flowering. With deadheading and a summer feed they flower in waves from spring through to late autumn.
• Tougher than their reputation. Frost hardy, heat tolerant and drought tolerant once established, growing in climates from cool temperate through to arid.
• Safe around pets. Roses are not toxic to cats or dogs, though the thorns are worth siting away from a dog run.

Where it works best

Borders and mass planting. Plant 60cm apart for a continuous flowering border. At that spacing the bushes touch without trapping still air between them, which keeps the foliage clean.

Small gardens and feature beds. A group of three in a front bed carries more colour over a season than almost any shrub of the same size.

Pots and containers. A 400mm pot per plant works on a sunny courtyard or balcony, with a good mix and reliable watering.

Growing roses in Australia

Position and climate. Six hours of direct sun is the minimum, and morning sun is best because it dries the foliage early. Roses grow through warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean, subtropical and arid gardens, and they are frost hardy. In humid subtropical summers expect more black spot, so airflow matters more there.

Soil. Deep, well drained soil enriched with compost and aged manure. Roses are hungry, and a bed prepared properly repays the effort for a decade. Mulch 75mm deep, clear of the stems.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then weekly in dry weather, watering the soil rather than the leaves. Feed a complete rose fertiliser after the winter prune, after the first flush, and once more in late summer.

Pruning. The main prune is in winter while the plants are bare: take each bush back by a third to a half, remove dead and crossing wood, and open the centre.

What to expect when it arrives

These are supplied in 200mm pots in packs of six, as established young bushes rather than bare rooted sticks. Varieties are assorted, so the six plants you receive will differ in colour and habit, and we cannot guarantee a specific variety or shade. If a matched row is what you need, choose a named variety instead.

Roses are deciduous, so a winter delivery may arrive with few leaves. That is normal, and the plants are simply dormant. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Expect strong growth in the first spring, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full rose collection for named varieties and colours.
• Pruning for beginners covers the winter cut back.
• Compare other fragrant plants for a path or entry.
• Planning a garden for scent across the seasons.

Common questions

Can I choose the colours?

No. This is an assorted pack, so the varieties supplied vary with what is in production at the time. Order from our rose collection if you need a specific colour or named variety.

How far apart should I plant them?

Sixty centimetres apart for a border or mass planting. Closer than that and airflow drops between the bushes, which encourages black spot in humid weather.

Are roses safe around dogs?

The foliage and flowers are not toxic to cats or dogs. The thorns are the real hazard, so plant them away from a run or a path a dog uses at speed.