Shaping the Garden with Climbing and Rambling Roses
By Jo Thompson
Climbing and rambling roses are threads that run through every garden I create, quietly shaping and reshaping the mood of a place. There is so much to admire in a rose. Its colour, the form of each flower, its fragrance, and the way it ages all come together to create what matters most to me in a garden, its atmosphere.
These roses bring a natural looseness. They do not sit still or conform too rigidly. Instead, they stretch and wander, finding their way through arches, pergolas and trees. My role as a designer is simply to guide them, offering just enough direction so they sit comfortably within the wider planting. It is a subtle process, suggesting rather than instructing, allowing the rose to retain its own character.
Softening the Edges
I often turn to rambling roses to blur the boundary between the garden and the landscape beyond. There is something wonderfully romantic about the way they spill and drift, softening lines and drawing the eye outward.
Two roses I return to time and again are Rosa ‘Félicité Perpétue’ and Rosa ‘Adélaïde d’Orléans’. Both have an ease about them, producing clusters of pale blooms that hang in soft swathes along long, flexible stems. Allowed to wander over a pergola or arch, they create gentle curtains of cream and blush tones, framing views in a way that feels entirely natural.
Rosa ‘Félicité Perpétue’ has a delicacy to it, its frilled flowers forming soft, powdery clusters, while Rosa ‘Adélaïde d’Orléans’ offers an effortless abundance, tumbling through structures with a quiet generosity.
Roses as Living Architecture
Wherever possible, I like to use plants to form the architecture of a garden rather than relying too heavily on built elements. Climbing roses are invaluable in this respect.
An arch clothed in Rosa ‘The Generous Gardener’ can mark a transition in a way that feels both natural and inviting. You often notice its fragrance before you register the change in space, a subtle cue that something is shifting. Scent has a remarkable ability to transport us, evoking memories and emotions while adding a gentle richness to the experience of a garden.
I tend to position structures such as pergolas and walkways where people naturally slow down. This might be where a path narrows or where a view begins to reveal itself. As the roses grow and settle, they transform these places into moments of quiet pause.
Throughout the seasons, these spaces continue to evolve. In spring, there is the anticipation of new growth, each bud full of promise. By early summer, flowers and foliage gather to create a sense of enclosure, a feeling of being held within a soft, scented canopy. As autumn arrives and the leaves begin to fall, the light returns and the structure beneath becomes visible once more.
A Garden in Motion
It is this sense of change that continues to fascinate me. A wall that appears bare in winter can become a tapestry of flowers in summer. A tangle of stems becomes a place of shelter and life.
Outside my sitting room window, a blackbird has chosen to nest within the branches of Rosa ‘Blush Noisette’. Among its clusters of soft pink blooms, it has found the perfect refuge. It feels like a small but meaningful reminder that when we allow roses to follow their natural inclination, they give back far more than beauty alone.
They bring movement, atmosphere and life to a garden, weaving everything together in the most effortless way.
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Rose Recipes With Garden Designer Jo ThompsonRoses are invaluable in a mixed border; I love using them in every garden I create. Roses bring height, form, structure, and, most importantly, they bring romance and magic. The sheer beauty and presence of their blooms is so striking that their charm stays in the memory long after their blooms have faded and gone.
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Companion Planting with Shrub Roses By Liam Beddall, Head Rosarian at David Austin®Shrub roses bring generosity to the garden. Their softly cupped blooms, graceful habit and long flowering season make them natural focal points within a border. Yet, when thoughtfully paired with companion plants, they become part of something even richer: a tapestry of colour, texture and life that unfolds through the seasons. Companion planting is not simply about filling the spaces around a rose. The right partners can extend seasonal interest, encourage beneficial insects and create a garden that feels harmonious and full of movement.
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