As the garden settles for the season, the rose gardener’s year is only just beginning.
Autumn brings a distinct richness that invites us to slow down and notice the changes. Leaves turn shades of amber and gold, while the lower, softer light catches the borders in the late afternoon. As cooler mornings bring heavy dew and that unmistakable, earthy scent of damp soil, the garden gradually settles down for the season.
It's a season of small, familiar pleasures. Pulling on a favourite jumper before heading outside. An hour spent tidying a border, followed by the warmth of coming back indoors as the light begins to fade. Pausing over a last rose that has opened late, its fragrance caught briefly on the cooler air. These final blooms feel especially precious, gentle reminders of the summer just gone.
It would be easy to see autumn as the close of the gardening year. Much of the garden is, after all, preparing to rest. Yet for the rose gardener, something new is only just beginning.
Autumn marks the start of bare root season, and with it comes the chance to look ahead. This is when the rose year truly begins: not with the first flush of summer flowers, but quietly, in the cool soil of late autumn, long before anyone else is thinking about next June.
Planting a bare root rose is a simple, hopeful thing. The roots, dormant and resting, are placed into the earth and given the winter to settle. There's very little to see above ground, just a few bare stems standing against the soil. But out of sight, the real work has already started. Roots begin to find their way, anchoring themselves and laying the foundations for the growth to come.
There's something rather lovely in that. So much of gardening is about patience and trust, and few moments capture it quite like planting a rose you won't see flower for months. It's an act of faith in the seasons, and a small promise to yourself of what's ahead.
Our guide to planting bare root roses walks you through every step.
Perhaps this is the true pleasure of autumn gardening. As one season draws gently to a close, we're free to begin imagining the next. Borders brimming with colour. Roses catching the early morning light. Flowers opening one after another through the long days of summer.
Autumn gives us time to reflect, too. To think back on what flourished this year, what surprised us, and which roses we'd happily find room for again. Thoughts turn to the small changes we might make, a new addition to a favourite border, or perhaps a climber finally trained up that bare wall. The garden may be settling down, but our enjoyment of it never quite does.
You won't be planting alone. Each autumn, thousands of rose gardeners share the same quiet anticipation, tucking bare root roses into the ground and looking forward to the first signs of spring. It's this feeling that lies at the heart of The Bare Root Club, a community of gardeners all beginning the rose year together.
So plant now, enjoy the season as it unfolds, and look forward to everything still to come.
New This YearThe Last Bloom Last BloomMost of our roses have now been cut back for winter. But we’ve held back a limited selection, hand-picked from our fields with buds and blooms still to come. Plant them now and enjoy a final flourish of colour before winter arrives.Sir David BeckhamEnglish Shrub Rose£27.50 - £38.50Fragrance strength
The Last Bloom Last BloomMost of our roses have now been cut back for winter. But we’ve held back a limited selection, hand-picked from our fields with buds and blooms still to come. Plant them now and enjoy a final flourish of colour before winter arrives.Emma Bridgewater®English Shrub Rose£24.00 - £35.00Fragrance strength
The Last Bloom Last BloomMost of our roses have now been cut back for winter. But we’ve held back a limited selection, hand-picked from our fields with buds and blooms still to come. Plant them now and enjoy a final flourish of colour before winter arrives.Elizabeth®English Shrub Rose£24.00 - £35.00Fragrance strength
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The Rose Year BeginsAutumn brings a distinct richness that invites us to slow down and notice the changes. Leaves turn shades of amber and gold, while the lower, softer light catches the borders in the late afternoon. As cooler mornings bring heavy dew and that unmistakable, earthy scent of damp soil, the garden gradually settles down for the season.
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What to Plant with English Roses for Autumn ColourBy the end of September, the rose garden is changing. The exuberance of summer is giving way to a slower rhythm, and many English Roses are setting hips, their once-constant flowers replaced by clusters of glowing fruit. Yet the borders need not feel diminished. With the right companions, roses can be framed and supported so that the garden still sings with colour, texture and grace well into October and beyond.
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Roses with Large Blooms: Varieties for Garden ImpactA rose in full flower can transform a garden. Large, many-petalled blooms draw the eye through a border, bring colour to a quiet corner or create a beautiful focal point when grown in a pot.
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Best Fragrant Roses for Autumn: Scent and Colour Beyond SummerThe fragrance of a rose is never quite fixed. Temperature, humidity, time of day and even the stage of the flower can all influence how its scent is released and experienced. As the warmth of summer begins to soften into autumn, cooler mornings and greater moisture in the air create different conditions for fragrance, and a familiar rose can reveal itself in a rather different way.
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Growing Beautiful Roses, Without PeatGrowing without peat is a change many gardeners are becoming familiar with. Peat-free compost behaves a little differently from traditional compost, so it is quite natural to wonder whether your roses will grow and flower just as beautifully.
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Using Red Roses to Bring Richness and Depth to the GardenA red rose has a wonderfully compelling presence in the garden. Amongst a sea of green, even a glimpse of crimson catches the eye, drawing you closer for another look. Red can sometimes have a reputation for being difficult to use, particularly alongside softer colours. Yet the palette is far more varied than we might first imagine. From clear crimson to deep, velvety tones, red roses can bring warmth, richness and depth to a garden without overwhelming it.
