Caring for Roses Through Winter
Winter draws a different map across the garden. Borders lose their summer softness, the air grows crisp, and each plant stands in its true form. Roses, perhaps more than anything else, reveal their strength now. Their branches hold the memory of last season’s bloom, and beneath the soil they gather themselves for the next. Looking after them at this time of year becomes less a checklist of jobs and more a steady, reassuring conversation with the season ahead.
Roses in the Ground
As November and December unfold, roses slow their rhythm. Their leaves fall, their stems firm, and their energy moves inward. Dormancy is not sleep but preparation. Nothing is required of you at this stage. Roses accept frost and snow with remarkable resilience, shaped by centuries of breeding and seasons of surviving harsher winters than most of us ever see. Allow them this pause. It is part of their nature.
Winter Pruning
When January and February arrive, the garden stands stripped back to its structure, and rose pruning becomes a welcome ritual. Working on a rose in winter allows you to see its framework clearly, each branch revealed without foliage to disguise it. The aim is simple: remove what is weak, shape what remains, and give the plant a form that encourages light and air throughout the coming year.
If you would like clear guidance as you work, our pruning guides offer step-by-step advice for shaping any rose with confidence.
Mulch Around the Base
Mulching in winter is one of the most generous acts you can offer your roses. A layer around five to ten centimetres deep protects the crown from sudden shifts in temperature and keeps the soil more stable. Compost enriches the ground, well-rotted manure improves structure, and a good soil improver supports moisture retention. Over time, this layer breaks down and feeds the microbial life in the soil, creating conditions where roots thrive.
Mulching does far more than keep roses warm. It sets the foundation for strong summer growth and encourages the deep rooting that keeps roses vigorous year after year.
Water Only if Needed
Winter soil holds moisture well, and most roses require very little water during the colder months. Only water if the weather has been unusually dry for an extended period. When you do, water in the morning so the ground has time to absorb it before temperatures drop again. This small detail matters. Wet soil at night can freeze and heave, unsettling the crown.
Hold Back on Feeding
Roses rest completely through winter. Feeding now would confuse the plant and encourage soft, frost prone shoots. Any energy added at this stage is wasted. Save nourishment for March, when the roots awaken and the plant is ready to draw upon it with purpose. We recommend using a slow release feed such as David Austin Controlled Release Rose Food when the time is right.
For Roses That Bear Hips
Some roses offer their own winter display. Hip bearing varieties develop clusters of rich, glowing fruit that brighten the garden long after flowers have vanished. These hips stand out against bare stems and attract birds seeking food in the colder months. To enjoy them, simply leave the last blooms on the plant toward autumn’s end. The rose will do the rest.
-
Caring For Your Garden From The Ground Up: The lasting benefits of mulchingIn any well-loved garden, the thoughtful tasks often have the most impact. Among them, mulching stands out as a simple yet powerful way to care for both your plants and the soil beneath them. Beyond its practical benefits, mulching reflects the gardener’s instinct to nurture, protect, and encourage healthy growth with every passing season.
-
How to Prune Your English Shrub RoseThe main purpose of pruning is to create a shapely, attractive plant, with good coverage and structure, you can do this by simply removing parts of the plant during the non-flowering season. Pruning encourages fresh new growth and plentiful blooms for the following season.
-
How to Prune Your English Climbing RoseIt’s time to prepare your roses for the year ahead and give them a prune. Ideally, complete this task while the roses are still dormant, usually between January and February. If your roses have leafed and you still have not pruned it is still better to prune, but this may push back the flowering period until later in the season.
-
How To Water Bare Root Roses Planted Later In The SeasonWith the spring sunshine finally reaching the garden, now is the perfect time to check in on your newly planted bare root roses. They're just beginning to settle in, and the care you give them over the next few weeks will make all the difference to how well they grow and bloom this summer.
-
How to Prune Standard RosesStandard roses bring a touch of elegance to any garden, their blooms held aloft like a bouquet upon a slender stem. Pruning them correctly helps maintain this graceful shape, encourages healthy growth, and ensures an abundance of flowers year after year.
-
How To Mulch Your RosesMulching is the addition of a protective layer around the base of your roses. This process helps your roses to retain moisture, suppresses weeds and provides valuable nutrients for your roses as they grow.
-
Wild Rose Hips in Winter: Reading the Plants Behind ThemWinter has a way of showing roses as they really are. With the leaves down and the flowers long gone, the plants stand in their most open, honest form. This is when the hips become noticeable. On wild species roses, these fruits are not just a seasonal leftover. They are small clues about the landscapes that shaped each plant. If you look closely, they reveal far more than you might expect.
Roses in Pots
Roses in containers experience the winter more directly because their roots sit closer to the cold air. A few considered steps keep them protected and thriving.
Move to a Sheltered Spot
Potted roses benefit greatly from the shelter of a house wall, an overhanging roof or a sturdy fence. These places collect a little warmth and block the worst of the wind. The difference can be considerable, helping the plant hold steady through repeated freezes and thaws.
Insulate the Pot
Wrapping the pot with hessian, thick fabric or bubble wrap creates a layer of still air around the container that slows the transfer of cold into the soil. This simple act helps prevent root damage. Take care to keep the drainage holes clear at the bottom so rainwater can escape freely.
Lift the Pot from the Ground
Raising the pot on feet or bricks keeps the base from freezing against cold stone or soil and ensures that winter rain drains away rather than collects beneath the plant. Good drainage is essential. Roses tolerate the cold far better than they tolerate standing water.
Water Sparingly
As with roses in the ground, potted roses need only the lightest watering in winter. Monitor the soil and water when it begins to dry out, keeping the balance steady and even.
-
Planting Bare Root Shrub Roses in a Pot: Step-by-StepBare root shrub roses are a perfect choice for growing in containers, offering beautiful, bushy growth and abundant, fragrant blooms throughout the summer and into autumn. Planting them in a pot allows gardeners without a garden bed to enjoy the elegance of English Roses, while giving the plant the freedom to establish strong roots in a controlled environment. By following a few careful steps, your rose will settle naturally and flourish for years to come.
-
Planting Bare Root Climbing Roses in a Pot: Step-by-StepBare root climbing roses bring vertical grace and fragrance to patios, terraces and courtyards, creating structure and height where space is limited. When planted carefully in a large container, they will flourish and flower generously, rewarding you with arching stems covered in blooms from early summer through to autumn.
-
How to Care for Roses in Pots: Keep Them Happy, Healthy and FloweringGrowing a rose in a pot brings beauty right to the doorstep. Whether nestled against a garden bench, standing proudly on a sun-drenched terrace or softening the edge of a courtyard, container roses offer a graceful solution for smaller spaces. With the right care, they will flourish for many years to come.
-
A Simple Guide To Planting Potted Shrub Roses In ContainersPlanting a rose in a pot is a versatile and rewarding gardening method. It allows you to create beautiful displays and grow roses in a wider variety of spaces. Whether you have a sprawling garden or a small balcony, container gardening can bring greenery and colour to your outdoor space.
-
Caring for Roses Through WinterWinter draws a different map across the garden. Borders lose their summer softness, the air grows crisp, and each plant stands in its true form. Roses, perhaps more than anything else, reveal their strength now. Their branches hold the memory of last season’s bloom, and beneath the soil they gather themselves for the next. Looking after them at this time of year becomes less a checklist of jobs and more a steady, reassuring conversation with the season ahead.
-
English Roses for Christmas: How to Keep Them at Their Best Until They Can Be PlantedGiving a rose at Christmas is a thoughtful and much-loved gesture. Even in winter, when the garden rests and the days grow quieter, a rose carries the promise of colour and new life in the year ahead. Often, though, roses are bought well before they are given. If yours needs to be kept for a short while before Christmas Day, or before it can be planted, caring for it is wonderfully simple. Roses are far more patient than they appear and will remain at their best with just a little attention.
-
Planting Bare Root Climbing Roses in a Pot: Step-by-StepBare root climbing roses bring vertical grace and fragrance to patios, terraces and courtyards, creating structure and height where space is limited. When planted carefully in a large container, they will flourish and flower generously, rewarding you with arching stems covered in blooms from early summer through to autumn.
-
How to Plant Bare Root Standard Roses: Step-by-StepStandard roses, also known as tree roses, bring structure, height and a sense of grace to the garden. Their blooms are carried high on slender stems, creating a striking focal point among lower planting. Whether standing proudly in a border or adding formality beside a doorway, they bring charm and refinement to any setting.
-
Planting Bare Root Shrub Roses in a Pot: Step-by-StepBare root shrub roses are a perfect choice for growing in containers, offering beautiful, bushy growth and abundant, fragrant blooms throughout the summer and into autumn. Planting them in a pot allows gardeners without a garden bed to enjoy the elegance of English Roses, while giving the plant the freedom to establish strong roots in a controlled environment. By following a few careful steps, your rose will settle naturally and flourish for years to come.
-
Planting Bare Root Climbing and Rambler Roses in the Ground: Step-by-StepBare root climbing and rambling roses bring both structure and romance to the garden, offering a traditional and sustainable way to cover walls, fences, and arches with abundant blooms. Planted between autumn and early spring, these roses establish naturally through the cooler months, ready to send out vigorous new shoots when warmth returns. With a little preparation and care, they will reward you for many years with graceful growth and exquisite fragrance.
A Season Between Seasons
Winter is often described as the garden’s still point, yet for roses it is a time of preparation. Their silhouettes stand clearly against the low sky. Their roots hold tightly to the soil. Their buds rest along each stem, waiting for the moment when warmth returns. Every action you take now, from a well timed prune to a deep winter mulch, influences the generosity of their flowering in the year to come.
What looks like a season of rest is, in truth, the first chapter of spring. When the days lengthen and the first leaves begin to unfold, you will see the results of your winter care written in the strength of each new shoot and in the abundance of flowers that follow.
