Rose Gardening on the Main Line

Roses, much like Boxwood, have a reputation for being a high-maintenance shrub. It’s true; both plants needs special care in order for them to thrive here on Philadelphia’s Main Line. That being said, choosing the right disease-resistant cultivars and proactively implementing a plant health care plan will ensure a vibrant landscape with these plants at its center.

Alex and I grow over 60 rose bushes at our home in King of Prussia. Most of our roses are David Austin, a famous rose breeder best known for the incredible fragrance and heartiness of their roses. Having grown roses for several years, I have perfected a care regime that guarantees continuous blooms, healthy green foliage and minimal insect damage.

With the exception of Mme. Hardy, all of the rose varieties in my garden will bloom continuously from mid-to-late May through November (I even had a few blooms into December last year!). Roses love the heat and handle the 90-degree temperatures of June, July and August with relative ease. Breeders such as David Austin will often allow you to filter their roses climate (select Hot & Humid for Philadelphia!) and other key features such as “Ideal for Shady Areas”. Trust me, there is a rose that will work for every Main Line Philadelphia landscape.

Enjoy scrolling through a few photographs of my favorite roses below. I hope you are encouraged to try growing roses in your own garden. If you need help getting started, I offer rose garden consultations to help you choose the perfect varieties for your landscape, the ideal planting locations and the best companion plants.

I’m often asked if I could have only one rose, which would I choose. Well, that’s an impossible decision, but my top three are: SOMBREUIL, SCEPTER'D ISLE and ABRAHAM DARBY®. These are each best-in-class for fragrance and repeat flowering.

The three photographs below are of Colette, a pink climbing rose that runs up our brick garage. Colette is bred by Meilland, not David Austin, but she deserves special mention because of how prolifically it has bloomed. It is lightly fragrant.