These Techniques For Landscaping With Roses Will Show Off These Flowers To Perfection

roses planted around a garage door, in borders and in a patio container

From letting them ramble over trellises to making them the focal point of a cottage garden, landscaping with roses is a wonderful way to add beautiful color and fragrance to your backyard. Everyone wants to include a classic rose or two in their garden as these gorgeous blooms are an all-time classic flower.

It's easy to see why they're so popular. With so many different varieties and colors to choose from, roses are one of the most versatile shrubs to work into your landscape design. They can be used in a multitude of ways, but whatever the planting combination they are always sure to be the star of the show.

It doesn't matter what the size of your yard or whether it's sunny or shady, roses can easily be worked into your backyard landscaping ideas, even if it means planting them up in patio containers if space is tight. Here's how to get more of these stunning blooms in to your outdoor space now.

orange rose in container 'Roald Dahl'

8 inspirational ideas for landscaping with roses

'Roses are lovely flowers to grow,' says Jac Semmler, horticulturalist and author of Super Bloom, available from Amazon. 'They are the reigning monarch of ornamental gardens. They can be grown for their individual beauty and the blooms are a cut flower classic. Yet there are so many ways you can grow them in a garden and enjoy them with other plants.'

We've brought together all the inspiration you need if you're designing a rose garden, whether you're looking for ways to cover a fence or wall with pretty blooms or simply want to enjoy some fragrant flowers in your seating area.

1. Let roses relax in a naturalistic planting design

rose 'Olivia Rose Austin' in a garden border

If you let roses do their own thing they will look more spontaneous as part of a naturalistic planting design. Shrub roses like many of the old varieties can be integral to an informal scheme, thriving in mixed borders, intertwined with some of their favorite partner plants.

What to choose? 'Feathery purple and blue-gray catmint offsets any pale pink rose beautifully, and its wispy spires gracefully camouflage any blemishes that may occur on the rose's foliage,' says the experts at the New York Botanical Garden. 'While the tops of roses are lush, the bottoms can become leggy and sparse. Good companion plants are those that hide their bare legs. Traditionally, lavender, catmint, lady's mantle and tall growing pinks all make good partners.'

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Roses are available as shrubs, ground cover, climbing plants and ramblers, and with this range of forms available there are many different ways to experiment if you love the look of landscaping with roses.

2. Make roses the star of a formal design

formal garden design with roses and urn

Neatly delineated rose bushes come into their own when partnered with smartly clipped topiary and manicured hedges as part of a formal garden design that favors a symmetrical layout. You'll definitely need to find out how to prune roses for this landscaping look.

If you're aiming to create more formal rose garden ideas, rugosa roses and hybrid teas are ideal choices. 'Their upright growth habit and profusion of blooms lend a regal and well-structured appearance to any setting,' says Diana Cox, founder of The Gardening Talk. 'Consider rugosa varieties like 'Quietness' for their low maintenance requirements, and indulge in the captivating fragrance of 'Peace' or 'Kathleen Harrop' for scented borders.' You can find everyone's favorite heirloom hybrid tea rose 'Peace' at Nature Hills.

You can also choose roses as hedging plants. Plant a single favorite variety along a well-defined line to create a simple color block effect. Why not give a small urban garden a pretty boundary, or hide a fence behind a rose hedge, to bring a linear style with a flowery touch to your formal garden design.

3. Create a scented seating area with roses

seating area with 'Princess Anne' roses

Every garden needs an enchanting place to sit, somewhere you can enjoy being immersed in nature. The planting can add a sensory experience to the enjoyment of the garden, somewhere that offers a restful interlude for your outdoor seating ideas. Scented plants come into their own in spaces like this and none more so than the  best fragrant roses.

If you love the idea of being surrounded by containers planted up with fragrant roses, try the English shrub rose 'Princess Anne' by David Austin Roses. But there are so many more to choose from.

'The rose variety that I would recommend both for climbing and for scented purposes in a seated area is 'Zéphirine Drouhin,' says Miguel Camperos, VP of operations at SunVara. 'These roses are a dark pink in color and climb really well, making them a great addition to pergolas or arbors. They are known for being highly scented, with a really pleasant sweet/fruity fragrance.'

An old-fashioned variety, Zephirine Drouhin (available at Nature Hills) puts on an incredible show when in full bloom.

4. Add a whimsical arbor or arch

arch covered in pink climbing roses

If you want to squeeze in a rose but your borders are already planted up to the max or your yard is on the small side, why not think vertically and utilize the space above your garden by adding an arbor or arch that will accommodate an abundance of blooms without taking up too much floor space.

'By bringing the blooms up and over, you can walk under them, fully immersing yourself within the roses,' recommend the experts at David Austin Roses. 'Create a cottage style garden with a painted wooden arch. There is no need to be too formal. Arches allow roses to span areas where there is high traffic, as well as those which are not suitable for planting below.'

5. Disguise a fence or wall with climbing roses

white climbing Iceberg rose

By training a fabulous, fragrant climbing or rambling rose up a wall or garden fence, you can transform a dull area into a stunning feature. This will draw your gaze up, providing color and blooms at eye level. Similarly, if a rose-covered wall or fence is at the back of a border this increases the impact and visual depth of the planting.

Training climbing roses on a fence or wall is easy and the result is always beautiful. Roses are a good choice for every kind of wall and fence, from chain link to wooden picket, and work whatever the style of your backyard.

'One of my favorite roses is 'New Dawn' as they are great performers,' says Michael Derrig, a registered landscape architect and founder of Landscape Details, who is based in East Hampton. 'As far a climbing rose goes I prefer 'Iceberg' and 'White Eden'. I have created beautiful wall coverings with them for some of the outdoor dining spaces I have designed.'

'Iceberg' comes up time and again as a favorite with designers for landscaping with roses. It has two flushes of beautiful soft-white blooms with the faintest pink tinge, one in late spring and another towards the end of summer. It's easy to train too and the stems go where you want them to. Another plus is that the foliage doesn't die back in winter, so the fence stays looking 'green'. 'Iceberg' is available from Nature Hills.

6. Add roses to patio containers

Lady of Shalott patio rose in a containerses

Roses can be used in containers to create a stunning focal point as part of your patio planting ideas. You can buy special patio roses too, which are in between miniature and normal size roses, and often have charming rosette flowers and neat, bushy growth.

For a modern look, try planting one variety of rose in the same color in boxy contemporary-style planters as a patio border. Other varieties of patio roses to try include peach-orange 'Flower Power' and scarlet 'Marlena', both available from David Austin Roses.

'If you'd like to bring an incredible rose aroma right up the patio, consider planting an 'Apricot Drift',' says Rebecca Rouse, the home stylist and garden enthusiast behind Rouse in the House. 'The maximum size is less than 2 feet tall. As it's so compact, it's the perfect option to plant in a container on the patio.

'The fragrance of 'Apricot Drift' is, hands down, one of the most beautiful roses I've smelled. It's lightly sweet, yet very subtle and not overpowering. Another bonus is that these roses are repeat bloomers, so you can have blooms from spring all the way through to your first frost.' You can find 'Apricot Drift' at Nature Hills.

7. Focus on roses in a cottage garden

cottage garden with rose 'Crown Princess Margareta'

Old-fashioned, fragrant varieties of rose evoke a romantic charm that's perfect for cottage garden ideas. With their big, blowsy blooms and glorious scent, they add a touch of magic.

Plant them amongst old favorites like lavender, delphiniums, and foxgloves for a charming, informal look that's bursting with flowers. Try to locate your roses near a seat or bench so you can sit nearby to enjoy their fragrance.

'To achieve a charming cottage garden aesthetic, opt for shrub roses planted in clusters,' suggests Diana Cox. 'These roses have a spreading nature and do not need staking. You might find 'The Fairy' captivating with its abundance of small pink blooms. 'Alternatively 'Bonica' is stunning with its profusion of coral-pink flowers.' 'Bonica' is available at Nature Hills.

8. Frame an entrance or doorway with roses

garage and gate with roses in front yard

A rose in full bloom makes a stunning welcome home as part of your front porch ideas. If you're looking to frame your front door, give your entrance personality or add curb appeal then choose a rose. You can use one to frame an entrance, pot it up for the porch or use as a pretty detail in borders.

Roses smarten up any entryway and give it the standout factor. If you want to plant roses in a container choose one that complements your exterior aesthetic for a seamless look.

If you're adding roses to garden borders as part of your front yard landscaping ideas they are a good choice as they will soon settle in and look like they have been there for ever.

If you're looking for more ideas for landscaping with shrubs, here's one final tip from Diana Cox of The Gardening Talk. 'Overall, roses contribute beauty, fragrance, and structural elegance to any garden space. For maximum visual impact, consider planting them in mass groupings, using them to strategically emphasize key focal points in your yard.'

San Diego Cityscape: Making A Case For Palm Trees In California Landscaping And Urban Planning

© (Howard Lipin / For The San Diego Union-Tribune) Palm trees reflect in a calm San Diego Bay, with a bit of ground fog, as seen from Liberty Station, and looking toward San Diego International Airport and downtown San Diego Tuesday morning January 31, 2023. ((Howard Lipin / For The San Diego Union-Tribune))

Can you imagine San Diego without palm trees?

I grew up in the San Francisco Bay area and have associated palms with Southern California since I visited my cousins in Pasadena during the 1960s. When I arrived in my yellow VW for grad school in 1977, I was in awe of the spiky-haired sentinels along Mission Bay, the downtown waterfront and at San Diego State University. As time went by, I fell in love with the romance of palm fronds waving and rustling in hot dry Santa Ana winds.

Planted through the centuries for religious (Palm Sunday at the missions), iconic (Sunset Boulevard) and tropical (resorts) impact, palms have figured prominently in the California Dream as described by historian Kevin Starr and other writers. Postcards, tourist brochures, fiction, film and license plates have adopted them as SoCal signifiers.

But, other than in Balboa Park, the Golden Era of palms here is fading. The largest species for which our region is best known are disappearing: aging out, dying from disease such as fusarium (a fungus), palm weevil infestation or incinerated by wildfires. Today, palms are rarely recommended as street trees or for residential and commercial landscapes. In fact, it sometimes seems like war has been declared.

© (U-T file photo) The Serra Palm, believed to be have been planted by a member of Father Junipero Serra's expedition on July 2, 1769, and scarred by musket balls, was almost 183 years old when this photo was taken in 1952. It was cut down in 1957 after it sucumbed to a prolonged local drought and fungus. ((U-T file photo))

The city cut down five beloved Mexican fan palms in the Point Loma-Ocean Beach area in April, in spite of neighborhood protests and a lawsuit (subsequently dropped). Ostensibly, this happened because the 90-footers interfered with airport flight paths, but it strikes me that there are several 500-foot skyscrapers near the airport that won't be coming down anytime soon. Elsewhere, the city is more empathetic. In University Heights, residents lobbied successfully for protection of Canary Island Date Palms from palm weevils, with regular spraying by city maintenance crews.

As anyone who has seen old photos of San Diego knows, our native landscape is generally low and scrubby. California live oak and pines including Torrey, firs and cedars, are among the handful of original arboreal residents.

Except for the desert fan palm (not to be confused with Mexican fan palms that line our streets), no palm trees are San Diego natives. Legend has it that Father Junipero Serra planted California's first new palm, a date palm, in 1769, in what is now Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. Serra may or may not have actually planted the tree, but the event launched a proliferation. Today, around 50,000 palms — dozens of species — are among San Diego's 250,000-plus street trees. Tens of thousands more palms can be found in commercial and residential landscapes.

While the future of palms in our region is up in the air, their ongoing resonance in art is undeniable. You know them from films set in California or exotic, tropical foreign locales. They are atmospheric in fiction. David Hockney painted them next to swimming pools and stark modern houses.

Artists seem drawn to the darker side of palms. As climate change accelerates, temperatures rise, and droughts are frequent, wildfires have torched countless Southern California palms. News photos of flaming palms in Santa Barbara captured the imagination of San Diego artist Perry Vásquez.

"You don't really notice some things in the environment until something goes wrong and then they stand out," said Vásquez, a Southern California native. "They are so ubiquitous they become familiar. My first reaction was emotional and intuitive, not intellectual in any way. I had no idea about the history of palm trees or their role in urban planning."

As Vásquez began to consider palms as his subject matter, he read Jared Farmer's book "Trees in Paradise," an authoritative account of trees that define California, from palms, eucalyptus and citrus in Southern California, to redwoods and sequoias in Northern California. Farmer devotes 90 pages to palms. He intertwines botany with history, Hollywood, politics, tourism and urban development.

"The historical perspective pulled me in and I gradually went from someone who kind of despised palm trees to really being almost in love with them," Vásquez said. "I think it's a tragic story, them not being feasible for the future."

Vásquez' palm paintings depict flaming palms against broody skies. They were showcased at an exhibit at Quint Gallery in La Jolla earlier this year. His palm triptych was acquired by the Cheech Museum in Riverside, and the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego owns a couple.

California writer T.C. Boyle's new novel "Blue Skies" has a cover that pictures a windswept palm surrounded by flames. Climate change and other forces at play in our state have shaped his apocalyptic fiction for decades. Boyle grew up in Peekskill, N.Y., and arrived in the Southwest as a young writer. Palms made a mixed first impression.

"I was in my early 20s before I saw one and it was the immediate and apparent symbol for me of southern climes," he told me via email. "I had never been west of the Hudson nor south of Long Island and I flew with my girlfriend to visit her parents in Arizona. It was late at night when we arrived and as we waited for her father to pick us up I stepped outside and saw the palms there in all their alien glory. 'Palms!,' I exclaimed, thinking to drag her out the door to see this glorious sight, but she, inured to their presence, simply shrugged and said, 'What's the big deal?'"

© (Courtesy of the La Jolla Historical Society) Walter S. Lieber arrived in La Jolla in 1904. He later led efforts to clean Scripps Park and plant Washingtonia palm trees there, as pictured here. ((Courtesy of the La Jolla Historical Society))

Almost every San Diegan has a story about palm trees. Our 1970s house in Carlsbad came with three mature queens. They are stunning and although somewhat messy, we think their drought tolerance and low cost of maintenance make them keepers. Much as we love them, though, we did not include any new palms when our garden got a major makeover.

San Diego garden designer Nan Sterman, host of "A Growing Passion" on KPBS television, said she doesn't use palms in new landscapes, unless homeowners insist, or where existing palms can be incorporated in her plans. In the case of potential clients who purchased a Craftsman-style house with a "tropical" landscape with dozens of palms, she suggested removing some. "When you point out to people that they look like a telephone pole with a poof on top, they go, 'ohhhh, okay.'"

That palms are giants of our urban landscape is not in question. According to San Diego's 2017 Urban Forestry Program, in the public realm we have 200,000 trees plus around 50,000 palms (biologically palms are not "trees," and are closer to grasses or bamboo). All told, including residential landscapes, the city has 4 million to 5 million trees, according to the city's ongoing inventories.

Among species found along Southern California streets today, four are by far the most common:

Mexican fan palms are towering icons, reaching 90 feet. As their name implies, the leaves look like fans — or the palms of our hands. By some accounts, they can live for hundreds of years. One major downside: they invade and destroy native habitat.

Slender elegant South American queen palms, with gray trunks that can reach 40 to 50 feet, and feathery fronds that extend to 15 feet. The fronds emerge directly from the tops of the trunks. Ivory flowers bloom in summer. They transform into "dates" that fall into messy heaps later in the year.

Tapered king palms, Australian natives that can reach 40 feet, with fronds that sprout from green shafts at the tops of tan-gray trunks. Pink flowers in summer form reddish fruits that eventually fall to the ground.

Canary Island date palms, with broader bushier crowns than kings, queens or fan palms, and with striking orange flower stalks. They grow more slowly and can reach 25 feet. They bear fruit, but are not "true" date palms like the Phoenix dactylifera that power Indio's date industry. Canary Island palms likely face extinction here due to South African palm weevil infestation.

San Diego City Forester Brian Widener had been a city forester for several years in New York City until he took the job here in 2017. His experience with palms was limited. Growing up in Sonoma in Northern California, he and his brother played driveway basketball with a hoop nailed to a small palm. In New York, the only palms he knew of were in the atrium of the World Financial Center. They perished on 9-11, but all have been replaced — so at least a handful of palms still tropicalize the Big Apple.

In San Diego, Widener is mindful of palms as beloved San Diego icons, but said they are not very practical as street trees. They don't provide shade for pedestrians — shade that also cools streets and sidewalks that otherwise reflect and radiate heat.

© (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times) Mexican fan palms at Doheny State Beach in San Juan Capistrano. ((Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times))

Meanwhile, San Diego's need for "canopy cover" is greater than ever, to counteract the impact of global warming, drought and air pollution. The city's 2017 Urban Forestry Plan calls for increasing our canopy cover from around 13 percent to 30 percent in 2028 and 35 percent in 2035. By some accounts progress is slow, but Widener is optimistic.

The city's website has an extensive section dedicated to trees. You'll find the Urban Forestry Program, the Climate Action Plan and a list of recommended street trees that includes a few palms and dozens of other species ranging from acacias to silk trees, madrone, redbud, laurel and ironwood.

While Widener feels strongly about moving away from palms as street trees, he is mindful of their iconic presence and emotional resonance.

"We have a lot of palm trees along our coastal communities such as Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, La Jolla. We do have a few neighborhoods, too, that are known for their palm trees, such as Kensington, where there are hundreds of queen palms that dot the right of way. Occasionally we have to remove trees for health or public safety. We try to promote replanting with shade trees." One reason palms and other trees that are removed do not get replaced is that residents must agree to maintain new trees for the first three years.

San Diego's redeveloping downtown waterfront provides one example of keeping the palm spirit alive.

At the foot of Broadway, and along Harbor Drive headed north, Mexican fan palms were initially specified as part of the new plan. The city opted for date palms. They don't have the same visual impact, but they are more practical. A fringe benefit, according to landscape architect Andrew Spurlock, who has consulted on countless urban plans, is that date palms set a better example than Mexican fan palms for San Diego gardeners who feel compelled to plant palms.

For corporate America, palms create a timeless theme park atmosphere conducive to comfort and spending. Companies such as International Treescapes in Carlsbad serve these markets with "preserved palms" — real palm fronds, embalmed, atop artificial trunks. You can see three of their queen palms in the atrium at The Shoppes at Carlsbad mall, and several more near the baggage carousels inside Terminal 1 at San Diego International Airport.

One can imagine a day not too far in the future when live palm street trees will be historical artifacts like Queen Anne Victorians, California bungalows or Balboa Park's Spanish Colonial structures. They will be rare and found only in select locations. As with important architecture, neighborhoods can apply for "preservation" status for their trees, but the city has only designated 400 and none are palms.

For me, living breathing palms are essential as visual landmarks and emotional touchstones. Maybe I am maladjusted, but they provide some sort of joy that I don't get from other trees.

The city should consider taking the initiative to designate public palm zones for preservation. Good governance calls for recognizing what San Diegans love about life here, and the business and marketing value of our palm trees is unquestionable. Where palms must be removed, they should he replaced with palms. As elements within the context of urban infrastructure, this is not as impractical as one might think.

According to Gregg Opgenorth, a palm expert at Grubb & Nadler nursery in Fallbrook, new queen palms cost around $60 per foot, or $1,800 for a 30-foot street tree, which seems a small price to pay for these San Diego icons. As renowned San Diego artist Robert Irwin observed a few years back, a row or cluster of mature palms costs a lot less than most public art.

Sutro writes about architecture and design. He is the author of the guidebook "San Diego Architecture" as well as "University of California San Diego: An Architectural Guide." He wrote a column about architecture for the San Diego edition of the Los Angeles Times and has covered architecture for a variety of design publications.

This story originally appeared in San Diego Union-Tribune.

Landscaping For Beginners

If you're new to gardening and landscaping, the prospect of transforming your outdoor space can be daunting. With so many things to consider and remember, you may question whether or not you want to take on the task of landscaping your home.

But fear not. Gardening and landscaping, while sometimes time-consuming, can also be very rewarding. Plenty of homeowners enjoy doing their landscaping, and even though mistakes happen, it's always a joy to see a beautiful yard you created. And with summer approaching, now is the perfect time to learn some basic landscaping tips and tricks to be able to transform your own yard.

Are you ready to get your hands dirty? Check out these tips to learn where to start when it comes to landscaping as a beginner.

Plan and Plot What You Want Your Space To Look Like

When it comes to landscaping, one of the first and most important steps for beginners is to plan and plot what you want your space to look like. This step sets the foundation for a successful and cohesive design. Start by visualizing your ideal outdoor space and consider factors such as the size and shape of the area, the existing features, and your personal preferences. Take measurements and create a rough sketch to help you envision how different elements will fit together.

Start With a Small Space

As a beginner, you don't want to get overwhelmed with too much too soon. So, start small and work your way up and around your garden. It's much easier to stay engaged and interested in landscaping once you see your hard work thriving and being fruitful. By focusing on a smaller area, such as a corner of your yard or a small flower bed, you can hone your skills, experiment with different design ideas, and learn about the plants that thrive in your local climate. This approach allows you to gain confidence and knowledge before tackling larger projects.

Choose What Style You Want To Go With

Homeowners should pick a style that highlights the home's architectural style. Whether you prefer a formal and structured design, a relaxed and naturalistic vibe, or something in between, understanding the different landscaping styles can help you make an informed choice. Depending on your home and personal design style, you can select what you think would look best.

Hardscape Your Area First

Hardscaping refers to the non-living elements of a landscape, such as pathways, patios, decks, and fences. Decide where you want your landscaping to start and finish, and use materials such as bricks, metal, or granite to encase your plants or flowerbeds to prevent the grass from encroaching in those areas.

Hardscaping provides structure and organization, creating defined areas and enhancing the overall functionality of the landscape. It also allows individuals to envision how they will navigate and utilize the space before introducing the softer elements of plants and flowers.

Factor in Your Needs and Wants

Take some time to reflect on how you plan to use your garden or yard. Are you looking for a serene retreat, a place for entertaining guests, or a vibrant garden filled with colorful flowers? By identifying your needs and wants, you can create a design that aligns with your lifestyle and preferences.

Consider the activities you enjoy, the amount of time you're willing to dedicate to maintenance, and the overall ambiance you wish to achieve. This thoughtful consideration will serve as a guiding principle as you embark on your landscaping journey, ensuring that your efforts result in an outdoor space that brings joy and satisfaction.

By following these landscaping tips for beginners, you can start falling in love with your yard space.

The post Landscaping for Beginners appeared first on Home & Texture.

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