Rethink the Rose Garden

With new season roses arriving in garden centres, it’s the perfect time to start (or refresh) your rose garden. Winter and early spring are ideal for planting bare-root roses, giving them time to settle in and establish strong root systems before the growing season kicks off. Remember your rose garden doesn’t have to be a traditional, formal just planted with roses.

Gone are the days when rose gardens meant neatly clipped hedges, straight lines, and nothing but roses. Today’s rose gardens can be vibrant, relaxed, and full of personality—more like a living canvas than a museum exhibit. Think beyond structure and symmetry, and imagine an explosion of colours, textures, and scents, where roses are the stars but they share the stage with all sorts of other lovelies.

Pair your favourite roses with hardy perennials like salvias, nepeta, aquilegia to bring in colour echoes and contrast. Let native grasses dance in the breeze around them, softening the look and adding movement.

Better yet, include New Zealand natives in the mix. Compact coprosmas, hebes, or the silvery foliage of pimelea or muehlenbeckia astonii can sit beautifully beside roses, offering structure, drought tolerance, and year-round interest. The natives add authenticity and biodiversity, supporting birds and beneficial insects while grounding your garden in a local sense of place.

Tips for Planting New Season Roses:

•             Choose the right spot: Roses love full sun (at least 6 hours a day), good air circulation, and rich, well-draining soil.

•             Prepare the soil: Mix in compost and sheep pellets or aged manure to give your new roses a nutritious start.

•             Mulch and feed: Once planted, mulch to retain moisture and suppress weeds. Feed with a rose fertiliser in early spring once new growth appears.

A rose garden doesn’t have to follow rules—it should reflect your style, your space, and what brings you joy. Mix, match, and be bold. Whether you love soft pastels or fiery reds, a loose cottage style or something more wild and natural, the new season roses are here, ready to help you build a garden that’s bursting with life and personality.