A bunch of red roses is the ultimate romantic gift, but if you plant a red rose in your garden, you'll not only enjoy blooms in summer - you'll enjoy them year after year, too.

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Discover our recommended roses for special occasions.

You can plant a potted rose all year round, or plant a bare-root rose (which is often cheaper) in the dormant season, from November to February.

From compact roses that are suitable for pots to climbers for a trellis or pergola, we recommend 10 of the best red roses to grow in your garden.


Rosa 'The One and Only'

Rosa ‘The One and Only’ is a French-bred hybrid tea rose, with velvety, crimson double flowers reminiscent of old fashioned roses. It has a spicy, fruity fragrance. It's ideal for growing in a border, but also in containers and also has good resistance to disease.

A bloom of rose 'The One and Only'
A bloom of rose 'The One and Only'

Rosa 'Red Hat Lady'

Rosa 'Red Hat Lady' bears masses of bright red, double flowers throughout summer. It's a compact, low-growing, mound-forming floribunda bush rose. It was named after the Red Hat Society, an international society of women approaching 50. It's ideal for growing at the front of borders and in pots, and also makes a great low-growing hedge.

A spray of rose 'Red Hat Lady' flowers
A spray of rose 'Red Hat Lady' flowers

Rosa 'Suffolk'

Rosa 'Suffolk' is a ground cover rose that bears masses of scarlet, single flowers with distinctive golden stamens. It repeat flowers throughout summer and has pretty orange-red hips later in the season. It's a good choice for an area that is difficult to plant, such as a slope, and also works in a container.

Single flowers of ground cover rose 'Suffolk', planted with ivy
Single flowers of ground cover rose 'Suffolk', planted with ivy

Rosa 'George Best'

Rosa 'George Best' is a low growing and bushy shub rose that bears large clusters of cup-shaped, dark red blooms that gradually fade to rosy pink have a pleasant fragrance. It's perfect for growing in containers but also works well in a border and doesn't need much deadheading.

Rose 'George Best'
Rose 'George Best'

Rosa 'Moment in Time'

Rosa 'Moment in Time' has bright, pillar box red, semi-double flowers that appear from the start of summer into autumn. It was named Rose of the Year 2012. It is a floribunda but the size of a ground cover rose (it reaches a height of around 60cm) and has a mild scent. It's a favourite with florists.

Bright-red blooms of rose 'Moment in Time'
Bright-red blooms of rose 'Moment in Time'

Rosa 'Drama Queen'

Rosa 'Drama Queen' has red and white striped, double flowers and is a compact, repeat-flowering floribunda. It is named after the actress Judi Dench. Its compact habit and long flowering potential make it an ideal choice for the front of the herbaceous border or a large pot.

Red and white striped flowers of rose 'Drama Queen'
Red and white striped flowers of rose 'Drama Queen'

Rosa Flower Carpet Red Velvet ('Noare')

Rosa Flower Carpet Red ('Noare') produces lots of bright red flowers with yellow centres from midsummer to early winter. It's a free-flowering ground cover rose that works well in a pot as well as at the front of a border, or over slopes or a retaining wall. It has good disease resistance.

Single flowers of Flower Carpet Red Velvet rose 'Noare'
Single flowers of Flower Carpet Red Velvet rose 'Noare'

Rosa 'Red Letter Day'

Rosa 'Red Letter Day' bears clusters of medium-sized, fully double, red flowers with a very mild fragrance. It's ideal for growing at the back of the border, as a hedge, or on its own in a large container. It makes an excellent cut flower. It's name means it makes an excellent gift to mark a special occasion.

A bloom of rose 'Red Letter Day'
A bloom of rose 'Red Letter Day'

Rosa 'Cumberland'

Rosa Cumberland is a repeat-flowering climbing rose that lots of fragrant red flowers from early summer to autumn. It has a narrow habit, making it a good choice for growing over arches, fences or up pillars. It also has good disease resistance. Grow in a large pot or in the ground.

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Wine-coloured buds and velvety, red bloom of rose 'Cumberland'
Wine-coloured buds and velvety, red bloom of rose 'Cumberland'

Rosa 'John Innes'

Rosa 'John Innes' is a repeat-flowering shrub rose with that bears semi-double cherry red flowers with a pink-white centre and cream-yellow stamens all summer. It has a light fragrance. It's the ideal choice for growing in a mixed herbaceous border, or even in a large container.

Rose 'Capel Manor House'
Rose 'Capel Manor House'

Grow better roses

From regular deadheading to mulching and feeding, there is lots you can do to ensure lots of blooms and healthy foliage. Read our five tips for growing better roses.
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