Gertrude Jekyll rose

Sun

Full sun is best; allow at least 6 hours of direct sun daily. Light afternoon shade can help in hot climates, but deep shade reduces flowering.

Water

Water deeply during dry spells, especially in the first two growing seasons. Keep the root zone evenly moist but never waterlogged.

Soil

Fertile, moisture-retentive, well-drained soil, ideally slightly acidic to neutral. Improve very sandy or heavy soils with compost.

Height

4-5 ft (1.2-1.5 m) as a shrub; 8-10 ft (2.4-3 m) when trained as a climber

Spread

3-4 ft (0.9-1.2 m)

Flowers

Rich pink, very double rosette flowers with a strong old-rose fragrance; a main flush in late spring or early summer, then repeat flowering through summer into autumn.

Foliage

Green, compound leaves with toothed leaflets on upright, heavily thorned stems; deciduous.

Growth

Moderate to fast once established

Care needed

Medium

• Wildlife
• Low allergen
• Fragrant

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   2.3 ft (0.71 m)

3. After 2 years

   3 ft (0.93 m)

4. After 3 years

   4 ft (1.1 m)

5. After 5 years

   4 ft (1.4 m)

   full size

About 4 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Growth rate

Fast

• Water at soil level during dry weather, soaking the root zone rather than wetting the leaves.
• Apply a rose fertiliser in spring as growth starts, and feed again after the first flush according to the label; avoid late-season nitrogen feeding in cold climates.
• Mulch annually with 2-3 in (5-8 cm) of compost or well-rotted manure, keeping it clear of the stems.
• Remove spent flower clusters to encourage repeat bloom.
• For climbing growth, tie stems to a sturdy support and fan them out rather than letting them grow straight upwards.
• In colder parts of its range, protect the crown or graft union with a loose mound of soil after dormancy, removing it in spring.

Pruning. In late winter or early spring, remove dead, damaged and crossing stems, then shorten healthy shrub growth by roughly one-third to one-half. If trained as a climber, retain the main framework and shorten its flowering side shoots to two or three buds.

Autumn

Plant while the soil is workable in mild climates; water well and mulch.

Late winter

Prune before strong new growth begins; delay until early spring in very cold areas.

Spring

Feed, renew mulch and check that climbing stems are securely tied.

Late spring

Check young shoots for aphids and begin deep watering if rainfall is insufficient.

Summer

Deadhead after each flush, water during dry spells and feed after the main flush if needed.

Late autumn

Collect fallen diseased leaves and protect the crown in cold climates.

• Place beside a seating area where you can enjoy the fragrance, leaving room to avoid its thorns.
• Use in a mixed border with catmint, hardy geraniums and salvias to soften the bare lower stems.
• Train against a sunny wall, fence or small obelisk for flowers above eye level.
• Repeat shrubs along a broad path or border for a loose, fragrant pink rhythm.

Garden styles it suits: English country, Cottage garden, Romantic rose garden, Arts and Crafts, Sensory garden and Pastel border.

Plant it with: Catmint, Hardy geranium, Woodland sage, Lady's mantle, Ornamental allium and Clematis.

Wildlife: The dense, very double flowers offer less accessible pollen than single roses. The shrub can shelter small birds and beneficial insects; avoid insecticide sprays on open flowers.

• Black spot: remove affected fallen leaves, water at ground level and maintain good airflow; repeated infection can cause substantial leaf loss.
• Powdery mildew: prevent drought stress, avoid crowded growth and remove badly affected shoot tips.
• Aphids: wash colonies off young shoots with water or use insecticidal soap labelled for roses, avoiding open flowers and beneficial insects.
• Poor repeat flowering: provide enough sun, deadhead promptly and maintain steady moisture; later flushes are naturally smaller than the first.

True roses are not known to be toxic to cats, dogs, horses or people. Swallowing plant material may cause mild stomach upset, while thorns can injure skin, mouths and eyes; pesticide-treated flowers should not be eaten.

• Mary Rose (Rosa 'Ausmary')

  Also has pink, double English-rose flowers, but usually forms a bushier, less upright shrub with looser-looking blooms and a less powerful fragrance.

• Constance Spry (Rosa 'Ausfirst')

  Has large, cupped pink flowers and a myrrh scent, but grows into a much larger climber and flowers once in early summer rather than repeating.

The rose is named for Gertrude Jekyll, the influential British garden designer known for her planting schemes and use of colour.

Propagation. Take semi-ripe cuttings in summer or hardwood cuttings during dormancy; success varies. Commercial plants are often budded onto rootstocks. Seed will not reproduce this cultivar, and shoots arising below a graft belong to the rootstock.

Accepted botanical name

Rosa

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.