The Best Roses To Plant In November & How To Grow Them

November is a good month for analysing our gardens, and for those of us who are time poor, we need to concentrate our energies on growing plants which will produce lots of flowers throughout the summer. One of the species that does this very well is the rose – and now is the perfect time to plant one. Rosebie Morton, founder of The Real Flower Company, shares her top tips on which roses to plant and how to grow them.

Rosebie Morton’s November Gardening Guide 2026

Despite the intense heat this summer, roses coped incredibly well. Sweet peas, on the other hand, which have always been a popular garden choice in the summer months, just frazzled in the sun. They performed so badly that I don’t think I’ll bother to grow them this coming year!

One of the most important factors when planting a rose is the soil. Roses thrive in a soil which has had compost and manure added to it along with a slow-release fertiliser mixed in. I have also started adding Biochar – a carbon rich substance which aids drainage and fertility and encourages micro-organisms – which helps the roses to flower their best. Position is also important, ideally in a reasonably sunny site and somewhere where you can dig a hole about 40cm by 40cm.

If you are planting a bare rooted rose (this time of the year is the optimum time for bare rooted), first soak the rose for an hour or so in water to rehydrate it before putting some soil at the bottom of the hole and then spreading the roots of the rose out in the hole and finally back filling with soil mixed with the fertiliser etc, firming it in as you go. If you are worried about getting the rose at the right height, put the rose in the hole before you start adding the soil and make sure that the rose union (the knobbly part of the rose where the stems fork out from) is going to end up just below the surface level. Planting a pot grown rose is exactly the same principle as bare rooted. 

Finally, it is worth putting a few inches of mulch around the rose but avoiding the stems. This will suppress weeds and help moisture retention. There are over 30,000 rose varieties to choose from so picking one can be a confusing process. I tend to opt for scented roses which will repeat flower, are strong growers, and disease resistant. Gardening, after all, needs to be as simple as possible. Over the years, I have tried and tested hundreds of varieties, especially for cutting purposes; trying to thin the list down is tricky but the following are some of my favourites:

Pierre Arditi – Named after the actor, it is a true white rose: almost luminous in colour. The scent is reminiscent of peaches and pears, with a touch of exotic thrown in. 

Chandos Beauty – A peach/ apricot coloured rose which I often refer to as the perfect child because it is so easy to grow! Exquisite scent and the daughter of Margaret Merril, but much less demanding.

Audrey Fleurot – A wonderful deep pink rose with an unbelievable scent – flowers are rosetted in shape and demand appreciation.

Michelangelo – Not everyone loves a yellow but this is exceptional and well worth growing.

Olivia rose – A pastel pink classic David Austin rose. A real doer.

Just Joey – a gorgeous apricot, coppery scented rose producing beautiful ruffled blooms.

If you are equally strapped for space as well as time, roses grow well in big containers as long as you enrich the soil and keep them well watered and fertilised throughout the summer months. Wherever you can plant a rose this November you will reap the rewards next summer when your garden will be filled with scent and colour.