Key roses from Libby Russell’s garden

Garden designer Libby Russell’s own garden in Somerset is three acres of alkaline soil which varies to acidic. The house sits in a valley, backed by a shelter belt of native woodland. June’s issue of Garden’s Illustrated features Libby’s stunning garden of two halves, and here are a selection of key roses she has planted. For more on her garden, subscribe to Gardens Illustrated. 

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A classic hybrid musk rose with the best buff colour. It repeats well and will form a vigorous, medium-sized shrub. 1.2m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 5a-9b.

A romantic small rose that looks like a wild rose but repeats. It associates well with ox-eye daisies and wildflowers. 90cm. RHS H6, USDA 5a-9b.

An elegant relation to the pink version, with frilly flowers that are wonderful for picking. It will continue flowering right into autumn. 1.2m. RHS H6, USDA 5a-9b.

The double version of pink ‘New Dawn’. Continues to flower throughout the season, even on a north-facing wall. 3m. RHS H6, USDA 5a-9b.

A favourite historic rose. Its highly fragrant pink flowers are striped and spotted with crimson. 1.2m. AGM. RHS H7, USDA 5a-9b.

A lovely magenta rambler with a delicate fragrance that repeats really well. Healthy but, unlike some ramblers, will not rampage out of control. 3m. RHS H6, USDA 5a-9b.

Its large, soft-white to apricot-pink flowers are almost luminous around the banks in this garden and it repeats reliably. 1.2m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 5a-9b.

Libby’s favourite pale-pink hybrid musk rose, with a wonderful fragrance. A vigorous cultivar that repeats so well and is a perfect warm pink. 1.5m. RHS H6, USDA 5a-9b.