A garden without roses? It’s possible but is it necessary? I did my research in 2022 and chose what I thought was a varied selection of robust roses. My experience so far shows that there are huge differences between varieties, even those said to be robust and resistant. And there are a lot of aspects to consider besides the color.
Perfume
I used to say I’d never plant a rose that did not bloom for six months of the year and that did not have a good perfume. Why should I? There were so many different roses to choose from for a garden in Switzerland.
Down here I have become somewhat more tolerant regarding the latter aspect, as the selection of excellently scented roses that flower for a long time and can also tolerate mediterranean heat is quite small.
Flowering Season
In the Mediterranean the flowering season for roses can start as early as March/April and there may be flowers into July, depending on the variety, heat and rainfall. Then nothing much happens and after temperatures go down and the first fall rains come, flowering may pick up again in September for remontant varieties. Thus roses have to compete with an already exuberantly colorful spring garden instead of being able to play a starring role. All the more reason for me to insist on varieties that flower in the fall as well.
Filled or unfilled flowers
The heat in full sun can be oppressive even in May and heavy filled flower heads will tend to hang down – especially on younger plants whose stems are not yet very strong. Simpler or unfilled flowers tend to fare better.
Sun or shade
The bright hot mediterranean sun can damage rose blossoms. Even if it’s only 28 degrees in June they may end up looking like dried up crepe paper. In the Mediterranean, at least at sea level, it is better to plant roses in half shade. Most of our roses should be in dappled shade once the new trees grow into their crowns.
During the hot months I’ve started cutting any new flowers and taking them into the house to bloom.
Varieties of Roses for a Mediterranean Garden
Generalist garden centers tend to recommend Rosa rugosa and pimpinellifolia as being robust roses and tolerating some drought as well as poor soil. That’s what I went with, because I love the vivid colors and perfumes of these varieties. So far though they do a lot less well in this garden than other varieties, even with good soil and watering. Rosa chinensis, floribunda, and moschata have worked out better so far.
I’ve done some more reading in the meantime and rose-specialists like Roseraie Ducher say that generally Tea Roses and their hybrids, Rosa noisettiana, Rosa borboniana, Rosa chinensis, and Rosa damascena are most suited for mediterranean/hot climates.
So what’s my resumé so far? I know that this is only the second year for most of my varieties and one shold give roses time to develop but for me there are already some clear winners and losers.
To be replaced in the fall:
Rosa rugosa Blanc Double de Coubert
A lovely, heavily scented rose that I had in my old garden in Switzerland. Planted here in August 2022, it bloomed in April through the beginning of June. The plant stayed very small however and during the heatwave in August, with leaves turning completely brown, it constantly threatened to die. In 2024 it has grown somewhat but has only had two flowers in the spring.
Rosa rugosa Roseraie de l’Haÿ
Another heavenly perfumed rugosa rose in a wonderful dark pink color. A favorite in Switzerland I wanted to try it here as well. Planted in August 2022, it flowered for 2-3 weeks in April-May and showed good growth. The flowers did not last long at all in the sunshine and during the heatwave in August the leaves turned brown and the plant seemed to have died during the following months. In 2024 it reappeared but stayed minuscule and did not flower at all.
Rosa pimpinellifolia Stanwell Perpetual
A rose that was purported to be robust and tolerant but turned out a bit of a dud as well. Planted in August 2022, it flowered for four weeks in April-May, but the plant itself stayed tiny. The flowers smelled very good but did not last long at all in the sunshine. During the heatwave in August it seemed to shrivel up and die but showed some new growth by November. In the spring of 2024 it flowered again a few times but so far has stayed minuscule.
Keepers:
Rosa moschata Felicia
A variety I hadn’t heard of before that has shown itself a bit more adapted to this climate. Planted in August 2022, it flowered for 2 weeks in May 2023 and showed good growth. The flowers were still rather small and the stems weak. It suffered during the heatwave in August by getting black spots on the leaves but when fall arrived it looked pretty good and had even grown a bit. In the spring of 2024 it came back very vigourous and healthy with dark green leaves and lots of buds that flowered from April through June and the beginning of July.
The flowers have a wonderful perfume. They are filled and tend to hang down sometimes, and they do not appreciate full Mediterranean sun, even if it’s only 27 degrees in June.
Rosa Fragrant Old Yellow
Another unknown (to me) variety that has shown itself very adapted to this climate. Planted in August 2022, it flowered for 2 weeks in May 2023 and showed good growth. The stems were a bit weak still and the big flowers mostly hung down. It grew well even during the summer and by the spring of 2024 it looked very vigourous and healthy with dark green leaves and lots of buds that flowered from April through June.
The flowers are large and filled and hang down sometimes, and they also do not appreciate full Mediterranean sun, even if it’s only 27 degrees.
Despite the name they have practically no scent at all, which is a bit disappointing.
Rosa floribunda Joseph’s Coat
I fell in love with this rose after seeing it online in 2023 while looking for more robust rose varieties. I planted it in November in the half shade behind an olive tree. It started spring very vigorously with dark green leaves and bloomed for a few weeks between in May and June. Had quite a bit of aphids though as well as black spot in July. The flowers last a long time and keep changing color while they fade. The colors are rather more red and fiery than I expected but it is a spectacular rose – even though it has practically no scent.
Its flowers are not very sun-tolerant either – even in the half shade.
Rosa chinensis Old Blush
Another rose I came across in 2023 while looking for more robust roses. I planted it in November in full sun. In the spring it looked healthy and vigorous and began to flower in March. Through June new flowers kept appearing. They have a great perfume, last a long time and seem to tolerate the sun quite well. An all-around winner so far. It is even mentioned by Olivier Filippi as a drought resistant rose with a “code sécheresse” of 3.
Rosa Nahéma
I wanted at least one climbing rose for the wall separating the garden from the parking lot and I chose this Delbard rose for its color, scent and robust reputation. I planted it in November 2022 in a protected spot along the wall. It developed well and bloomed for two weeks in May. It suffered a lot during the hot summer and seemed about to die. But then developed new growth by November of 2023. This year it looks very good and has been flowering every few weeks since the end of May. The flowers are heavily scented.
Unfortunately, the rose doesn’t seem to know that it’s a climbing rose and the branches don’t seem to want to grow towards the wall – but we’ll get to grips with that in time.
Unknown Roses
A friend wanted to get rid of a number of rose bushes big and small in the late spring of 2023.
I took about eight of them – mostly unknowns, except for a “Hanabi” climbing rose. They all seemed to do quite well for a few months but four of them died in or after the very hot summer, including Hanabi. It looked great one day and two days later it was dead… I managed to take a cutting from one of the moribund ones and got it to grow roots in some water. It’s in a pot now, waiting to be planted out in the fall. All the other ones did great, despite being planted and re-planted wherever there was a spot available. They bloomed in the summer and the two yellow ones even into December. This year again they keep flowering since May, even in the full sun, without fail and without complaint. The flowers are not very filled and without any scent.
More Roses to come?
If I were to plant more roses I might try a Rosa chinensis sanguinea or mutabilis – simple flowers that change color between yellow and red. I might also try a Damascena rose for their heady scent. Here’s a list I’m going to look into for heat-resistant roses with a long blooming season, flowers that are not too filled, and, hopefully, a nice perfume: Angèle Pernet, Belle de Menton, Boufarik, Ducher, Golden Wings, Purple Kid, Damascena 4 saisons, Sally Holmes, Iceberg, Ballerina, Mermaid, Rosa banksia Purezza, Sourire d’Orchidée, Zephirine Drouhin.
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