Supermodel Jerry Hall’s rose garden is one of the best we’ve seen over at Ideal Home. And particularly impressive are her huge archways of climbing roses - and if you want a similar look, October is the perfect time to start training your climbing roses.
If you’ve been wondering what to do with roses in October, one of the jobs you should be doing is training climbers and ramblers. While this provides extra support, aids growth, and produces more blooms, Gerry’s example shows you can also train your roses to create a striking, structural display in your garden.
Jerry’s beautiful display appeared on her Instagram back in 2020 and is still a brilliant example today. While it may look aspirational, garden experts have spilt the beans on how we can do it too. This is what they said.
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Most gardeners will have planted roses or planted climbing roses. Their fragrant blooms, which come in an array of pretty colourways, make them a striking and often romantic choice for any garden. From Jerry’s Instagram, you can see she loves a pastel pink rose, be that in her beds or in a romantic archway. And given the abundance of her flower garden, experts agree she is a good example to follow.
‘Jerry Hall’s rose archway is a beautiful example of how climbing roses can transform a garden. What makes it particularly impressive is the abundance of flowers and the way the roses have been trained to create a wonderfully romantic, almost tunnel-like effect. It feels established and natural, rather than overly manicured, which is part of its charm,’ says Francesca McEvoy, design expert at Crane Garden Buildings.
‘October is a wonderful time to start planning a rose archway like Jerry's. With growth beginning to slow, it's a good opportunity to assess established plants, secure any long, flexible stems against autumn winds and prepare the structure for new roses.
‘It's also the perfect time to choose your varieties and prepare the soil ahead of the bare-root planting season, which generally runs from November to March. For established climbing roses, I'd recommend leaving the main pruning until winter, while rambling roses are usually best pruned after flowering in late summer.’
How to get the look‘For anyone hoping to recreate Jerry's look, I'd recommend choosing a strong, sturdy arch and selecting a vigorous climbing rose suited to the space. Varieties such as 'New Dawn', with its soft pink flowers, or 'The Generous Gardener', with its beautifully scented, pale pink blooms, are lovely choices for a romantic garden,’ recommends Francesca.
‘One of the most important tricks is to train the stems diagonally or as horizontally as possible around the structure, rather than allowing them to grow straight upwards. This encourages flowering shoots along the length of the stems, helping to create that lovely, full effect rather than a few flowers at the very top.’
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Bear in mind that to achieve a display such as Jerry’s requires an abundance of patience and will. Of course, you also need the right tools and techniques, but don’t expect results overnight.
‘Having several rose arches like this is impressive, as each takes several years to mature and fully cover an arch. They act as a visual focal point in the garden and fill the surrounding area with a strong scent. Even though roses are not evergreen, the visible frame left behind in the colder months is just as striking,’ comments Richard Barker, horticultural expert and commercial director of LBS Horticulture.
‘October is a good time to install the frame and plant the roses needed to make a rose archway. Ensure that the rose arch support is firmly in place first, and anchor it deeply into the ground so that it can handle the weight of mature plants and winds.
‘As the soil is still warm and retaining autumn moisture, plant the container-grown roses that will eventually form the arch now, as their roots will have time to settle before winter. The rose should be slightly positioned away from the arch, and the main stems should be angled towards the support structure. Tie any flexible shoots loosely to the arch frame after planting.’
What you need Crocus Rosa New Dawn Climbing Rose VegTrug Vegtrug Climbing Arch - Black Diall Diall Natural Jute Garden Twine Ball, (l)85m (dia)1.2mmJerry's garden is so beautiful, and while a rose garden like this requires time and effort, it is not impossible. Would you be willing to give it a try?