The Real Flower Company: five scented roses to grow at home

Whether left growing on their stems on being cut down to enjoy in vases indoors, a natural reaction is often to lean down and enjoy the scent of a rose. However many modern roses are devoid of any scent due to commercial practices to increase durability and shelf life.

The Real Flower Company was founded in 1999 by Rosebie Morton to counteract just that and bring back scented roses to the market, offering a vast array of colours and scents all sustainably grown on their English and Fairtrade farms.

Sarah Franco, manager of The Real Flower Company in Swain's Lane Highgate chooses her five favourite rose bushes to grow at home. (Image: Daniel Outram)

With so many varieties to choose from, it can be overwhelming to know what to plant at home. Here, Sarah Franco, manager at the newly opened The Real Flower Company at 3 Swain’s Lane shares her top five varieties.

Chandos Beauty

Chandos Beauty is a quintessential English rose with peachy pink flowers (Image: Courtesy of The English Flower Company)

If you pictured the perfect rose, you’d picture Chandos Beauty. With shapely peachy pink flowers and a strong, exquisite scent, it is very easy to grow. Providing an abundance of roses throughout the season, Chandos Beauty is a healthy plant which enjoys sun and light shade, has a very high resistance to disease, and is particularly wonderful at repeat flowering – just remember to deadhead frequently to encourage further growth.

Eveline Wild

Named after acclaimed pâtissier and confectioner Eveline Wild, this rose bush offers a fruity fragrance and a delicate, sweet taste with notes of honey and apricot. Producing a wealth of edible roses in shades of beautiful soft peach, these flowers can be cut down to enjoy in vases or used to dress desserts, cakes or salads.

Margaret Merril

The Margaret Merril rose (Image: Courtesy of The English Flower Company)

As the quintessential English rose (and our founder Rosebie’s inspiration for creating the brand), Margaret Merril offers a stunning aroma as well as a beautiful shape featuring soft white petals with a hint of blush. Thanks to its compact and neat shape, it’s the perfect rose for growing in a large pot.

Compassion

Compassion rose (Image: Courtesy of The English Flower Company)

Those looking for a climbing rose may well enjoy Compassion, which offers an intense, sweet scent and flowers in shades of coral and pink. With large, fragrant blooms and dark green foliage, it’s a wonderful climber to enjoy in areas which receive a lot of sunlight with light shade.

Whiter Shade of Pale

The Whiter Shade of Pale rose bush (Image: Courtesy of The English Flower Company)

While roses are synonymous with summer, Whiter Shade of Pale will often bloom into autumn offering longevity and helping us eke out the last of the warmer days. With delicate pink petals and a strong, sweet scent, this rose is sure to turn heads.

To buy rose bushes - from £30 - and other flowers visit The Real Flower Company on 3 Swain’s Lane, or call 020 3011 5556 to place an order. Look for release dates for their rose-growing workshops on Instagram or Facebook.