Malleny Garden

Roses

Malleny Garden contains around 150 different species of rose, most notably the National Collection of 19th-century shrub roses. This collection was significantly enhanced in the 1960s by the Gore-Browne Hendersons, when roses were gifted to them from Newliston House. After the garden came into the Trust’s care, more roses were added – and the National Collection status was achieved in 1986.

As you walk around the garden, look out for the Plant Heritage logo beside roses in the collection.

We have 13 different rose groups at Malleny. The main ones are listed below, but we also have a few specimens of centifolia (cabbage roses), moss, Portland, hybrid musk and Boursault roses.

A close-up of a rose bush with large white roses in flower.

Damask roses

Said to have been brought back by Crusaders in the 12th and 13th centuries, these roses have richly scented petals and are used for making perfume.

Example: Rosa ‘Madame Hardy’

A close-up of two flowers, pale pink roses. Two are in bud.

Gallica roses

These are extremely hardy roses that originated in southern Europe. They have single or double, strongly scented flowers.

Example: Rosa ‘Duchesse de Montebello’

A close-up of a large pale pink rose, with densely packed petals.

Alba roses

Some of the oldest known roses, alba roses were probably brought to the UK by the Romans. They are generally easy to grow and have a sweet scent with pale pink or white flowers.

Example: Rosa ‘Königin von Dänemark’

A bright pink rose grows on a bush, with several buds beside it.

Bourbon roses

The first Bourbon rose was believed to have been raised from a seedling on Réunion in the Indian Ocean. These roses were very popular in Victorian times as they have a lovely fragrance and are repeat-flowering.

Example: Rosa ‘Louise Odier’

Three yellow roses, the palest in the middle, grow on a stalk from a large garden pot.

Noisette roses

Named after Philippe Noisette, a French horticulturalist living in America in the early 19th century, this hardy group produces large clusters of flowers.

Example: Rosa ‘Rêve d’Or’

A close-up of a very pale pink rose with very dense petals.

Spinosissima hybrids (burnet roses)

Formerly known as Rosa pimpinellifolia, this group are suckering, early Scotch roses with very spiny stems. In 1793, Robert Brown transplanted a wild plant from Kinnoull Hill in Perth to his nursery – many hybrid Scotch roses have originated from the cultivars that he grew from seed.

Example: Rosa ‘Stanwell perpetual’

A white rose grows on a bush against a bright blue sky. Several white rose buds are beside it.

Rambler roses

Developed towards the end of the 19th century, this group are very vigorous – they have long arching stems and large sprays of small flowers.

Example: Rosa ‘Albéric Barbier’

A rose plant with large orange hips, in front of a white-painted glasshouse.

Rugosa roses

These are very hardy and tolerant of poor conditions. They usually have scented flowers on thorny, suckering bushes.

Example: Rosa ‘Alba’

You can read more about our rose collection in our blog post from the PLANTS project:

The PLANTS project: roses at Malleny Garden