Countess of Wessex Shrub Rose Bushes

Countess of Wessex Shrub Rose. 4 Litre Pots.

This tall, vigorous and healthy shrub has clusters of large, double near-white, well scented blooms. The pale yellow buds and new flowers are upright at first, tending to nod as they fully mature. The dark green, glossy foliage, is the ideal backdrop. To 1.8m x 1.2m

Browse our other shrub roses, or all our rose varieties.

Features:

• Type: Shrub
• Colour: Ivory-white
• Flower shape: Clusters of about 5, double
• Scent: Medium-Strong
• Upright Habit to 120cm x 80cm
• Repeats in flushes June-November
• Disease resistance: Good

Growing Countess of Wessex Roses

Good soil in a sheltered, sunny spot is ideal for these large blooms, but like most Rosas, they are tough plants, and these tolerate a bit of shade well.

She will form an upright bush, suitable for the middle of a border or towards the back, but do not hide her away.

In Your Garden Design

The rich creamy flowers make this an ideal rose to use in any border except a ‘hot’ scheme because it is a cool coloured plant, and as unflappable as its namesake. It would enhance any design and would look equally good in a pot on a terrace or a deck.

Did You Know?

Bred by Amanda Beales (1967-2013) of Peter Beales Roses in 2004, code BEAcream. Named after The Countess of Wessex on the occasion of her marriage to HRH Prince Edward at the suggestion of Bishop Peter Nott, who officiated at their wedding ceremony. The parents of the rose are Bonica and Maigold.

How to plant Countess of Wessex Roses

You can order bareroot roses for delivery from November to March only. Containerised plants are available year round. 

Soak your roses' roots or pots for a little while before planting. This is an opportunity to prune the stems down to six to ten inches, and inspect the roots to trim off damaged ones.

Choose a spot with reasonable light: semi-shade will do, but full shade will not. Prepare the soil by breaking it up with a fork while removing roots, stones, etc.

• On dry, sandy and chalky soil, dig a big hole, then backfill it with a soil mix improved with three quarters organic material, including compost and manure for fertility, and leafmould or our Rocket Gro soil improver for water retention.
• On good garden soil, adding some organic material is beneficial, especially manure. Dig a shallow hole, deep enough to allow the graft/union to settle right at soil level, and wider than the roots.
• On really heavy clay, which rose roots love, you do not need to dig: slit planting is good, and you can use organic material as a mulch on top.

Spread some Rootgrow mycorrhizal fungi around the bottom of the hole,  where it will make contact with the roots.

Arrange a mound on the floor of the hole to set your rose's roots on, so they spread out, and the graft-union is slightly above soil level. Backfill the hole with the planting mix, firming it down as you go, at first with your hand to fix the rose in place, and then with your heel to firm it. Dust some bonemeal on the surface and water in thoroughly. In the process, the soil will settle down so that the graft is clear of the soil. 

Videos: How to prepare and plant a bareroot rose.

Mulch well in spring, and keep well watered during dry periods for the first year. Deadhead repeating roses to encourage continuous flowering. 

Newly planted roses shouldn't need much rose food, maybe a dash on poor dry soils. When they are settled in the second year onwards, feed them during the growing season with homemade compost teas and foraged sea weed, or some of our Neudorff rose food.

Mature shrub roses need gentler pruning than floribundas and hybrid teas. Prune to tidy the shape in winter. First remove the usual dead, diseased and badly positioned wood, ideally cutting out whole shoots back to a main stem, or outward facing bud. Then remove some of the oldest wood from the centre, and anywhere else you need to.