Joanna Gaines Proves Climbing Roses Are the Secret to a More Romantic Backyard
Inspired by Joanna Gaines' dreamy climbing rose moment? Here's how to actually do it.
When Joanna Gaines posts anything to Instagram (which is actually quite often), I have to immediately stop scrolling and see if I can do whatever she’s doing in my own house or garden. This time, she posted a video of summer scenes from her farmhouse in Waco, Texas, that featured horses galloping through fields, an adorable summer swing, and best of all, a view of her “Rose Shed,” of which we got a peek back in January 2024.
Naturally, there were climbing roses on the small roof outside, and there was something about the combination of romantic pink blooms, architecture, and sunlight that made me stop and stare at my own bare fence and feel personally victimized. Climbing roses are one of the most achievable upgrades in your garden, but you have to know what you’re doing. Fortunately, a couple of experts helped me out.
Use Your Vertical Space
Most of the time, people think of gardens as horizontal: soil, beds, borders, etc., all at ground level. But climbing roses turn this logic on its head.
Marta Pawlik, Co-Founder and Director of Laik, which manages over 50 luxury vacation properties, has seen the difference firsthand. She says, “Most people only plant to the floor level and do not utilize any of the vertical space above them. When one of my clients decided to grow a single 'Zephirine Drouhin' up her bare stone archway, there was a dramatic increase in the number of bookings for that property. The vertical space is what it's all about!"
An arch, a pergola, a plain garden wall; all of these are just waiting for a climbing rose to make them feel complete.
Choose the Right Variety
It’s often a misconception that all climbing roses are created equal, and variety choice matters more than most people realize. Pawlik tells me she has a firm favorite: Rosa “Gertrude Jekyll” is the first climbing rose I always recommend. I’ve had a number of clients in the Lake District try three different climbing roses over five years (with little success in regards to photography) to be able to justify the asking price per week. By growing a single “Gertrude Jekyll” over her pergola, her listing was booked solid before the end of February. The flower is large, the fragrance is incredible, and the deep pink coloration is worth a lot in sunlight.
The 'Gertrude Jekyll' climbing rose, the variety Marta Pawlik swears by, produces large, bright pink rosettes with one of the strongest old rose fragrances of any English variety, and comes with a five-year guarantee straight from the breeder, David Austin.
For something thornless and forgiving (especially useful on archways where people actually walk through), 'Zephirine Drouhin' is a classic.
Don't Neglect What Goes Underneath
A climbing rose on its own can look a little leggy at the base. Fortunately, the fix is simple: companion planting. Pawlik recommends French lavender beneath your rose as it covers the bare stems, smells incredible, and the purple-pink color combination photographs beautifully. Add alliums in the middle of the garden, and suddenly the whole space will look well-planned rather than accidental.
Thery Jean Christophe, founder of Musa Art Gallery, agrees on the layering approach: "I would pair them with softer companion plants like lavender, catmint, foxgloves, or herbs so the garden feels layered but not chaotic."
Plant a couple of these Hidcote Blue lavender plants (available on Amazon) at the base of your climbing rose. The deep purple blooms and silvery foliage are the companion for pink roses; they'll cover any bare stems, and the fragrance combination is frankly unfair to your neighbors.
Don't Cheap Out on the Plant
This is where most people go wrong, and Pawlik is refreshingly blunt about it, saying, "I once planted a low-grade bare root rose that took the entire summer to explain to the owner why her rose arch looked like a twig with big aspirations."
The advice? Buy a grade-three plant, put it in the ground in autumn, and train every stem to grow horizontally from the start. This is where the blooms really come from; not the vertical stems shooting upward, but the horizontal ones fanning out.
Fake It While You Wait
Climbing roses take time to establish, and for some of us, patience isn't always in plentiful supply. Jean Christophe has a practical workaround, telling me, "For homeowners who want the abundant look faster, I'd suggest combining climbing roses with trellises, containers, and fast-growing companion plants while the roses mature. That way the space feels romantic early on, but still has a long-term design foundation." To me it looks as if you’re dressing the set while the main act is busy getting ready.
The SCENDOR garden arch (available on Amazon) is a sturdy, iron structure standing nearly 8.2 feet tall with a double-layer design built to handle the real weight of a mature climbing rose. So, it’s not just for looks, but for the long haul!
While it may seem like it, Joanna Gaines’ aesthetic isn’t magic; it’s just a thoughtful use of height, the right plant, and the right spot (though the patience part seems like magic to me).
