Christmas Closure Notice: We will be closed from Tuesday 23rd December and reopen on 5th January.
Rosa 'Cleopatra' is a captivating climbing rose that lives up to its regal name with stunning crimson-red blooms and exceptional fragrance. This reliable repeat-flowering climber offers gardeners a perfect combination of dramatic colour, sweet scent, and manageable size, making it ideal for smaller gardens and intimate spaces. With its strong growth habit and consistent performance, 'Cleopatra' provides months of garden drama from early summer through to the first frosts.
The magnificent blooms of Rosa 'Cleopatra' showcase:
Flower Form: Semi-double to double flowers with classic rose formation
Colour: Bright crimson-red blooms with occasional golden highlights on petal undersides
Fragrance: Sweetly fragranced with rich, classic rose scent
Bloom Size: Medium to large flowers, 8-10cm diameter when fully open
Flowering Period: Repeatedly throughout the summer with excellent repeat flowering
Flower Production: Blooms appear singly and in small clusters of 2-4 flowers
Petal Quality: Substantial petals with good weather resistance
Eventual Height: 2 metres tall
Eventual Spread: 1.5 metres wide
Growth Rate: Strong grower with steady, reliable development
Habit: Upright climbing stems with good branching structure
Foliage: Medium to large, glossy green leaves that provide excellent backdrop
Thorns: Moderately thorny stems - protective clothing advisable during maintenance
Ideal Growing Conditions
Sunlight: Full sun preferred for best flowering and disease resistance
Soil Type: Well-draining, fertile soil enriched with organic matter
Soil pH: Neutral to slightly acidic (6.0-7.0)
Exposure: Suited to growing along a fence or up a sunny wall with wire supports
Hardiness: Fully hardy throughout the UK (RHS H5)
Space Requirements: Compact size makes it suitable for smaller gardens
Best Planting Time: Autumn (October-November) or early spring (March-April)
Spacing: Plant 45cm away from walls or support structures
Planting Depth: Same level as in container, ensuring good root contact with soil
Soil Preparation: Incorporate well-rotted compost and ensure good drainage
Watering
Deep watering once or twice weekly during dry periods
Focus water at the base to avoid wetting foliage
Apply mulch around base to retain moisture and suppress weeds
Reduce watering frequency during winter months
Feeding
Spring Feed: Balanced rose fertiliser in early April
Summer Feed: Additional feeding in mid-June to support repeat flowering
Organic Options: Well-rotted manure mulch applied in autumn
Liquid Feed: Fortnightly tomato fertiliser during growing season for enhanced blooms
Pruning
When to Prune: Late winter/early spring (February-March)
Method: Remove dead, diseased, and crossing branches first
Main Pruning: Reduce side shoots to 2-3 buds from main framework
Training: Tie in new growth, training horizontally where possible
Deadheading: Regular removal of spent flowers to encourage continuous blooming
Rosa 'Cleopatra' demonstrates good overall health with:
General Resistance: Good tolerance to common rose diseases
Potential Issues: May be susceptible to black spot in humid conditions
Preventive Care: Ensure good air circulation and avoid overhead watering
Prevention Tips:
Plant with adequate spacing for air circulation
Water at soil level rather than on foliage
Apply preventive fungicide spray if necessary in wet seasons
Clear fallen leaves promptly in autumn
'Cleopatra' creates stunning combinations with:
Silver Foliage: Artemisia, dusty miller, or lamb's ear for elegant contrast
White Flowers: White clematis, jasmine, or roses for classic combinations
Purple Perennials: Lavender, catmint, or alliums for rich colour harmonies
Cream Companions: Pale yellow or cream roses nearby for sophisticated schemes
Supporting Plants: Hostas or ferns at base for textural interest
Small Gardens: Perfect scale for intimate garden spaces
Fence Coverage: Well suited to growing along a fence
Wall Climbing: Up a sunny wall with wire supports
Pergola Posts: Ideal for covering individual posts or pillars
Cut Flowers: Long-stemmed blooms perfect for indoor arrangements
Fragrance Gardens: Essential component in scented garden areas
Cottage Gardens: Adds traditional charm to English garden styles
Spring: Fresh green foliage emergence and strong new growth
Summer: Peak flowering period with continuous bloom production
Autumn: Continued flowering with deeper colour intensity in cooler weather
Winter: Attractive bare framework provides structural interest
Compact Climbing Habit
Space Efficiency: Ideal size for modern smaller gardens
Manageable Maintenance: Size makes pruning and care more accessible
Versatile Use: Suitable for various garden structures and situations
Quick Establishment: Reaches flowering maturity relatively quickly
Fragrance Profile
Intensity: Sweetly fragranced with good carrying power
Scent Type: Classic rose fragrance with honey-sweet undertones
Best Times: Most intense during warm, still mornings and evenings
Garden Impact: Contributes significantly to garden atmosphere and ambience
Purchasing and Planting Tips
Seasonal Availability: Best selection available in autumn and early spring
Support Planning: Install adequate supports before or immediately after planting
Establishment: Usually flowers well from first growing season
Quality Selection: Choose plants with strong, healthy root systems
Long-term Value: Provides years of reliable performance with proper care
Perfect for gardeners who:
Have smaller gardens or limited climbing space
Appreciate classic red roses with strong fragrance
Want reliable repeat flowering throughout the season
Prefer manageable, easy-care climbing roses
Enjoy cut flowers for indoor arrangements
First Year: Moderate growth with some flowering
Second Year: Full establishment with excellent flower production
Mature Performance: Consistent, reliable flowering from early summer to autumn
Longevity: With proper care, provides decades of garden beauty
Rosa 'Cleopatra' represents an excellent choice for gardeners seeking a classic climbing rose with manageable proportions, reliable performance, and the timeless appeal of crimson-red, fragrant blooms. Its combination of strong growth, repeat flowering, and compact habit makes it particularly suitable for contemporary garden spaces whilst maintaining the romantic charm that makes climbing roses so beloved.
Reasons to Buy Roses from Jacksons Nurseries
(1) ‘Excellent’ on Trustpilot
Buy with confidence from the only online rose grower rated ‘Excellent’ 4.9* on Trustpilot. We have been a trusted supplier of roses for 3 generations. We take pride in growing our own roses in the field before potting them up, allowing for meticulous quality control to sale.

(2) Best Prices Guaranteed – Direct from the Grower
Save £££s by buying direct from a grower you can trust. We’ve already price checked all of our roses against competitors so you don’t have to. We are so confident we offer the best value, if you find a rose of the same type and grade elsewhere, we’ll beat it by 10%.

(3) 12 Month Plants Guarantee
We offer a 12 month guarantee on every plant that you buy from us that we have classified as Fully Hardy. If a plant you've bought from us fails in the first year, we will either replace it or refund you. See our satisfaction guarantee page for more details and conditions.

(4) Third generation family-owned nursery specialising in roses
Jackson’s Nurseries is a 3rd generation family owned business which has been growing roses for over 60 years. Roses have always been our specialty, as you can see from the colourful array of blooms in the background to the old family photo below. Today, we offer over 200 different varieties of floribundas, hybrid teas, patio, shrub and David Austin roses. Our roses are initially grown in the field before being potted up for website dispatch.

(5) Grown at altitude to produce strong, healthy plants
Our North Staffordshire nursery is situated at 250 metres above sea level, producing strong, hardy plants that will thrive in your garden. Our nursery sits on clay, so you can be sure our roses can handle heavy soil too.

(6) Help & Advice and Aftercare
We are here to help you with any help and advice you need in choosing, planting and growing your roses before, during and after your purchase from us. The help and advice section of our website has extensive information, see below some examples of articles you may find useful:

How our roses are supplied through the seasons
All our roses are cultivated in an open field and are carefully dug up when the weather is optimal, typically in October or November. While other nurseries supply roses bare root, once our field-grown roses have been potted up we supply them freshly potted. This better protects the roots and helps keep them moist in transit, ensuring your roses arrive as healthy as when they left our nursery. So don’t be alarmed if the compost comes away from the roots when you remove them from the pot.

The roses can remain in their pots over the winter, as long as they are properly watered and fed, but it's best to plant them out as soon as possible. If you do plant them straight away make sure the planting mix is prepared first, hold the root close to the top of the hole as you tip the pot upside down and try to keep as much compost as possible from falling away. They will already be pruned, so no additional pruning is needed except for trimming any dead tips. Regular pruning can start in late winter, the year after planting.

Rose Types
Hybrid Tea Roses (HT)
Hybrid Tea roses are probably the most popular group of roses, available in both bush and standard form they have long flower stems and shapely blooms. Blooms are typically medium to large in size, with many petals which form a distinct central cone.
Floribunda Roses (FL)
Floribunda roses bears its flowers in clusters or trusses, with several blooms open at time in each truss. A popular choice the Floribunda rose group is unrivalled for colour, reliability and longevity as a bedding display however the flower form in generally inferior to the Hybrid Tea.
Patio Roses (PATIO)
Patio roses were introduced in the 1980’s and the group now contains several popular varieties. Generally low-growing roses that were once grouped with the Floribuna group but have now been put in their own group of compact versions. Usually growing about 50cm high they make excellent plants for patio containers or at the front of borders.
Climbing Roses (CLM)
Climbing roses as the name suggests are the perfect choice for covering a wall or screen. Often grouped together with Ramblers, Climbers tend to have stiffer stems, larger flowers but smaller trusses than Ramblers.
Rambling Roses (RAM)
Rambling roses are often grouped with Climbing Roses but the ramblers tend to have a more pliable stems that can be used to run along the soil to use as groundcover or can be used to make weeping standards.
Miniature Roses (MINI)
Miniature roses have increased in popularity in recent years due to their versatility, even grown indoors as temporary pot plants that grow to a maximum height of 40cm. An ideal choice for planting in tubs, edging beds and rockeries.
English Roses (ENG)
Often referred to as Austin or David Austin Roses, English roses are hybrids of old English roses and more modern varieties bread by David Austin to provide the best of both, mixing old rose shapes and scents with more modern colour range, compact habits and repeat flowering.

Planting Advice
Roses like a generous root space, so dig a deep hole approximately twice as wide as the current root system, preferably adding composted organic matter to the soil. Never plant into frozen soil – in winter, await a frost-free period. Carefully remove the pot and gently tease the roots apart to spread them around the hole. Position the plant so that the ‘bud point’ (the place where the shoots emerge from, where the cultivated rose was grafted onto the rootstock) is at soil level. Replace the soil, firming it down gently, then water copiously. Ideally, a general purpose fertiliser should be applied to the surrounding soil as a top dressing. We also highly recommend the use of Rose Rootgrow, which provides a friendly fungus that prevents ‘rose replant syndrome’.

Buying our Roses
Most of our roses are supplied in a 4 litre pot although this may vary slightly depending on rose variety. If the size of pot differes significatly from 4 litres then we will make this clear somewhere on the product page.
Seasonality
Our roses are grown outdoors and as such are subject to seasonal changes. As we sell potted stock throughout the year your rose may not arrive and look like you expect it to. If you are uncertain how your rose will arrive (especially if buying for a gift) then we suggest you contact us prior to making a purchase.
Freshly Potted
Each year a new batch of roses is potted up ready for the following season. Once potted (usually November/December time) they go on sale as 'Freshly Potted'. If you purchase a freshly potted rose and plant it soon after you will find that when removing the rose from the pot there will be a lot of loose soil as the roots will not have had time to grow and bind the compost.

Pruned/Cut Back
In autumn the majority of our roses have finished flowering and begin to look untidy, at this point we prune them quite hard in preparation for the following season. We continue to sell roses throughout the year, when a rose has been pruned in such a way we will identify it has being so. If you are not sure what to expect then please ask prior to making a purchase. Some garden centres/supermarkets sell stock that has been grown abroad or in poly-tunnels so they look 'picture perfect' out of season, while this is ideal for a gift they are short lived once planted.

No posts found