Summer Blakeley: VIDEO: Planting Beautiful Rugosa Roses! 🌹🌿 with Garden Answer

From planning to petals, follow along as Laura from Garden Answer plants ten Rugosa roses in three beautiful varieties: the classic single pink Rosa rugosa, the crisp white Rosa rugosa ‘Alba’, and the fluffier double white ‘Blanc Double de Coubert.’ These own-root roses (no grafts here!) were chosen for their strength, fragrance, and show-stopping hips that carry color from summer into winter.

Laura’s #1 Planting Tip:

Always plant with a high-quality organic starter fertilizer like Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus!

When Laura plants, she reaches for Espoma Organic Bio-tone® Starter Plus. It’s her go-to because it:

Builds stronger roots fast. Bio-tone is packed with beneficial microbes and mycorrhizae that help new plantings establish quickly.
Reduces transplant stress. Healthier roots mean better water and nutrient uptake—so plants settle in and start growing.
Feeds gently and naturally. An organic, starter-grade fertilizer that supports early growth without pushy top growth.
Works for everything you plant. Ideal for shrubs, perennials, trees, veggies, and roses of all kinds. If it’s going in the ground, mix in Bio-tone.

How Laura uses it: At planting time, she mixes Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus into the backfill soil and sets each rose at its current soil level (since these are own-root roses). Then she waters in well to activate the microbes and help eliminate air pockets.

Planting Pro Tip: Always backfill, then water deeply to settle soil around roots. Consistent moisture after planting helps Bio-tone’s microbes go to work.

Rugosa Roses: Tough, textural, and full of seasonal interest

Laura is planting Rugosas for their resilience and beauty:

Cold-hardy and adaptable. Depending on variety, Rugosas can thrive from roughly Zones 2–10, making them a great choice for many climates.
Size & presence. Expect a medium to tall shrub—often 5–7+ feet at maturity—so give them room to show off.
Sun & low maintenance. They love full sun and don’t need deadheading. Occasional shaping and removal of dead wood keeps them tidy.
Iconic hips. Big, colorful hips provide long-lasting interest—and look gorgeous against evergreens and conifers, just like Laura’s pairings.
Own-root reliability. Because these roses are grown on their own roots, if they die back and regrow, they’ll still return true to variety.

No matter what you’re planting, success starts below the soil line. Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus sets roots up to thrive—from shrubs like Rugosas to perennials, edibles, and young trees—so your garden establishes faster, stays healthier, and looks better, sooner.

Let’s get growing—with roots first.