Historic roses are timeless and beautiful old roses from past centuries which continue to deserve a place in today’s gardens, however large or small.
With their classic “old-fashioned” charm and graceful forms, the soft petals and delicate colours of old roses are often accompanied by a deliciously rich and powerful fragrance.
Rosa gallica 'Complicata'
'William Lobb'
'Souvenir de la Malmaison'
The Historic Roses Group is a friendly international group of rose enthusiasts, run by volunteers and funded by subscriptions from our members throughout the world.
The aims of the Historic Roses Group are:
- to encourage interest in timeless historic roses
- to enable everyone to grow and enjoy roses of the past today
- to explore the rich history of older roses and promote further research.
HM the Queen is our Patron.
We organize lectures, day visits to gardens, and week-long tours for our Members each year.
Our day visits to gardens in different parts of the country offer not only an opportunity to see gardens of special interest to rose lovers that are often not open to the public, but also an enjoyable way of meeting those who share an interest in historic roses.
We also organize week-long tours for members to visit interesting gardens with roses, both in the UK and abroad. You can read a report of our May 2024 tour to the Loire Valley here.
The next HRG events are listed in the column to the right. You can find information about all our activities on our events page.
We have organized two consecutive days of visits in Oxfordshire, on Thursday 19th June to Rousham, and on Friday 20th June to nearby Broughton Castle and Dean Manor gardens. We have also made Arrangements for two visits in late June to gardens in North Yorkshire - Jackson’s Wold and Castle Howard
HRG publications
As well as the Historic Rose Journal, we have produced illustrated booklets by specialist writers on many aspects of historic roses.
Benefits of HRG membership
Benefits include tailor-made advice, day visits and workshops, and the opportunity to meet fellow rose lovers.
Join the HRG
It's easy for you to join online with an annual, five-year or lifetime subscription. Or you can pay by post if you prefer.
Top 10 starter roses
Are you new to old roses? Try our top 10 starter roses for their repeat-flowering, fragrance, beauty and disease-resistance.
A brief history of old roses
Find out more about the rose groups that have evolved to form the backbone of this popular garden flower.
Where to see historic roses
Here are some suggestions of gardens and national collections of historic roses in the UK that you can visit and admire.
Chairman's top 10
Old roses, both shrub and rambling, that will give several weeks of colour as well as having a wonderful fragrance.