Rose ‘Starlight Express’ (Climbing Rose)

Where to Plant Roses

Choose a sunny position with fertile, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil. ‘Starlight Express’ is a climbing rose, so plant it beside a sturdy wall, fence, arch or trellis where its stems can be trained and securely tied in as they grow.

Planting Bare Root Roses

Before planting, soak the roots in a bucket of water for a couple of hours. Dig a generous hole wide enough for the roots to spread out naturally without bending or crowding them. Position the rose so the graft union – the swollen point where the stems meet the roots – sits around soil level, then backfill, firm gently and water thoroughly.

Planting Potted Roses

Water the rose well before planting and dig a hole slightly wider than the root ball. Remove the plant carefully from its pot, position it at the same depth it was growing previously, backfill with soil and gently firm around the roots. Water thoroughly after planting.

Training a Climbing Rose

As new stems develop, spread them across the available support and tie them in using soft garden ties. Training stems more horizontally where possible encourages flowering shoots to develop along their length, helping to create a fuller display rather than flowers appearing mainly at the top.

Watering & Feeding

Keep newly planted roses well watered while they establish. Feed established plants as growth begins in spring and again in early summer to support healthy growth and flowering. An annual mulch of well-rotted manure or garden compost will help retain moisture and improve the soil.

Top Tip

Give the stems plenty of room to spread across their support rather than training them all straight upwards. This will help ‘Starlight Express’ develop a fuller framework with flowers at different heights.

When to Prune

Prune established climbing roses in late winter, removing dead, damaged or weak growth first and checking that the main stems are securely attached to their support.

Pruning Climbing Roses

Keep the strongest main stems to form the permanent framework of the plant. Shorten side shoots growing from these main stems, cutting back to healthy buds to encourage fresh flowering growth. Older or unproductive stems can gradually be removed to make room for vigorous new growth from lower down the plant.

Keep the Flowers Coming

Deadhead faded flowers regularly through the flowering season to encourage further flushes and keep the plant looking tidy. Continue tying in vigorous new stems as they develop so they become part of the flowering framework.

Top Tip

Don't prune ‘Starlight Express’ like a bush rose. Its long main stems form the framework that carries future flowering shoots, so concentrate on tying these in and shortening the side shoots growing from them.

Make the Most of the Deep Pink

The rich pink flowers of ‘Starlight Express’ look particularly effective against a wall or fence where their colour can really stand out. Pale pink, white, blue and purple companions work especially well around the base.

Add Flowers at Ground Level

Nepeta, hardy geraniums and salvias can fill the space in front of the rose, adding lower-growing colour while the climbing stems carry the display upwards.

Add Another Layer

Spring-flowering bulbs planted around the base will provide earlier colour before the rose gets into its stride, followed by summer perennials that can flower alongside it.

Top Tip

Keep companion plants a little away from the base of the rose rather than crowding it. This leaves room for watering, feeding and mulching while allowing good air circulation around the lower stems.

Your Rose – Climbing

‘Starlight Express’ is a climbing rose. Climbing roses produce long flowering stems that can be trained over walls, fences, arches and other supports. They don't cling by themselves, so their stems need to be tied to a suitable support as they grow.

Other Types of Rose

Hybrid Tea Roses

Hybrid Tea roses are prized for their large, beautifully formed flowers, usually carried individually or in small groups on strong stems. Many are highly fragrant and their strong stems make them particularly good roses for cutting.

Floribunda Roses

Floribunda roses produce their flowers in generous clusters, creating plenty of colour over a long period. They usually have a bushy habit and repeat flower through summer, making them excellent choices for beds, borders and larger containers.

Shrub Roses

Shrub roses develop into naturally shaped bushes and are particularly useful for adding height and structure to borders. Their flowers vary from simple open blooms to large, fully double roses, depending on the variety.

Rambling Roses

Rambling roses generally produce longer, more flexible stems than climbing roses and are excellent for covering larger structures, pergolas and mature trees. Many produce impressive displays of smaller flowers carried in generous clusters.

Flower Carpet Roses

Flower Carpet roses are a range of ground cover roses bred for their spreading habit, long flowering season and good garden performance. They're particularly useful for creating low-maintenance colour in borders, banks and larger planting schemes.

Persica Roses

Persica roses are instantly recognisable by the contrasting eye at the centre of their flowers, a characteristic inherited from Rosa persica. Modern varieties combine this unusual colouring with repeat flowering and strong garden performance.

Bare Root Roses

Bare root roses are supplied during autumn and winter while they are dormant. Although they may look simple and leafless when they arrive, the plants have stored energy in their roots ready to support fresh growth once conditions warm in spring.

How They Arrive

Your bare root rose will arrive without a pot or compost around its roots. Unpack it promptly and aim to plant it as soon as possible.

If You Can't Plant Straight Away

Keep the roots covered with moist soil in a cool, sheltered place and keep the stems dry. Aim to plant within seven days, avoiding frozen or waterlogged ground.

Planting Bare Root Roses

Soak the roots in a bucket of water for a couple of hours before planting. Dig a generous hole, improve the soil with compost or well-rotted organic matter and position the rose so the graft union sits around soil level. Backfill, firm gently and water well.

Potted Roses

Potted roses are established plants supplied ready to plant and can be planted at almost any time of year, avoiding frozen, waterlogged or extremely dry conditions.

How They Arrive

Plants are carefully selected and pruned where necessary to encourage a strong, open framework. The pot is protected during transit to help retain moisture and safeguard the roots.

If You Can't Plant Straight Away

Place the pot in a sheltered outdoor position and water regularly to keep the compost moist until you're ready to plant.

Planting in the Ground

Dig a hole slightly wider than the root ball and plant at the same depth as it was growing in the pot. Improve the soil with organic matter where needed, firm gently and water thoroughly.

Seasonal Appearance

The appearance of your rose will naturally vary depending on the time of year. In spring you'll see fresh new growth, while during summer plants may arrive in leaf or flower. In autumn and winter they may have yellowing leaves or be completely leafless as they enter dormancy. Fresh growth will appear again when conditions improve.

Growing On

Once established, ‘Starlight Express’ develops into a vigorous but manageable climbing rose reaching approximately 2.4m high. Train and tie its stems to a sturdy support as they grow to create a framework of flowering shoots.