Vanessa Bell Rose

Vanessa Bell is a lovely pale yellow English shrub rose. It was introduced in 2017 and is named after the famous artist and sister of Virginia Woolf. The fully double flowers are light yellow with almost white outer petals. The size and vigorous growth habit make this English shrub rose ideal for container growing in even the smallest gardens.

Vanessa Bell is a repeat flowering English rose with a lovely fragrance reminiscent of green tea with notes of lemon and honey. The medium green foliage stays clean and resistant to pests and diseases. Minimal maintenance is required for this rose to perform well. Pair Vanessa Bell with other summer-blooming perennials such as euphorbia, verbena, and hardy geranium.

Vanessa Bell English Rose Care

Vanessa Bell requires full sun and moist soil that drains well. Containers will need excellent drainage and shelter from winter winds and storms. Roses appreciate drip irrigation and soaker hoses, which keep the foliage dry while efficiently targeting the roots. Allow for 1 inch of water per week. Roses growing in containers may need watering more than once a week; water when the top 1-2 inches of potting soil are dry. Fertilize shrub roses twice a season with a granular, slow-release fertilizer for roses. One application early in the spring and a second when the first flowers open will support heavy, continuous blooming.

Deadheading is very easy to do on shrub roses. Cut the faded flower stem back to just above a set of leaves. Prune any dead, diseased, or dying canes late in the winter to prepare for the new season's growth. Old canes should be cut all of the way to the ground to keep Vanessa Bell growing strongly. Roses growing in containers will require added insulation or shelter over the winter. Wrap burlap or horticultural fabric around the outside of the pot and add a 2-3-inch layer of mulch to the top of the pot. Place pots on bricks or ‘pot feet’ to ensure that drainage remains good during the winter.

Vanessa Bell Rose Spacing

Vanessa Bell stays compact at 3-4 feet tall and wide. To provide adequate air circulation around plants, space each rose 4 feet apart when planting in a large group. Container-grown roses will need a pot with at least a 12-inch diameter.