Rose Awareness Week
June 22 - June 28
About Rose Awareness Week
Rose Awareness Week 2026 takes place from Monday 22 June to Sunday 28 June 2026. The week celebrates the UK’s most beloved garden flower, with activities led by The Rose Society UK, garden centres, growers, and horticultural charities. It is timed to coincide with the peak of the rose season, when public and private gardens are full of bloom and fragrance.
What is Rose Awareness Week?
Rose Awareness Week is an annual UK awareness week that promotes roses, rose growing, and the heritage and culture surrounding the flower. It is supported by The Rose Society UK, British Garden Centres, breeders such as Harkness and David Austin, gardening charities, and high-profile horticulturalists. The week is used to encourage people to plant, prune, and enjoy roses, and to highlight the cultural and ecological role they play.
When is Rose Awareness Week?
Rose Awareness Week 2026 runs from Monday 22 June to Sunday 28 June 2026. The week is held in the latter half of June each year, deliberately positioned at the height of the rose flowering season in the UK and northern Europe.
Why Rose Awareness Week Matters
The rose is more than a pretty flower. It is a cornerstone of UK horticulture and a major contributor to the country’s gardens, parks, and public spaces. Roses provide habitat and food for pollinators, are widely planted in memorial and community gardens, and remain one of the most popular cut flowers in the world. Rose Awareness Week supports the British rose-growing industry, including specialist nurseries that maintain heritage varieties, and reminds gardeners that healthy roses are easier to grow than their reputation suggests.
How to Get Involved in Rose Awareness Week
You do not need a country garden to take part. Try one or several of the following:
- Plant a new rose – Late June is not the ideal planting time but it is a great moment to choose varieties for autumn planting. Visit a specialist nursery or garden centre and order ahead.
- Visit a famous rose garden – The Royal National Rose Garden at the Gardens of the Rose, RHS Wisley, Mottisfont Abbey, and Regent’s Park’s Queen Mary’s Gardens all peak during the week.
- Try container roses – If you do not have a garden, patio roses thrive in pots on balconies and small terraces. They flower for months and are easy to maintain.
- Learn to deadhead – Removing spent flowers extends the season and encourages new buds. The Rose Society UK has free guides on the technique.
- Take a rose photography walk – Visit local public gardens, parks, or cemeteries with old plantings. Use the week to record varieties and share them on social media.
- Cook with roses – Edible rose petals are a classic British and Middle Eastern ingredient. Try rose syrup, jam, or shortbread, using unsprayed petals from your own garden.
- Donate to a horticultural charity – Charities such as Greenfingers, Thrive, and Perennial use gardening to support disabled children, mental health recovery, and horticulturalists in financial hardship.
- Join The Rose Society UK – Membership supports the work of preserving heritage roses and gives access to specialist talks, garden tours, and the annual show calendar.
History of Rose Awareness Week
The rose has been cultivated in Britain for centuries. The Royal National Rose Society, founded in 1876 in St Albans, was for many decades the centre of UK rose growing, with its Gardens of the Rose visited by enthusiasts from around the world. The society sadly entered insolvency in 2017, though many of its gardens and collections were preserved.
The Rose Society UK was founded in 2018 by a group of growers and enthusiasts who wanted to safeguard the legacy of the Royal National Rose Society and provide a focal point for rose lovers in the modern era. Rose Awareness Week was developed as part of this work, offering a national moment in the calendar to celebrate the flower and the people who grow it.
The week is supported by some of the UK’s most famous rose breeders, including Harkness Roses and David Austin, and by garden centre groups including British Garden Centres. Coverage in national press and gardening media has grown each year, with TV gardeners such as David Domoney and Frances Tophill championing the week.
Noteworthy Facts About Rose Awareness Week
- Rose Awareness Week is supported by The Rose Society UK, founded in 2018 to preserve and promote the heritage of British rose growing.
- The Royal National Rose Society, the world’s oldest specialist plant society, was founded in St Albans in 1876.
- The UK has more than 30,000 named rose varieties, ranging from heritage species roses to modern hybrid teas and English shrub roses.
- England’s national flower is the Tudor rose, a heraldic combination of the red rose of Lancaster and the white rose of York.
- David Austin Roses, founded in Shropshire in 1969, is now a global brand and is responsible for many of the most popular modern English roses.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Rose Awareness Week?
Rose Awareness Week is an annual UK awareness week celebrating roses, rose growing, and the heritage and culture surrounding Britain’s favourite flower.
When is Rose Awareness Week in 2026?
Rose Awareness Week 2026 runs from Monday 22 June to Sunday 28 June 2026.
Who organises Rose Awareness Week?
The week is supported by The Rose Society UK, founded in 2018, with backing from rose breeders, garden centres, and horticultural charities across the country.
Spread the Word
Help raise awareness by sharing Rose Awareness Week with your friends, family, and followers. Use the hashtags #RoseAwarenessWeek and #RoseAwarenessWeek2026 on social media. Whether you grow a single climber or a full rose border, every photo helps celebrate the flower.
Related Awareness Days
- National Growing for Wellbeing Week – A complementary June week celebrating the mental health benefits of gardening.
- World Wellbeing Week – The global wellbeing week that includes time outdoors and in nature as a key theme.
- The Big Lunch – A community celebration that often involves shared garden spaces and outdoor gatherings.
Links
2026 Awareness Days Wall Planner
Every key awareness day at a glance. Perfect for offices, staff rooms, and team planning.
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