3 Beautiful White Garden Roses Every Gardener Will Love

If you’ve ever come across white garden roses, they’re bound to have stopped you in your tracks. Their classic, timeless elegance with their fresh pop of pure white blooms is quite the sight to see. If you’ve dreamed of adding these lovely flowers to your garden but don’t know where to begin, here are 3 beautiful white garden roses every gardener will love.

*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. All opinions and recommendations are my own.

Iceberg Roses

A few years ago, just before Thanksgiving, we were enjoying a walk through the neighborhood when these stunning white garden roses caught my eye. And just north of Chicago (zone 5b) around the end of November, I assure you, most flowers have been gone for a longgg time. Everything in the garden tends to look pretty drab and any chance of bloom has kicked the bucket long ago.

Not these beauties. They were the most gorgeous pops of white against a backdrop of dark green boxwood hedges. In November?! Yup. I had to have these in in our garden. But first I needed to figure out which specific white garden rose variety these were.

That following spring, I spotted a landscape design crew at that same property. So sure enough, I approached them and asked if they knew which variety of white roses grew in front of the boxwood hedge. With enthusiasm the garden expert said, “Aren’t those beautiful? Those are the best…”

Iceberg Roses.

Iceberg Roses are truly one of the absolute best white garden roses you could have in your garden. They sport clusters of semi-double, 3” blooms, having the most gorgeous pure white petals. The pure white petals contrast beautifully against the shiny, mid-green foliage.

Iceberg Roses are continuously blooming, lightly fragrant, attract bees, and can even tolerate partial shade (they will thrive in full sun!). The Iceberg shrub/floribunda variety grows in zones 5-11, at a medium size of 4’x3′ to 5’x5′.

And… surprise! Icebergs also come in a climbing rose variety. So if you’ve been dreaming of adding a romantic white climbing rose to your garden the Iceberg Climbing Rose will reach anywhere from 8 to 15 feet tall.

Iceberg Roses At A Glance

Rose Type: Shrub/Floribunda
Flowering: Continual
Bloom Type: Medium, Double
Bloom Color: Pure White
Zones: 5-11
Fragrance: Light, Sweet
Approximate Size: 4’x3′ – 5’x5′
Special Characteristics: Attracts Bees, Beginner-Friendly, Blooms Into Fall, Few Thorns

Iceberg Rose Garden Design Ideas

Grow alongside various shades of purple flowers
Grow alongside various shades of pink flowers
Behind a boxwood hedge
In a boxwood parterre
Behind deep blue or purple flowers such as Caradonna Salvia (perennial) or Rockin’ Playin’ The Blues Salvia (annual)
Behind softer lilac colored flowers such as Russian Sage or Lavender
Against a wooden fence where the white roses will really be showcased
In a “Moon Garden” (all white flowers)
If planting an Iceberg Climbing Rose, consider growing up and over a front entry
or on either side of a garage door
or climbing up a wooden fence

Bolero Roses

If you’d like a garden rose that not only looks pretty, but smells heavenly, THIS IS IT. Honestly, this is one of my all-time absolute favorite flowers in the entire garden. I get giddy with excitement when my Bolero Roses start to bloom!

I love to cut a few stems and enjoy that incredible sweet scent throughout our home. Bolero Roses’ intensely strong fragrance is said to resemble “traditional rose mixed with tropical fruit”. Yum.

Bolero Roses have densely petaled clusters of romantic white blooms that look stunning contrasted against their glossy deep-green foliage.

This floribunda is disease-resistant and has a compact growth habit. Due to its compact size, it would make a great flower to display in large planters.

I promise you’ll LOVE this all-star rose.

Bolero Roses At A Glance

Rose Type: Floribunda
Flowering: Repeat Blooming
Bloom Type: Medium, Clustered, Very Full
Bloom Color: White
Zones: 5-9
Fragrance: Exceptionally Fragrant (seriously, the best!)
Approximate Size: 3′-4′ x 2′-3′
Special Characteristics: Incredible Fragrance, Cut Rose, Compact Growth Habit, Disease Resistant

Bolero Rose Garden Design Ideas

Planted in large aged terracotta planters
Planted in traditional large black square planters (black planters, plus white blooms, plus green foliage looks SO pretty!)
Near a front entry where you can really appreciate their captivating scent!
Alongside various shades of purple flowers
Alongside various shades of pink flowers
Behind a low-growing boxwood hedge
In a boxwood parterre
Behind deep blue or purple flowers such as Caradonna Salvia (perennial) or Rockin’ Playin’ The Blues Salvia (annual)

Bolero Rose with ‘Black and Bloom’ Salvia

Behind softer lilac colored flowers such as Russian Sage or Lavender
Against a wooden fence where the white roses will really be showcased
As part of a “Moon Garden” (all white flowers)

Seafoam Roses

Iceberg Roses have the bloom power and duration, Bolero Roses have the knock-out scent, but Seafoam Roses offer the most unique growth habit as a fantastic hedge rose.

There are many roses that grow into a larger rose bush, or stay tidy and compact, or reach great heights as a climber, but there aren’t many that grow wide and low to the ground. Seafoam Roses only reach a height of about 2 to 3 feet, however they stretch in growth to about 6 feet wide!

The small, white double blooms of Seafoam Roses continually bloom all summer long, offering your garden the cutest little puffs of white. Elegant, yet a bit whimsical in growth, yet a bit structured in its hedge formation, Seafoam Roses are truly a unique white garden rose.

Seafoam Roses At A Glance

Rose Type: Landscape
Flowering: Continual
Bloom Type: Small, Double
Bloom Color: White
Zones: 4-9
Fragrance: Very Lightly Fragrant
Approximate Size: 2′-3′ x 6′
Special Characteristics: Perfect For Hedges (grows low and wide), Cold-Hardy, Tolerates Partial Shade

Seafoam Rose Garden Design Ideas

As a hedge on its own in front of a home, in front of a fence, or anywhere a rose hedge could shine
As a hedge behind a low-growing boxwood hedge

Seafoam rose with boxwood — Seafoam Roses behind Sprinter Boxwood

Against a wooden fence where the white roses will really be showcased
As part of a “Moon Garden” (all white flowers)
In a boxwood parterre
Alongside various shades of purple flowers
Alongside various shades of pink flowers
Along a garden path
Along a driveway

Why You’ll Love White Garden Roses

White garden roses add a timeless elegance to any garden
You could solely have white roses in your garden and it will look beautiful on its own
There are many growing types and sizes available: white rose shrubs, floribunda, hedge/landscaping varieties, and even stunning white climbing roses
They’re so versatile in pairing with other plants and flowers
The combination of white roses and purple flowers is a classic and gorgeous pairing (*Be sure to check out this post: 12 Beautiful Purple Flowers For Your Summer Garden)
Perfect choice of flower for a “Moon Garden”
Many white garden roses offer a lovely cut rose floral arrangement to enjoy

Where To Buy White Garden Roses

You may luck out and find white garden roses / white English roses at a local garden center. I’ve found it’s worth it to call around and ask if and when they carry garden/English roses.

Sometimes certain garden centers will have a decent selection all summer long, whereas others may only have a shipment that comes in once.

(You will not have luck at large box store garden centers such as Lowe’s or Home Depot.)

If you’d prefer to order your roses online, I’ve had great experiences ordering from Heirloom Roses based out of Oregon. David Austin Roses is another (and the most well-known) online distributor of English roses.

Here are direct links to the white roses mentioned:

Iceberg Rose

Bolero Rose

Seafoam Rose