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Learn with Michael Marriott

Roses

Michael Marriott teaches you how to plan and maintain a rose garden. Learn how to choose roses for your location, combine colours and pruning techniques.

Course overview

Michael delves into the world of roses, giving us a tour of his garden while discussing the different groups, their cultural history and main characteristics. He will discuss how each species differs, and how you can find suitable varieties that will thrive in your environment for as long as possible. He will also discuss the disease resistance of each, groups that he avoids, which perennials to plant alongside, which you should prune and which you should spray.

Meet Michael Marriott

I worked at David Austin Roses for 35 years as head Rosarian. During this time I became one of the world's leading authorities on roses and designed many private and public rose gardens around the world. I grow many roses in my own garden, which I run on organic principles and have never sprayed. I select only those varieties that combine both health and beauty and I grow them alongside other plants to help prevent the spread of pests and diseases. I'm a great believer in common sense gardening and when it comes to pruning, I'm keen to go back to basic principles so that students can easily apply their knowledge to any rose they encounter. I'm a passionate believer that the rose is the most garden worthy of all plants. What other plant can potentially have a beautiful individual flower, a wonderful fragrance, flower for several months of the year and be easy to look after? In addition the rose is used as a symbol in many different aspects of our culture from religion to the legal system. I wanted to teach and share my knowledge through Learning with Experts to help share my passion for roses globally. I'm also keen to hear from you, wherever you are in the world. I look forward to seeing you in class.

Course description

Michael Marriott, one of the world's leading rose experts (and previously Head Rosarian at David Austin Roses for 35 years) teaches you how to plan, nurture, and grow a rose garden.

Choose Expert option to receive personal feedback from Michael in class.

Michael will teach you how to choose the right rose for your garden location, and advise on pruning roses, choosing roses for fragrance and colour combinations.

The rose is exceptional in the plant world and it can be grown in most climates. Whether you live in cold, hot or moderate climates – Michael will help you find the perfect rose to suit your garden.

Roses vary in size from tiny little plants a few centimetres tall to huge rambling roses growing into trees. Their flowers can be just a few millimetres across or 20cm or more and the number of petals range from four to 200. Rose fragrances are just as varied. So there's a variety of rose to suit every garden and green space.

Michael will took you through all types of roses from rose bushes to climbing roses and shrub roses, the difference in rose stems, and extending your rose flowering season. Plus he'll look at techniques to improve the disease resistance of your roses and how to feed your plants and encourage repeat flowering.

You'll learn:
  • rose species and the breeding history of roses
  • where to plant roses - from mixed with other plants in garden borders to a dedicated rose garden
  • using roses to create garden features - including rose arches
  • pruning roses
  • breeding new rose varieties
The course includes:
  • 4 on-demand video lessons - presented by Michael Marriott
  • lifetime access to the videos, notes and interactive class
  • flexible classes - join and learn when and where you like
  • downloadable lesson notes
  • practical rose gardening projects (with feedback available from Michael)
  • access on your mobile, PC, Mac or laptop
  • small interactive online classroom - chat online to students from around the world and share your creative ideas
Time to complete the growing roses course:

Every student is different but in general we think the whole course will take around 10 hours 10 minutes to complete including:

  • Video lessons: 2 hours 10 minutes in total
  • Course notes: 30 minutes per lesson
  • Your rose assignments: at least 1 hour per lesson
  • Interactive classroom time: 15 minutes per lesson
  • Tutor feedback review (Expert level): 15 minutes per lesson
You'll need:

You don't need any special equipment, or even your own garden or roses, but you will be planning a rose garden, thinking about where to plant roses and how roses can work in a garden with other plants. The course is suitable for gardeners at all levels - from new gardeners to professionals who want to learn from an expert in roses.

Ready to get started?

Just add the course to your basket above - choose the 'Expert' option for personal feedback from Guy on your country garden designs.

If you know someone who'd love this course then give it as a gift - just tick "This is a gift" at the checkout.

Any questions? Contact us by clicking on the orange speech symbol - we'd love to hear from you.