Roses "no bother at all"

As long as people make the right choices when purchasing roses, the blooms are no trouble at all, a sector commentator has asserted.

Speaking to the online page of the Telegraph, Michael Marriott, technical manager of David Austin Roses explains that he has around 60 or 70 varieties of roses in his garden.

He notes that people often think of roses as separate from other foliage and that they should in fact see the blooms as just like any other plant in the garden.

"If you choose the right variety, roses are no bother at all – they dont need staking, just a quick prune in winter then I throw them some food," Mr Marriott adds.

Regarding cultivating the blooms, he suggests that they are given plenty of space for their first two years so that other plants do not overwhelm them and also notes that pruning is vital, recommending that mid-winter is the best time to do so.

The Royal Horticultural Society suggests that horticultural enthusiasts select the colour, fragrance and flower form of roses based on their own personal taste, but that they also take tolerance to disease into account.