Make it a bed of roses

or all their beauty and familiarity, roses are perhaps the most misunderstood garden plants of all. Few plants are as shrouded in myths and misconceptions. Then there is the age-old question of whether or not they are currently ‘in fashion’. Don’t let any of this get in the way of the truth: roses are a gloriously diverse, generous, aromatic, characterful group and they can become a treasured centrepiece in so many different styles and sizes of garden. Modern varieties can be healthy and free-flowering, and many disease-prone, sparse-flowering hybrids have been superseded by some incredibly good-looking and long-lasting plants. This means more flowers for longer and less worry about whether a rose is