Roses are among the nation’s favourite garden plants – and rightly so because they make a beautiful addition to any garden.  Not only are they available in a stunning range of colours, there are different plant types too, so whatever your garden space or style, there’s bound to be something that’s just right for you.

Regular pruning is important to ensure that your plants grow strongly and flower vigorously each year and pruning is easy, contrary to popular belief. It doesn’t matter whether you’re pruning climbing, rambling or shrub roses, they are all pruned using the same techniques – and here we’ll show you how!

Roses should always be pruned back to an outward facing bud – either to buds which form in leaf axil…

or to buds which form on stems…

Different types of rose require different treatment as follows:

• Ramblers – all the flowering shoots will develop from the main plant framework, so prune to maintain a good structure.
• Climbers – can be pruned hard, as flowering shoots develop on new growth.
• Shrubs – should be pruned to outward facing buds to maintain a good overall shape.

With all types of roses, remember to prune out all dead and damaged stems, and any showing signs of rust, black spot, or unwanted attention from aphids or caterpillars – this will help to avoid spreading problems to otherwise healthy parts of the plant.

Pruning can be done in Autumn before the first frosts, or in Spring after the risk of frost has passed – but if you do leave it until Spring, be aware of your developing flowering buds – you don’t want to remove them by accident!

The range of rose types and varieties offer great versatility in the garden, and this can be enhanced by the activities of producers too. For example David Austen have bred varieties to flower over the entire plant, plus they offer a number of varieties designed as shrub roses, but which will develop into climbers up to 8ft tall if left un-pruned.

Roses are beautiful, colourful and some cultivars are fragrant too – and now you know how easy they are to look after, the only difficulty you’ll have is choosing which ones will make a stunning addition to your garden!

We have a lovely range of roses in-store, plus all the pruning tools you’ll need – and we’re happy to offer friendly, expert advice if you need it too!