Best for ground cover
When planting roses for ground cover, it’s essential to rid the soil of all perennial weeds or you’ll have a painful time weeding among them, especially those with slender, arching stems such as the pink ‘Magic Carpet’. Most are low, spreading roses that can be planted on banks and are also effective if bought grafted as standard roses. The County series comprises a range of plants with different flower sizes and colours, that include the dark red single ‘Hampshire’, deep pink, single ‘Hertfordshire’ and frilly, semi-double, pink ‘Surrey’. Although most have little or no scent and are bushy and taller than most ground cover roses, often reaching 1m (40in) high, the Flower Carpet series is unbeatable if you want effortless colour all summer. They flower for months and are rarely affected by mildew or blackspot. If the original, pink ‘Flower Carpet’ is too garish, try ‘White’ or ‘Scarlet’,
available from www.crocus.co.uk.