Givemy loveto rose

Roses may have seen their popularity peak but, says John, the iconic bloom is still well worth growing and can be a show-stopper

R oses were at their most popular about 50 years ago.

No garden was complete without a few roses, and Dundee Parks department propagated them by the thousands every year to brighten up the parks, town centre and outdoor landscapes.

They were also functional varieties like Rosa omeiensis pteracantha, with spectacular thorns totally covering the stems, used to deter trespassers.

As air pollution improved over the years, rose diseases gained a foothold as the pollution had acted as a mild fungicide. Unfortunately so many varieties suffered severe loss of leaves from blackspot, rust and mildew that they were not worth growing.

Rose breeders were left with the task of finding new varieties with strong, disease-resistant foliage while still having attractive flowers and a scent wherever possible.

I have grown hundreds of different varieties over the years, and discarded many, but there is still a good rose well worth growing and every year new varieties appear in nurseries and garden centres for people to try out.

Roses come in many forms, from miniature to bush (floribundas and hybrid teas), then shrubs, climbers and ramblers, so you can choose a plant to suit any occasion.

Always buy from a reputable source and keep your receipt and the label.

I have had several purchases where the plant did not reflect the label.

One lovely red bush rose turned out to be a disease-prone pink rose, and a dazzling yellow Julie Goodyear from a local garden centre does not seem to exist except in my garden.

Roses can be grown against walls, fences, up pergolas, in borders as miniatures and bushes or – if you have plenty of room – free-standing shrubs.

Make sure you read about the ultimate size, as some can be enormous.

My climbing Mme Alfred Carrier wrecked my six-foot fence then stretched well over 20 feet in every direction.

However, it is such a beauty that I cut it back to young shoots about six feet long so it can have another lease of life for a few more years.

I grow a deep red Dublin Bay on the south wall of my house and it flowers all summer, from ground to 12 feet tall, making a spectacular show, though unfortunately it has no scent.

Another shrub rose I converted to a climber is the pink scented Gertrude Jekyll, which never lets you down. It gets a wee bit of mildew but nothing Clockwise from main: John’s dazzling Julie Goodyear; Sophie with some scented roses; Anna relaxing beside the Gertrude Jekyll; Rose Dearest; a potted amaryllis bulb; climbing rose Dublin Bay. Pictures: John Stoa.

I have grown hundreds of different varieties over the years, and discarded many