The romance of ROSES

Bring instant glamour to your garden with these enchanting flowers

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Glorious, fragrant roses are the essence of summer. Yet, choosing which ones to grow from the hundreds of beautiful varieties on offer can be daunting. So, read on for a helping hand on what to grow and where.

Urban oasis

Soften a hard-edged brick or concrete landscape with a tumble of roses spilling over a fence or arbour, or billowing from a generous container on the doorstep. In a built-up environment, fragrance is less likely to be whisked away on the breeze, so heavily scented varieties come into their own.

Shrub Add style to an entrance with an exuberant pot of Rosa Roald Dahl (HxS: 1.5x1m). Elegant and on trend, with tea-scented apricot flowers, this medium-sized shrub will repeat flower all summer long. For beds and borders, try Kew Gardens, a thornless, shade-tolerant variety with clusters of apricot buds that open to single white flowers (HxS: 2.5x1m).

Climber Turn a seated arbour into a perfumed paradise by planting climbing rose Claire Austin close by. Vigorous and upright (HxS: 3.75x1.5m), it has lemon buds that open to myrrh-scented, petal-packed, creamy-white bowls. For a shadier spot with up to four hours of sun, go for fragrant pale pink The Generous Gardener (HxS: 4.5x4m).