Roses are one of the most romantic flowers and growing roses is actually very easy. You can have just one or a garden full of them, and they are sure to bring a smile to your face and a deep inhale to your nostrils!

Preparation and location are key; they love the sun and are drought tolerant once established but need good free draining soil.

Add plenty of compost to the planting hole and handful of blood and bone to it as well.  Once planted soak the ground to really settle your new rose in and top dress the soil with a rose specific fertiliser such as Richgro Rose and flower food.  Mulching with an organic mulch will keep your roses happy through the warmer months. 

Roses are relatively pest free (unless you are in WA where chilli thrips ruin them) but they don’t like humid weather and get fungal problems with too much moisture around their leaves.  To negate this prune them into an open vase shape, so air can circulate around the crown, remove inward facing shoots and leave the outward facing ones for a full open crown with good circulation.  Watering should always be done in the morning as too late in the day and you’ll encourage humidity as well.

Roses come in a variety of shapes and varieties from standards to miniatures, ground covers and bushes but it’s the climbing roses I love the most. There's nothing like a rose sprawling up a building, over an arbour or defining an archway. 

• Banksia rose is one of the hardiest roses that will grow anywhere, with yellow or white tiny but profuse blooms it’s great for the beginner gardener. 
• If you want a spectacle, ‘Pierre De Ronsard’ is one of the showiest flowers with its deeply ruffled petals in white, crimson red or blush pink.  
• For Sydney, the best climber is the Nahema rose as its thornless, sweetly scented and oh so beautiful to look at – I’ve just planted one  to climb up the front of the new house.