A thoroughly satisfying job when in the right mood, pruning roses has a methodical enjoyment to it, not to mention the cathartic, ruthless thrill cutting out the old. As well as tidying the garden, pruning helps to prevent pests and sickness and stimulates the rose's flower power and vigour, ensuring a joyous summer mass of scent and colour.
Most roses can be pruned in late winter. February is the traditional month, but January and March are fine. Ramblers that don't produce hips and climbers that only have one flush of summer flowers are the exception, and – if necessary – these can be given a light haircut after flowering, in late summer or autumn.
Most shrub roses only require a light annual prune, but some (such as Hybrid Teas and Floribundas) enjoy a harder yearly cut. First, remove all diseased and dead stems, and then prune by around one third, creating a rounded shape; if the rose is too big or if it's a Hybrid Tea or Floribunda, cut it back by a half to two-thirds. To create attractive heaps in the border, copy the method used at Sissinghurst, in which the shrub's just-pruned stems are bent and tied onto four hoops of hazel that enclose the rose, creating a pleasing mound.
Stand back and have a good look at the plant; identify the main stems that you're going to keep: some of these will be sturdy established stems and others will have grown in the previous year. You want to create an open framework with no crossing stems; remove diseased and dead stems and unwanted stems. Then prune the stems you have decided to keep: trim their side shoots back to 2 to 5 centimetres from the main stem, and then tie the stems in to your trellis or wire frame: gently bend them so they are horizontal (or thereabouts) because
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