Rosa Generosa Reine Sammut

Roses prefer a sunny location (at least 4 to 5 hours of sunshine per day) but sheltered from the burning midday sun and strong winds. Plant them from October to April. Easy to grow, roses appreciate loose, permeable soil rich in humus. They prefer soil with a neutral pH but will adapt to any garden as long as the soil is well worked and sufficiently rich.

To plant your potted rose, work the soil in a 25cm (10in) cube, crumbling the soil and adding a base amendment such bonemeal at the bottom of the planting hole. Position your plant, removed from its pot, covering the top of the root ball with 3cm (1in) of soil, fill in the hole and water generously to remove any air pockets.

In dry weather, water regularly for a few weeks to encourage root growth. Also remember to provide your rose with special rose fertilizer to stimulate plant flowering. Prune its branches by a third each spring.

Roses are often stained or unsightly at the end of summer, but this is not a problem for their development. These stains are not harmful to the rose; it is a natural phenomenon.