Deborah Sharard

Entire DVDs are devoted to the sciene of pruning roses. Some people spend hours painstaking and meticulously pruning the spikey buggars. I see pruning as getting revenge for all the pain they have caused throughout the year.

A couple of years ago, due to lack of time and enthusiasm, I adopted the hacksaw approach to this job. I hacked them back very hard, with no science involved at all. Guess what they flowered as good as ever!

I've also realised just how tough they are. I very rarely  water mine during the drought  and they didn't seem to suffer at all. How often have you seen thriving rose bushes standing in the middle of paddocks in front of the skeletons of ancient miner's cottages.

This is fun!