Climbing roses are best described as long-branched shrubs as they don’t twine or cling in the way conventional climbing plants do. Instead, over time, they develop a network of arching canes, which look truly stunning in full bloom. The climbers are easy to grow and pruning them is not a complicated procedure. In fact, you’ll often see old climbing roses on deserted buildings, untouched for years, flowering their little heads off.

Climbing roses look wonderful trained flat against a wall, and equally good when encouraged to grow over the top of a garden structure, such as a pergola. And, of course, they’re the most romantic plant subject for draping over an archway, especially at the front entrance to a garden. To speed up the coverage, plant two roses on each side of the arch, and train them to meet in the middle.