Rosa 'Zephirine Drouhin'

This relatively recent addition to the garden is a vigorous climbing Bourbon rose which is very free-flowering (from July through to September) and has the most wonderful scent. Although roses like to be in a sunny spot in fertile moist soil, this one will tolerate a north or east- facing position. Its stems are thornless - something Agatha Christie put to good use in a crime novel, enabling Poirot to deduce who the murderer was.

Cultivation: remove dead or damaged stems in late autumn or winter, tie in new stems and shorten side shoots by up to two thirds. It usually responds well to hard pruning if overgrown.

ROSA 'Zephirine Drouhin'