With the evenings getting longer and brighter, extra light and warmth encourages the garden put on a burst of growth. One plant that takes centre stage this month is the rose, which is why it has been selected as HTA’s Plant of the Month for June.   

There is a rose for every garden situation, from Hybrid Teas to miniatures, climbers to floribundas, the choice is endless. They are the perfect addition to any garden environment, large or small, contemporary or traditional with varieties for planting in flower beds, borders and planters.     

Market research  conducted by HTA revealed that 49% of Britons with a garden grow roses in them. Roses have also seen a revival over the past decade with breeders creating varieties that are easier to care for and more disease resistant.  

Blue Peter gardener, Chris Collins (above), thinks no garden is complete without a rose or two. 

“I suppose the choice of a rose as my favourite may be considered an obvious one when gardeners talk about plants - but the English garden is incomplete without one or possibly many.

“When I started my apprenticeship with the parks, the hours spent in the rose garden is where I  first connected with  plants  in a professional  capacity.

"However, my real love of them came much later when I began to import David Austin Roses into Japan whilst working there.  These plants really just give and give and with the minimum of fuss”.

Roses can also be grown in pots so consumers are being encouraged to visit their local garden centre or nursery for advice and tips on caring for container roses, as part of the nationwide ‘It Starts with a Pot’ campaign running through the Summer to encourage everyone to give gardening a go.  

Nominated and agreed upon by British growers and retailers, the HTA’s Plant of the Month campaign highlights the plants that are widely available and looking especially good each month.  

For more details about Plant of the Month, visit www.the-hta.org.uk/plantofthemonth