Andrew Lawson, a world-famous Oxfordshire-based garden photographer, took the above picture of Coughton Court’s Rose Labyrinth. This garden, near Alcester in Warwickshire, was the first in Britain to be given an award of garden excellence by the World Federation of Rose Societies in 2006.

One glance captures the essence of summer and helps to explain why the rose is the country’s favourite flower. It may seem dreary outside, but now is the time to think about next summer’s display and order your bare-root roses. This is the best way to establish them because all roses are grown in the field, cut back and lifted from now onwards.

Once planted from bare root they settle in quickly and go on to do far better because they have only been disturbed once. Some of the lifted roses will be potted up into containers to be sold next summer when full of flower. These often struggle to become established because, having only been potted up for a short time, they have immature root systems.

The compost falls from the roots as you plant and the rose suffers a double shock to its system as it tries to put down roots once again. Buying bare-root has advantages that go beyond the horticultural. Prices are lower, roughly a third of a container-grown rose when sent out by mail order.

The choice is wider too, for rose growers cannot pot up every variety. Peter Beales Roses (www.classicroses. co.uk / 01953 454707) sell more than 1100 varieties, the widest array in the country, grown in Norfolk fields close to their nursery. Prices range between £8.75 and £14.95 depending on type. This nursery sells a wide range of varieties and it’s often the only place to acquire older historical varieties.

Peter Beales, who sadly died at the beginning of this year, made collecting them his life’s work. Simon White, who has worked for Peter Beales man and boy, advises cutting all new roses back after planting to three to five buds above the graft union. This is the bumpy bit above the roots and Simon believes it should be planted one inch below the soil’s surface to prevent wind rock and suckering.

If you trim the roots, do so lightly, leaving as much of the hairy, fibrous roots as possible. Preparing the soil well is also vital, according to Simon, and this can be done now in readiness for new roses. Digging in well-rotted organic matter from the compost heap, is ideal. Cover your area up in cold weather (with cardboard, or old carpet or bubble wrap) to prevent frost from penetrating the ground. Simon recommends the following roses for ease of cultivation and flower power. The three-foot high shrub rose ‘Macmillan Nurse’ ( bred by Beales in 1998 ) bears clusters of creamy flowers, with peach overtones, all summer. ‘Bonica‘, which is a similar height, has large clusters of pink flowers.

His favourite climber is ‘Blush Noisette’, a pink shrubby climber that flowers continuously. His perfect floribunda is ‘Norwich Castle’, a copper-orange rose bred by Peter Beales in the 1970s. When it comes to Hybrid Teas, highly fragrant ‘Deep Secret’, bred by Tantau in 1977, gets his vote. His favourite rambler, the American-bred ‘Chevy Chase’ (1939) is also red, and the large clusters of small, double deep-crimson blooms give you an eight-week long flush of summer flower.

Every garden should have some roses that only flower once, because these are the ones that are drip with flower. Peter Beales, who was a great friend of mine, loved his once-only roses and also the colour pink.