Pippa’s PLOT

 for me, roses conjure images of grand country houses with formal beds of manicured bushes edged by trimmed box hedges, or honey-coloured Cotswold cottages smothered with romantic ramblers – not a village allotment. However, having no garden at home, I was determined to inject some of their quintessential English country charm into my little patch, even if I’d never grown one before. With large colourful blooms that flower abundantly from June right through to November and boasting sublime scent, they would bring pleasure for months on end. The summer before I acquired my plot, I’d spent