STANDARD ROSES 55 



to me — to flank the side of a straight and narrow path 

 with lines of standard roses, does credit neither to the 

 path, the roses, nor the rosarian. 1 don't know quite 

 why it is — ^perhaps because it is such an obvious thing 

 to do, the sort of thing that would occur to the man 

 who had never done any gardening before — ^but it is 

 plebeian, commonplace, and utterly lacking in inspiration. 

 Rather would one see them planted in the middle of a 

 bed of bush roses, where, themselves flying fragrant 

 blossoms to the breeze, they bring welcome variety to 

 the bed of roses below, and break up its monotony of 

 outline. They look very well if grouped half a dozen 

 or so together in a round bed, the surface of the soil 

 being covered with low-growing flowers ; or disposed, not 

 singly, but in each other's close company, in any one 

 of the many little nooks and corners to be found in every 

 rose garden. In such positions they fill small beds most 

 admirably. But if your walk is straight and meagre, 

 do not, I beg of you, for the garden's sake and your 

 own peace of mind, accentuate its straightness and its 

 meagreness with ordinary standard roses. 



The details of soil preparation and planting described 

 in another chapter apply to standard roses, though there 

 are one or two special points to which reference may 

 be made here. The roots ought to be placed five or six 

 inches beneath the soil, and care taken to insert the 

 stake before the roots are covered, or the latter may be 

 badly damaged. In supporting the standard, the rose 

 should be tied to the stake, not the stake to the rose ; 

 the string is first passed twice round the stake, then 



