Don't pray at the first sign of aphids. Instead, allow time for the birds, ladybirds and other predatory insects to discover them. They will lay eggs close by, or parasitise them. Rub out aphids with your fingers.
Use roses in mixed planting rather than in dedicated rose borders, as this lessens the chance of diseases like blackspot.
Underplant your roses with non-invasive herbaceous perennials such as Campanula lactiflora 'Prichard's Variety', Viola cornuta and hardy geraniums. This understorey will help to prevent fungal spores from splashing up from the soil.
Use some late-flowering nectar plants to sustain hoverflies and lacewings. Both have predatory larvae which feed on aphids.
Gaura lindheimeri, annual cosmos and penstemons can sustain insects and bees until late autumn.
Feed roses well - once in March and again after the first flush of flower. Use garden compost, well-rotted manure or a slow-release, sprinkle-on rose fertiliser.
Prune roses and make cuts that slope away from the buds - using sharp secateurs. Remove the dead, dying and diseased wood by late spring, keeping the shape open to allow a flow of air.
Mulch with well-rotted organic material during winter to create a barrier between soil and rose.
Be bold and replace disease-prone roses with better varieties. Ideally replace the soil or replant in a different position.
Plant one rose that produces hips to sustain the birds. Rosa glauca is a large shrub with dark foliage and cocoa-brown hips. It can be planted on a boundary edge.
Ask specialist rose growers to recommend their healthiest varieties. Prepare the ground well when planting and cut bare-root roses down hard to limit wind rock.
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