I’ve mentioned this before but it’s worth saying again. I absolutely adore roses, but I am fussy. To qualify for my adoration, they must have an addictive, musky scent. I’m more drawn to roses in the pink and red spectrum and I prefer flower shapes that are full and round.
Throughout the winter, or rather late autumn and early spring, I have been feeding the soil with fish, blood and bone and a bit of Vitax. This attention to feeding has really paid off, with lots of glossy and lush new growth. I’m looking forward to taking home armfuls of blooms this year. This is in contrast to the sad specimens I noticed in the park this morning. The bed has been mulched with fresh wood chip, which eventually will rot down to beautiful dark compost. In the meantime, in the early stages of decomposition, it is sucking pretty much everything out of the soil and the roses are really suffering.
Allotment Life 
I love roses too. When we moved house nearly three years ago, i remembered, just as we were driving away, to rush back and take a couple of cuttings from the Sweetheart rose bush. At that time, I’d never grown anything to speak of, but with some care I revived the only cutting that hadn’t died and the little rosebush is now thriving.
I have two spare garlic plants in pots, which I’ll put under the rose bushes at the weekend, as I’ve heard they keep the aphids away and make the roses smell sweeter. I’ll let you know how it goes.
How is it that I didn’t notice your comment earlier? Apologies. You have grown a rose from a cutting – respect! I’ve never thought to have a go, yet I routinely stick other hardwood cuttings in the soil, just to see what happens – generally what happens is roots. Got my autumn planned now.