Chatting with BBC radio four gardening expert Johnnie Amos

Chatting with rose expert Micheal Marriot at David Austin Roses

Michael Marriott has worked with David Austin Roses for over 25 years. During this time he has designed private rose gardens and prestigious public gardens in many different countries.

His own garden is run on organic principles and has never been sprayed over the last 22 years. Selecting only the most healthy varieties of roses, he uses companion plants to attract beneficial insects.

Michael is a great believer in the basic, common-sense principles of gardening. These include using mycorrhizal fungi, enriching the soil, watering, mulching and fertilising well.

He is frequently asked for advice on pruning and feels there is far too much emphasis placed on the mystique of pruning. In practice, this is so simple that it would be very hard to go wrong when pruning the tough and versatile English Roses.

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