Rose bushes need pruning early on in the year, around March is ideal, but if you’re like me you might not have done it yet so April is the time to get on with it.

First of all you should take out any diseased or dead shoots.

Next, remove any shoots that are feeble or weak.

Note that if there are any shoots that cross the centre of the bush they might cause congestion later in the year so you will probably want to remove that too.

Now you can cut back the main stems. These are the thick, strong ones so you’ll need a good pair of secateurs. You should cut them to about knee height and about 1/2 inch (1 cm) above any outward facing buds.

You’ll probably feel like you’ve cut away half the bush and you probably have, but don’t worry about that.