I mentioned the vigorous rambler rose Albertine in my last post and here it is in the summer of 2017. One of my grandfather's favourites, Albertine is salmon-pink with a scent. It climbed the walls of his walled garden for many years. What I love is the way the buds are a darker, almost coppery-pink and they open and fade to a lighter shade. The rose dates from 1921 and comes from France.

Albertine growing tips

My rose in the photos was planted in my vegetable garden because I had nowhere else for it to go. It is vigorous and will grow to sixteen feet (five metres) and is ideal for planting against a wire fence because it appreciates air circulation. The rose will sometimes get mildew if planted against a wall but it's worth a try. A tip is to plant it where it will get the early morning sun to dry off dew and make sure you plant it in well drained soil. It doesn't like soggy roots.

Albertine flowers once in late spring or early summer but last year I had a bonus. The rose flowered again in the autumn. This is the first time I remember this happening.