'What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet'. When William Shakespeare wrote these immortal words in Romeo and Juliet, he suggested that all roses were the same (in respect of their sweet smell, at least). Indeed, in Shakespeare's day, perhaps most roses were the same, or similar. But he wasn't to know that over 400 years of selection and breeding of roses by horticulturalists would result in a stunning explosion of roses in many colours, shapes and scents. But in the pursuit of beauty, insect visitors of roses have been largely forgotten. Many varieties of rose are now off-limits for bumblebees and other insects, but why?

As with many popular plants, it all comes down to the breeding. Most natural versions of roses (for example, Rosa Glauca) are simple and elegant things: they usually have just five petals, splayed out to show the centre of the rose. The centre is where all the pollen and nectar (bee food!) is, so these roses are perfectly shaped for bees, which have no problems in getting to the centre. The trouble comes when plants get bred for their appearance. Quite often, this results in varieties of roses which, although beautiful, are closed off to insect visitors. Some have too many petals, which are tightly bunched and cover the centre of the flower, preventing bees from reaching the pollen and nectar.

Most rambling roses are suitable for bees as are the varieties of common Japanese rose (Rosa Rugosa) which are highly scented. Our thanks to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust for the above information. If you would like to find out more on the Trust please see their website: http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org