Time to prune ramblers

Rambling roses put on a gorgeous display but at this time of year they benefit from some careful pruning, says Toby

- TOBY BUCKLAND

I DON'T know if it was Confucius, Augustus or, err, Yoda, but the Maji that said "nothing is worse than falling into a rose bush... except falling into a rose bush off a ladder" was obviously speaking from experience.

I mention this because, after years of procrastination, I have finally been forced to drag my rickety ladder from the garage to tackle the gargantuan tangle of briars that is our 'Rambling Rector.

It's a beautiful rose with butter-yellow petals that fade to white before falling where they cover the floor like confetti after a wedding. But this year, under the weight of new growth, it's sagging from its 'pulpit' - the 16ft (5m)-tall holly tree it clambers through worrying the postman as he walks up the path, and tearing at the easily damaged leaves of my newly planted banana in the border.