The Rose Arch (gouache style)

Arches and arbours have featured in British gardens since medieval times, when trellis tunnels gave shade and privacy. Victorian and Edwardian rose gardens used arches, pergolas and rope swags to lift roses where their scent could be enjoyed. An arch marks an entrance from one part of a garden to another and sets off whatever's beyond. Two kinds of rose are trained over them: climbers, with larger repeat flowers, and ramblers, which usually flower once with masses of smaller blooms.

Plant bare-root roses between November and March, about 45 centimetres out from each post, and lean the stems towards it. Tie them in as they grow, spiralling stems around the uprights, since bending them encourages flowering side shoots. Prune climbers in winter, shortening side shoots to two or three buds. Prune ramblers in late summer after flowering, taking a few of the oldest stems out at the base. Choose a less vigorous variety for a small arch, as some ramblers grow far too big.

A wooden arch covered in pink climbing roses stands over a grass path. The roses are in full flower, the arch's best moment, usually in June. Seen along the path, the arch does what it's meant to: it draws you through, and on a warm evening it's where the scent hangs heaviest.