Amongst the rose beds, some shining examples at Kew Gardens (or rather, the old ones are sometimes the best!)

Pat Austin (the orange) and Princess Anne (above, in shades of pinky-purple) – both from David Austin and looking, in every bed, very happy and healthy. Cerise Bouquet, below

The white hydrangea-like heads of shrub rose, Sally Holmes

Reine des Violettes (above and below)

Morning Mist, from David Austin roses, always impossibly healthy. A big shrub rose. (above and below)

Shades of Autumn with a spectacular show of hips from Rosa sweginzowii

Rose de Rescht – pristine foliage and perfect blooms, as if the first of summer rather than early August. An excellent garden rose, this –

Comte de Chambord and Jacques Cartier were equally healthy of leaf, but fewer flowers and none captured perfectly, hence the comment but an absence of a photograph.

The rose beds, as ever, would have benefited from some deadheading but staff there are few and the job tends to be done in mammoth sessions rather than as a regular chore. There are a lot of roses in these beds and generally, they were looking well. I was particularly impressed with the show of hips from Rosa sweginzowii and also the superb health and pristine leafery of Rose de Rescht.