 Gardeners are being urged to find out whether the nation's favourite flower, the rose, can ever truly be "green". The first Organic Rose Watch takes place at next week's Chelsea Flower Show, aimed at helping gardeners tackle this problem. The National Trust, which is behind the project, said although it is a symbol of our national identity, the rose is also one of the most susceptible of all garden plants to pests and diseases. For decades, gardeners have had to resort to an armoury of chemicals to keep their roses in shape. But with more gardeners turning to greener gardening and the continuing withdrawal of a significant number of pesticides from the market, the dilemma of how to manage roses organically remains one of horticulture's most intractable hurdles. Now the National Trust and HDRA - the national charity for organic gardening, horticulture and food - are enlisting the help of Britain's gardeners with the launch at the Chelsea Flower Show of The Organic Rose Watch. It aims to discover more about the nation's passion for this flower, from the varieties people plant in their gardens to how well they are growing and, most importantly, what techniques are being used to keep pests and diseases at bay - is a miracle cure for black spot out there lurking in someone's back garden? The National Trust said anyone can take part in the survey by monitoring the roses growing in their garden and recording their observations in a simple questionnaire. The results will provide vital feedback on what's hot and what's not in organic rose management. The survey is part of a major rose project set up by the Trust, HDRA and Roses UK, amid commercial and environmental concerns about the future of roses in this country. Many British rose growers are worried that unless effective and environmentally friendly solutions are found for keeping pests and diseases at bay, an increasing number of gardeners may choose not to grow roses in future. Ian Kennedy, of Roses UK, said: "Many of us would find it difficult to imagine the English garden without roses, but to prevent this happening, we need to find new techniques that are effective and environmentally friendly for those who wish to continue to grow roses but without chemicals." Full details about the Organic Rose Watch and the survey forms are available on the HDRA website at www.hdra.org.uk or gardeners can pick up a leaflet and find out more about the survey on the National Trust stand at the Chelsea Flower Show next week. | 
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