Silicon tested in search to defeat the dreaded rose black spot

As our summers get warmer and wetter even the hardy English rose is vulnerable to fungal disease, but researchers are on the case

The velvety petals and sweet scent of a rose make it a classic of the traditional English garden.

But growers and gardeners have long cursed a disease that has ravaged the delicate beauty of their favourite flowers: black spot. Now scientists at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) are trying to find an answer to the problem.