Letter: To save a formal rose garden from 'ugliness'

Sir: Regarding James Fenton's irrational defence of the rose garden (29 March): he fails to distinguish between a rose flower, which has much to commend it, and a rose garden, which has not. Go out today, Mr Fenton, and look at your rose bed. It is a patch of soil with dark thorny twigs sticking out of it and occupying a place which should be pleasing to the eye throughout the year. For most of the year it is 'as ugly a thing as you could find'.

Yours,

DOUGLAS J. THORPE

Newcastle upon Tyne

30 March

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