Question
Some years ago I planted iceberg roses across the front of my house in Melbourne.  The first year I had the most magnificent 'hedge' of roses - it looked like a solid boarder across the front of the house.  I haven't been able to do the same again.  Is there some special way to prune them to encourage the 'hedge' look?  Would appreciate any advice.

Answer
The first few years are critical when developing rose hedges.  You may even need to prune after the first flush of flowering to remove branches that stick out. Try and keep the base of the hedge wider than the top so adequate light is available to the entire surface of the hedge. I would prune your hedge down to 18 inches and this will make the bushes thicken and grow wider. A hedge needs to be pruned a different way than a single rose bush in a garden, so disregard pruning advice in the rose books and keep all twiggy growth and don't remove it. You want to prune the hedge as if it were just one long rose bush.  You can use an electric hedge trimmer as this will give a more even and better cut than doing it by hand. Don't be afraid to whack at the hedge if a cane decides to grow upwards or out. It doesn't matter when you cut it just prune it back even with the rest. In a hedge or for that matter any roses that are the same, there will always be a few that grow more vigorously than the others or are weaker growers and this really shows up in a rose hedge. That is why a hedge trimmer is ideal. I have a Bonica hedge and use the hedge trimmer on it and get good results. The trick is to stand firm and slowly pass it over the roses and this way you won't get a chewed look like I did the first time! A mulch is another good idea as roses love cool roots and do better with a mulch of any kind.