Sacha wrote:
My mother has a rose garden in her house in the Channel Islands and it's a
very old one. (My family has owned the house for 50 years and it was there
when we moved in) The roses really aren't thriving, even the younger
replacements and we're wondering what she can do about this. It seems clear
that the soil is 'rose sick'. Moving the rose garden to another area isn't
an option and this location is ideal as it's towards the end of the sloping
garden but hidden from sight by a hedge so that nobody has to look at a load
of bare sticks in winter!
We're all wondering whether the rose beds can be dug out and new soil
imported to refill them and if so, to what depth they should be dug out etc.
She very much wants to keep it as a rose garden because she's always known
it that way and my late stepfather loved it dearly. Has anyone else ever
tried doing this to rejuvenate old rose beds?

Jersey or Guernsey or elsewhere?
As a Guernseyman, I could say Jerseymen can't grow roses!
If in Guernsey, she may know the rose beds in Saumarez Park, which I
believe were dug out a few years ago (to some degree) and replanted. The
roses there currently are not too good or vigorous!
Water and feeding seems essential even if the soil is changed.

I believe I have seen in gardening book that top 18in. needs replacing
if you are digging out the soil!