Gardener and Photographer with a love of Roses and a magpie-eye for all things Horticultural
The luminous Pat Austin I'm reading through David Austin's The English Rose for passages relating to this rose, introduced in 1995 and named for his late wife, Pat Austin. Writing on the choice of colour and introducing new colours in particular: 'Here we are looking not simply for a variety of colour, but for good…
Continue reading ➞ Shades of Copper and Flame…
My first flower from the 2013/14 David Austin Rose, Thomas à Becket. I am glad that DAR admit that it is a difficult rose to photograph - it was! To capture the richness of the red, with bright pink/carmine tones, all but this one of my picture rang an off-note. David Austin, in their website, write…
Continue reading ➞ Thomas a Becket – new to David Austin 2013/14
Introduced in 2000, this is a free-flowering shrub bearing soft-apricot-paling-to-creamy-white rosette-shaped flowers with a faint scent (its only shortcoming, this). Superbly healthy and growing to a fine 4' x 3'. Named for The Crocus Trust, hence the odd nomenclature for plant that is not obviously a crocus.
Having been told this week by a customer that 'they never knew they liked orange so much', (there were lots of Ballerina tulips this spring, and much Geum in flower in her garden now), I think it is time to consider my 'relationship' with Orange. Maybe not give it up - the gorgeous David Austin…
Continue reading ➞ Pink is the new Orange
My first visit in over six months, to the borders I created last Spring in this large Roehampton Garden. Deep breath, eyes open, great relief! They have had to look after themselves following the tidy-up I was able to give them before Christmas and I am thrilled that they have survived such a cruel and…
Continue reading ➞ Return to Roehampton
Mme Isaac Pereire (top left), Lady Emma Hamilton (top right) & Evelyn A fruity menage-à-trois featuring three headily fragrant flowers. Happy Days.
A snapshot of my day - beautiful plants some good weather some wet and worse - and some particularly vindictive gusting of winds bunting (before the aforementioned destroyed same) and here it is, my 200th post. Thank you, truly, for taking the time to look at this and any of the first one hundred and…
Continue reading ➞ My ‘200th Post’ Gallery
Bright blue skies and morning sunshine (I know, I know - unsettled later) but just now, with the morning chorus and fresh coffee brewing, the promise of a lovely day. Golden Celebration seems appropriate. A large shrub or short climber and big flowers with a strong fruity fragrance, from David Austin (introduced 1992).
To quote Bruce Forsyth, "You're my favourite". My favourite David Austin rose, Lady Emma Hamilton. If Mr Austin wanted to extend the colour range of the Old Roses (out of pink, more pink, white, purple) into new territory, he must be proud of this rose - a molten tangerine-orange exterior with a pure gold interior,…
Continue reading ➞ May I present Lady Emma Hamilton…
The Teddington Gardener 