Gardener and Photographer with a love of Roses and a magpie-eye for all things Horticultural
Rosa mulliganii, the rose used at the centre of the White Garden at Sissinghurst, threading its way over a filigree pergola. Vigorous, yet delicate and beautiful, a tracery of stems creating windows through into the garden. And (above) here it is in Kew Gardens. A Monster of a Plant.... A huge abundance of bright rose…
Continue reading ➞ Rosa mulliganii – roses and the Sissinghurst Technique
I joined the Historic Roses Group last year (at the Hampton Court Flower Show in fact) and have been looking after a collection of Old Roses for a few years now - as well as following their use in the breeding of modern English roses from David Austin. There is much to admire and hundreds…
Continue reading ➞ Sometimes the old ones are the best…
The Lark Ascending I'm chuffed that Lynn Hunt and The Dirt Diaries included some comments of mine on the new crop of David Austin roses set to conquer America in 2014 (not every UK introduction crosses the pond automatically and if they do, it is at least a year later than their original Chelsea debut).…
Continue reading ➞ The Dirt Diaries preview new US introductions from David Austin
A small selection of the rose hips display in the rose garden at Kew - sheltered by the Palm House and watched by sentinels of topiary. Not all roses produce rose hips of any significant or decorative consequence; some pull out all the stops and at least equal the floral display. For those roses which…
Continue reading ➞ Hip Hip Hooray for Roses (again..)
A frosty morning with the few roses cocky enough to be flowering all rimed with ice. A little rose garden with climbing rose The Generous Gardener on tall black obelisks, accompanied by a trio of English shrub roses also from David Austin, Gertrude Jekyll, Geoff Hamilton and Winchester Cathedral. The whole scheme is bordered by…
Continue reading ➞ Jack Frost comes calling….
Good Night from Lady Emma Hamilton (above) and Darcey Bussell (below) - and from me.... I hope you've left out a mince-pie and a glass of sherry for Santa. Big Day tomorrow!
Bright stems of dogwood, willow and ornamental blackberry by the lake in the RHS Gardens at Wisley There was a little doubt whether these gardens would be open today after the storms over night - many gardens have been forced to close today - but hard work on the part of the garden team made…
Continue reading ➞ Christmas Eve at RHS Wisley
Jude the Obscure - with a strong citrus scent, fruity, with guavas and white wine This article is by Robert Calkin, originally published in The Royal National Rose Society Historic Rose Journal Autumn 2013. If you are not a member of the Historic Rose Group, articles such as these are just one reason to join!…
Continue reading ➞ A fragrance by any other name
A vase full of rose hips from The Generous Gardener, a favourite from David Austin No flowers for the Christmas table this year, but a display of these rather fat and rosy orange hips from The Generous Gardener. A very adaptable large shrub or climber, with large soft pink, highly fragrant flowers, flaming red fresh…
Continue reading ➞ The Generous Gardener
The Teddington Gardener 