Gardener and Photographer with a love of Roses and a magpie-eye for all things Horticultural
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…
Pat Austin (the orange), Molineux (yellow) and the very fragrant Evelyn (peachy-cream). The perfect antidote to a busy day. Take a few roses and place in a handy small stone bottle - or vessel of your choosing. Inhale fragrance. Relax.
One plant, two roses. David Austin rose, Winchester Cathedral Winchester Cathedral, the white, is a 'sport' of an old David Austin favourite, Mary Rose. A sport (in a nutshell) is a spontaneous mutation, identical in all outward respects save, in this instance, flower colour, (though it may also, for example, be a climbing sport of…
Continue reading ➞ Split personalities
Lichfield Angel, a David Austin English musk hybrid rose, introduced in 2006. I included five in the Roehampton garden project last year, which ought to make a decent stand in the semi-circular border. If the large planter at Syon today is any comparison, it should develop into a large crown, studded with creamy white blooms.…
Continue reading ➞ Lichfield Angel
There seems to be a series developing here. Garden Centres I have known. Some, like Petersham Nurseries are pure fantasy, a theatrical experience where plants dress the stage, along with much else besides. Wych Cross Garden Centre, just south of East Grinstead, has magic too but for different reasons - real passion and a collection…
Continue reading ➞ Roses all the way; a superb specialist rose nursery in Sussex.
My favourite rose, of the moment, since she is doing so well in my less than propitious garden (NW facing, enormous horse-chestnut tree, much competition from other climbers). Dozens of blooms with more promised and, thus far, not a hint of powdery mildew. Marvellous. And as with many plants, the reverse of the flower can…
Continue reading ➞ Mrs Alfred Carriere, feeling shy
As part of London Open Garden Squares Weekend, the roof garden at the Blue Fin Building (IPC Media) on Southwark Street was opened and provided a real treat, a surprising garden and panoramic views across London.40m/ten storeys up above London's streets, it is a substantial terrace on three sides of this distinctive building, with extensive…
Continue reading ➞ Blue Fin Roof Garden, community gardens, Wren churches and The Temple.
A few more days of this warm sunshine and the dam will break, the floodgates will open, the genie will be out of the bottle, the cork will pop, the..... you get the idea. Roses, roses and more roses and very welcome they will be. In flower now are Wisley 2008 (above) and The Alnwick…
Continue reading ➞ Any day now, roses
Now I have a north-west facing garden and roses are not supposed to fare well when the sun skids around the plot so quickly, leaving much in shadow and much else, with just a couple of hours to make do. The Noisette climbing rose, Madame Alfred Carriere, is reputed to be one of those roses…
Continue reading ➞ Madame Alfred Carriere is enjoying herself, this year
The Teddington Gardener 