AN ENGLISH ROSE GARDEN

The design for the Rose Garden was inspired by the gardens of the Edwardian era.  We wanted it to seem like it had been there for over a century.  Whilst the layout and design is formal, the planting nevertheless has a very romantic atmosphere.  The beds are laid out round a central circle and the paths terminate in arches in gazebos which will be swathed in the course of time with climbing and rambling roses and clematis.

The Rose Garden in early June

The beds are planted with old and new rose varieties mainly in soft shades of pink and apricot with some  roses in darker shades of plum and burgundy.

Rosa Buff Beauty in the centre with Rosa Generous Gardener to the left

 Beyond the arch leading from the Rose garden is a magnificent oak tree,

Gothic arch to support clematis

 Rambling and climbing roses are trained over a gazebo, up posts and along chains.

Mme Alfred Carriere covers the gazebo

Rosa A Shropshire Lad trained onto a pillar

 The roses are planted with other herbaceous perennials in similar soft shades, such as geraniums, astrantias, lupins and aqualegias.

Poppy Victoria Louise

Over eighty roses are planted in the Rose Garden.  The older varieties flower only once, and aren't in bloom yet.  Others have a longer flowering season, and are already in flower.

St Ethelburga is a modern shrub rose which I planted in 2018.  It's named after a church in Bishopsgate, London which, after being nearly destroyed by a bomb, is now a centre for peace and reconciliation. This rose has that lovely, cupped bowl of petals and in my favourite soft, warm pink.

St Ethelburga

The Generous Gardener is a David Austin rose which is described as a climber, although I grow it as a shrub.  Its over 5ft high and just as wide and it is smothered in flowers.

The Generous Gardener

 Also in flower is Louise Odier.  This is a bourbon rose raised in 1851.  She is peaking shyly from between some phlox.  The flowers are smaller in size than some of the more modern roses, but the flower shape and perfume are exquisite.  Unfortunately she does seem to be affected by blackspot here.

Louise Odier