Roses

Rose's are one of my all time favorite plants. They are so beautiful and romantic I think everyone should have one in their garden.
There are many different types ranging from huge rambling climbers to miniature ground covering to the more unusual species types. I must admit I'm a bit particular about the types I like I'm not really a fan of the large flowered Hybrid tea roses. I love the old fashioned scented varieties commonly known as the English rose's or David Austin these have been specially bred to have the old world charm and beauty with modern hardiness, longer flowering and a better degree of disease resistance. They are also (mostly) wonderfully fragrant.

One of my favorites is jubilee celebration



I mean come on just look at that flower.
This one has a delicious scent like strawberries, honey and tea. Yesterday I made some rose petal jam, with petals from this baby and it tastes heavenly.

When I moved in to my cottage I inherited 3 roses in the garden, a unruly white climber that had nothing much to climb up a pink rugosa and a weeping standard. Now I've never really been keen on standard rose's they're a bit old fashioned (not in a cool vintage way) and quite twee, certainly not something I'd of ever thought of buying but I'm so in love with mine


This one's called "Felicite Perpetue" but I affectionately call her flick. I love her little pom pom flowers

I also have a thing for the more unusual rose's like this one and if I had more room I'd love one of these and one of these but unless I do away with the chickens (which will never happen) I'll just have to make do with the 12 I have crammed in the garden.
Here's some more.

This is Rosa glauca,


This is William Lobb


This was supposed to be this obviously its not (bought as a bareroot plant in the winter)but I like it. Although I have a horrible feeling it might be something like a Kiftsgate If it is will just grow and grow. Hmmm maybe I should investigate that one

Awaken me with a kiss

This is another favourite plant of mine, (maybe I should do a favourite rose) I have a serious problem with rose's, I'm addicted to them. If i could only have one type of plant in my garden it would be rose's, anyway back to the point.

This is rosa sericea ptericantha

image via flickr


I came across this rose a few years ago whilst visiting an NGS garden and fell head over heels in love with it. Its just so beautiful and unusual. The thorns are it main focal point although it does flower quite early on in the season (about now)with small creamy yellow flowers. But it's the thorns that are so amazing, I mean just look at them.

This is the kind of thing you'd imagine growing rampantly around sleeping beautys castle. It's pure brothers Grimm.

It's best to prune these in the late winter/early spring to get a flush of new growth which has the deep red translucent thorns although you'll end up cutting off the flowering stems (it flowers on the pervious seasons growth) like I seem to have. And make sure it gets planted somewhere it catchs the light, to show of the thorns.