June is the month I most look forward to. It's now that the roses in my garden are coming into full and glorious flower. I counted recently, and have over twenty varieties, each one known by name. This is Darcy Bussell, who lives in a very large pot outside my kitchen window. The scent is lovely. A friend asked me recently, 'How does the rose know it should look like that'?
Pierre de Ronsard , below, another great favourite, was first seen when we lived in Brittany. Somehow it doesnt grow with the same energy as it did in France. Maybe I should hold conversations in French with him?
Here's a very happy rambler, Ghislaine de Feligonde. The flowers change from Apricot to cream.
One of the most heavily scented roses is Golden Gate, who will continue to flower through till October. There's also a flower from Graham Thomas in the vase.
Although my garden has many other flowers, I think that without roses it would be a pale and empty place. I visited Mottisfont, a National Trust rose garden, many years ago and revelled in a garden overflowing with so many different varieties of rose....and wanted to reproduce the feeling in my own garden.
Just one more, Princess Anne, beautifully pink, highly scented, but very prickly!
What makes roses so magical? Is it the scent, the colour, the form? I'm not sure. I just know that for me they have a romance, a story, that is different from any other plant. 'Footfalls echo in the memory, down the passage we did not take, towards the door we never opened, into the rose garden. T.S Eliot (Four quartets) |
15 comments:
Roses are so beautiful - yours are splendid . I love my "Absolutely Fabulous" which never fails to delight. Sadly my "Blessings" rose does not seem to have any buds this year. A local rose grower has just won a 30th Gold Medal at Chelsea, and they say its been a difficult year for plants because of the weather. An interesting article...https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cnv11j082nro
You have the most beautiful roses. We have one in the front which was here when we arrived over 40 years ago and still keeps on going. A neighbour said she thought it was called princess Elizabeth, which would fit as these houses were built in the mid 1950s.
Lovely roses, Barbara. Mine are very happy this year, and are blooming the best they ever have!
Elizabeth, hello stranger! It has been ages since I have visited. I am now back to blogging and I look forward to catching up. Your roses are lovely! We have a few rose bushes but I'm not sure what variety they are! ~Gina
Your roses are beautiful. I can imagine how wonderful they smell💗
I can almost imagine the scent by looking at your beautiful roses. Hooray that you can enjoy their beauty and scent.
Ohhh, these are gorgeous, Barbara! Thank you for giving us a chance to enjoy your roses with you. I love that quote from T.S. Eliot. Happy Friday!
Your roses are beautiful and I imagine the scent is just as wonderful.
It looks like you had a really enjoyable trip to Austria as well, a shame your knee played up at times. But a nice tranquil cruise on the lake to enjoy.
Absolutely lovely!
The roses have been lovely, here in Devon. My best, so far, is ‘Roald Dahl’; it’s stunning. That’s followed closely by ‘Queen Elizabeth’ , also lovely, I’m waiting for my ‘Peace’ rose to bloom now!
Have a happy weekend!😁
Your roses are all stunning and are one of my favourite shrubs. They must smell wonderful when you sit in the garden. I only have a few roses but I love them all.
Have a lovely week.
Your roses are magnificent, Barbara. Now in June they are at their best here. I'm enjoying Boscobel and Lichfield Angel just now, along with Gertrude Jekyll. Someone asked me how I knew all the names of the roses and I told them I talk to them and introduce them to others by name. I'm sure that person thinks I'm batty.
Such lovely roses of all different colours and styles.
God bless.
I love roses and peonies and like you I have a lot in the garden!
The Pierre de Ronsard? I think it is gorgeous! I can't imagine how beautiful it would be if you spoke to it in French!
A good question. How does a rose know it should look like that?
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