The softly sculptural shapes, velvety petals and heavenly fragrance of Rosaceae have fuelled mythology, inspired artists and intrigued gardeners for centuries. Cleopatra loved to scatter her boudoir with rose petals, while in more recent times, Winston and Clementine Churchill shared a passion for growing roses, which continue to bloom today for the benefit of visitors to Chartwell in Kent, their former home.
To see these thorny bundles of twigs transform every June is to witness nature's miracle at its finest. As a child, I loved the short-lived annual flowering of our front garden shrub roses – soft pink was my favourite, sunny yellow my mother's choice; the fallen petals were always gathered for primitive ‘perfumes’ fermented in jam jars on the kitchen windowsill.
Although many varieties provide a second show later in…
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The Simple Things (Digital) - 1 Issue, June 2024