Wednesday 10 April 2013

La Vie en Rose

Image from David Austin Roses
It all started with an offer on the David Austin website; get a free mystery rose and only pay the postage. I had never really given roses much thought, believing that they were rather difficult to grow. We already have a few in our garden which I inherited from the previous owner, clambering along the brick wall towards the bottom of our garden.
A blowsy red rose with a heavenly scent, a light pink rose that is a bit of a reluctant bloomer and a yellowy coloured rose with peach tips (which I threaten to cut down and remove every year but then feel sorry for it and allow it another year's grace).


Anyway, this offer seemed too good to refuse so with a few clicks I had committed myself. The delivery arrived a few days later and the mystery rose was revealed to be Harlow Carr (pictured above). To say I was pleased is a bit of an understatement; I never though that a bag of twigs (that is what a bare root rose resembles) could reduce me to sweaty palms! I really hope it blooms this year - I obviously I will have to get some more lavender plants as well as it really is a beautiful combination.
Image from fragrantplants.org.uk
For a confessed rose novice you might think that one was enough but sooner had I received my David Austin delivery I found myself ordering Napoleon's Chapeau - a variety that dates back to the 1820s and was named by the French due to moss-like growth on the buds resembling the three cornered hat worn during the Napoleonic era. The buds promise to lovely and full - very cabbagy-rosey. Already I have images of the garden buzzing with bees, soft golden summer light and these lovely rounds buds beaded with morning dew, ready to burst into bloom.

10 comments:

  1. I love roses, your 2 new ones will be glorious additions to your garden this summer :-)

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  2. I love roses too and David Austin roses are so gorgeously scented.You will love them I'm sure.

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  3. Your roses are beautiful, Charlotte. I think planting roses for the first time is very intimidating. We have the Davis Austin rose "Gertrude Jekyll" planted in front of our house. My husband planted it four years ago, and we have so enjoyed its beautiful pink blooms and its heavenly fragrance. It really is a gorgeous rose, and like you, I would like to have some more of the David Austin roses.

    Denise

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  4. Oh my goodness the Harlow Carr is gorgeous! It's such a beautiful colour, I hope growing goes well :) I would love to have a garden full of roses one day x

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  5. Napoleon's chapeau you said? Beautiful and thank you for sharing!
    All the best,

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  6. How exciting, the rose you received is beautiful. You must post pictures of its progress

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  7. Hi, I used to have roses in my garden,Gertrude Jekyll,Zephrine Drouhin (think that's the correct spelling!)Just Joey and others that I can't remember their names but then hubby wanted it all paved and I agreed!!Must have been mad so my beautiful garden went and now I only have a little patch left,why do we do these things?? I actually cried when my garden went and it still makes me sad to think of it.Anyway enough of that, I will be interested to see developements in your garden. Kind Regards Pam.

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  8. What a lovely blog you have, I've been enjoying reading it. That is a stunning rose, no wonder you can't wait for it to bloom. I'm sure it will look great amongst the lavender.

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  9. I love your two new roses - make sure you give them enough space though, those little bunches of twigs can become surprisingly large:) The photo from David Austin is gorgeous.

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  10. That was lucky, looks like a real beauty and I love the rose and Lavender combo. I'm an inexperienced gardener in general, but purchased 4 last year as I love them. Two patio roses, one climber and a standard rose, I'm hoping they do OK again this year. I love your blog by the way, I'm trying to read it all from the beginning at the moment:)

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