Roses
Roses are the quintessential jewels within a garden. With little effort they can add sumptuous romance to any planting, not to mention flower colour and fragrance. Today there are so many roses available to buy that deciding on one in particular is a task in itself. The list below contains only the best roses that Ben has had the pleasure of growing.
Rose 'Gertrude Jekyll'
A classic rose with strong upright growth that makes a medium shrub or can be trained as a small climber. In early summer the strong pink flowers appear above mid-green foliage, filling the air with a sweet, old-fashioned scent. They are perfect for cutting despite the thorny stems. Throughout Summer the flowers repeat and the foliage remains healthy.
Like many roses, it prefers full sun and humus rich soil. It will greatly benefit from an annual organic mulch rewarding you with a heavenly scent.
Approximate Height and Spread: 1.5m x 1m
Rose 'The Generous Gardener'
A fantastic rose with vigorous, extremely healthy growth full of flowers all summer long. It has a lax, arching habit, often requiring some support and making it suitable for training as a climber that can get to about 3m. The flowers are a beautiful soft and pale pink, fully double with a gentle old musk fragrance. The leaves are dark green and glossy, providing a perfect backdrop for the flowers. The overall appearance and smell is one of the quintessential English Rose.
Like many roses, it prefers full sun and humus rich soil. It will greatly benefit from an annual organic mulch rewarding you with a heavenly scent.
Approximate Height and Spread: 1.8m x 1m
Rosa glauca
A vigorous, medium sized, species shrub rose with small single flowers, beautiful coloured foliage and a relaxed arching habit. In early spring the bare mahogany stems give rise to the current season’s growth. The foliage is a beautiful glaucus grey with burgundy tones that compliment the stems and set the scene for the flowers that follow as summer ensues. Single and simple in shape, the flowers are deep pink, with pale white centers that are filled with staemens. As autumn arrives the somewhat lax growth arches with the weight of the numerous small red hips, which blacken as they persist through most of winter.
A lovely, healthy rose gown mainly for foliage. It looks great in informal borders, contemporary grass plantings or semi-natural settings, where it lends interesting colour and natural charm with it’s loose habit and simple flowers.
Approximate Height and Spread: 2.5m x 2.5m