Monthly Archives: August 2012

ROSE NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

SCOTLAND

NEW ROYAL ROSE GARDEN

A NEW rose garden was officially opened at the Castle of Mey at the weekend to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the death of the Queen Mother.

The unveiling of the rose garden plaque was carried out by Caithness Lord Lieutenant Anne Dunnett and Ashe Windham, the chairman of the Castle of Mey Trust on Saturday.

The event celebrated this year’s Diamond Jubilee and commemorated the 10th anniversary of the Queen Mother’s passing.

The flowers for the Diamond Jubilee Rose Garden were all chosen by Prince Charles, who is known as the Duke of Rothesay when in Scotland.

The garden was created within the walled garden, which was a favourite place of the Queen Mum and her corgis. She regularly frequented the Shell Garden on her visits to her Caithness home.

Commenting on the opening, Ashe Windham, said: “2012 has been an important year in the history of the royal family as well as the Castle of Mey and we are delighted that we have been able to commemorate such important milestones with such fitting tributes – our new rose garden and our exhibition.

“The Queen Mother bought the Castle of Mey in 1952 and the castle, as well as the gardens, had been neglected for some years. However, the Queen Mother’s dedication to the building as well as her passion for gardening ensured that life within and outwith the castle thrived.

“We are proud to have continued the work that was started here 60 years ago with as much pride, love and hard work as there has ever been.”

From 1962, head gardener James Sinclair began work in restoring the gardens. Sandy Webster continued the work while in 2000, Grant Napier became head gardener and in 2011, Olga Ridley took over the role.

The new rose garden is the second tribute made by the trust, which has already launched an exclusive exhibition of photographs of the Queen Mum within Caithness and the Castle of Mey as well as displaying exclusive images and memorabilia from the 1952 coronation.

The exhibition, which was curated by Christine Shearer, is housed in Chauffeur’s Cottage in the castle grounds. It has already been a popular addition with the castle’s visitors.

The Queen Mum’s legacy lives on through the trust, the annual visits to the Castle by Prince Charles, and the North Highland Initiative, which he launched in August 2005 to promote and develop the economy and to support the rural communities of the North Highlands.

Details of all our roses are available on our web site.
Over 1000 varieties to choose from.

www.countrygardenroses.co.uk

NEW ROSES FOR 2013

BRIGHT AS A BUTTON

Shrub Rose  2012.  3ft
Produces an eyecatching display of cascading colour, this lovely Persica hybrid blooms freely with small pretty pink flowers with red and gold centres, nice easily managed bushy growth with exceptionally high disease resistance associated with the Persica’s.    Scented.

Available from November 2012

Details of all our roses are available on our web site.
Over 1000 varieties to choose from.

www.countrygardenroses.co.uk

NEW ROSES FOR 2013

BOSCOBEL

English Shrub Rose.  David Austin. 2012  3ft

English Leander hybrid, ‘Boscobel’, bears rich salmon coloured flowers. “They commence as red buds which open at first to pretty cups, gradually developing into perfectly formed blooms of classic rosette formation”, says the rose breeder. The numerous small petals are of varying shades, mingling to provide a most pleasing effect. The delightful, medium-strong myrrh fragrance has a hawthorn character with hints of elderflower, pear and almond. It forms an upright shrub of medium size, with dark green, glossy foliage.
All new varieties, according to David Austin Roses, are vigorous and healthy.

Boscobel House, owned by English Heritage, was built in 1632. It is famous for the fact that Charles II hid there in an oak tree, whilst being pursued by Cromwell’s soldiers during the English Civil War.

Available from November 2012

Details of all our roses are available on our web site.
Over 1000 varieties to choose from.

www.countrygardenroses.co.uk

 

 

 

 

NEW ROSES FOR 2013

ALWAYS REMEMBER ME

Hybrid Tea Rose 3ft

The flowers of this hybrid tea are a soft peachy apricot, lightly scented and produced singly. Leaves are glossy and large and new growth is a bright copper red. Habit is upright. Rosa Always Remember Me is a medium growing plant reaching about 3 feet (100cms).

Do you remember PC Bill Barker? His name is synonymous with the Cumbrian floods of 2009 when he was swept away from a collapsing bridge in Workington when ensuring the safety of others.

His family and the community will never forget the courage of a people’s hero. And in years to come, a new rose called “Always Remember Me�? will blossom in memory of PC Barker’s steadfast nature.
Sales of the rose will benefit the Air Rescue, an important charity nominated by PC Barker.

Available from Country Garden Roses from December 2012.

Details of all our roses are available on our web site.

Over 1000 varieties to choose from.

www.countrygardenroses.co.uk

 

Rose Facts and Trivia

— The world’s largest rose bush is in Tombstone, Ariz. It is almost 200 years old and when in full bloom is adorned with more than 200,000 white blooms. Its trunk is nearly 6 feet in diameter, and its branches form a canopy large enough to shelter a crowd of 150 people.

— An estimated 150 million rose plants are purchased by gardeners worldwide every year.

— Until the early 19th century, dried rose petals were believed to have mysterious powers. Napoleon gave his officers bags of rose petals to boil in white wine to cure lead poisoning from bullet wounds.

— One of the oldest paintings in the world depicts a five-petaled pink rose. It resides in a cave on the island of Crete and dates to about 1450 B.C.

Details of all our roses are available on our web site.
Over 1000 varieties to choose from.

www.countrygardenroses.co.uk

 

ROSE NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

UK

NEW ROYAL ROSE

A new rose is being launched in memory of a Yorkshire Princess who made her home at Harewood.

The Rosa ‘Yorkshire Princess’ is named after Princess Mary, who lived at Harewood for more than three decades.

The daughter of King George V, Princess Mary married Viscount Lascelles in 1922 and lived at Harewood from 1930 until her death in 1965. The then Princess Royal became known as ‘The Yorkshire Princess’.

She was a keen gardener, and the results of her love of nature remain as a legacy in the gardens of the stately home.

The Princess’s life is being celebrated with an exhibition at Harewood, and now she is also being remembered with the new rose.

Trevor Nicholson, head garden-er at the estate, said: ‘Princess Mary was a very keen gardener and plantswoman, who made a significant impact on the gardens here, introducing many elements that our visitors still enjoy today. “As patron of the Royal National Rose Society from 1953 to 1965, Princess Mary indulged her love of roses, so to mark this year’s special Royal Harewood exhibition, a rose was the ideal way to create a lasting tribute.

“The pure white petal, soft blush centre and sweet scent give a traditional feel, in keeping with old-style roses and perfect for a Yorkshire Princess.”

The bloom will be launched at the Harrogate Autumn Flower Show in September.

Show director, Martin Fish, said: “HRH Princess Mary was patron of the North of England Horticultural Society for nearly two decades, so it is particularly fitting that we should launch a rose dedicated to her during this special Diamond Jubilee year.”

Rosa ‘Yorkshire Princess’ will be planted at Harewood to commemorate Princess Mary’s contribution to the gardens, and will be available to order online from November at dickson-roses.co.uk or from the Harewood Shop in summer 2013.

Details of all our roses are available on our web site.

Over 1000 varieties to choose from.

www.countrygardenroses.co.uk

ROSE NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

UK

GARDENS OF THE ROSE UNDER THREAT

THE future of the Gardens of the Rose and the society which runs it hinges on the success of a planning application for parking which is being submitted next month.

 

The rose gardens in Chiswell Green Lane have just closed after this summer’s temporary five-week opening period during which visitor numbers were down because of the poor weather.

Despite that shortfall, opening the gardens is the biggest money spinner for the Royal National Rose Society (RNRS) and raises more than income from membership.

But unless the RNRS succeeds in getting planning permission for 30 permanent parking spaces adjoining the gardens, both the society and the grounds will be forced to close.

The Gardens of the Rose have been a visitor attraction in St Albans for many years but the parking situation has been problematical since part of the RNRS land was sold for the creation of Butterfly World next door and the two were to have shared access and parking.

But the society and Butterfly World were unable to reach agreement and as a result, the RNRS has to apply for temporary parking for a short period in the summer – and unless it can reach a permanent resolution the board has already decided that closure is the only answer.

Chief executive Roz Hamilton confirmed this week: “We are putting in another planning application for 30 parking spaces just outside the gardens and if we don’t get that we can’t continue.”

The sticking point is that the site the RNRS wants to use is in the Green Belt and has already been turned down for planning permission before.

But it is throwing everything at one final attempt including a commissioned report about the number of accidents around the site – none of which have happened in the summer when the gardens are open – the site’s reclassification as a leisure facility and an offer to put in mature trees to screen the parking site from view.

The gardens were open from June 9 until July 29 this year and although visitors were down from between 8,000 and 9,000 to 6,500 because of the weather, the opening still accounts for more than 50 per cent of the RNRS income because of the success of the tea room and rose sales.

Ideally the gardens would open for four months a year so visitors could see the second flush of roses in the summer and it would have a licence to conduct weddings – which cannot happen until a permanent resolution of the parking situation is reached.

Roz said: “This planning application is critical because if it doesn’t succeed the society will fold and the garden will close.”

She added: “It is a long fight we have had here and we are eternal optimists but you have to take a realistic view of the financial situation and we can’t survive unless we take more money from our garden opening.”

Details of all our roses are available on our web site.

Over 1000 varieties to choose from.

www.countrygardenroses.co.uk