Blog

I have inherited a garden of rose bushes – wiry, woody and pest ridden. Arriving to my new house in the middle of winter meant the great unveiling of the colour and perfume of the rose would have to wait till the spring. A self-confessed novice, I began tending the roses, removing aphids and curly leaves. I read roses needed food, water and sunshine – easy enough, I thought. Roses are frost tolerant and hardy – great! That will work here, with evening temperatures throughout winter settling below zero.

Beauty for Beauty's Sake

As spring arrived, I awoke one morning to see a tiny bud on the bush outside my window and so began my exuberant quest to know and understand The Rose. Early on in my life, I thought flowers were pointless. Why would I want a garden full of pretties that didn’t provide food? I was practical, purposeful and there was no time for flowers that were simply just sitting around looking...