With the growth in all things 'vintage' these days it is easy to lose sight of the reasons we treasure old-fashioned things. Perhaps it's a reminder of slower, less complicated times, when simple implements were used as part of the rhythm of everyday life. At Edgeworth Lley, our love of old garden implements and heirloom roses arises out of our love for reliable tools and tough yet beautiful plants.
We discovered the need to grow plants that would cope with our tough conditions out of necessity. In an area with high summer rainfall and cool dry winters, we planted familiar cultivars of roses. Then came some of the driest summers with no rainfall known for many years. Some old-time locals said this was the driest it had been for 60 years!! We were desperate to keep our garden growing but watched in dismay as rose plants struggled through the heat and dry of yet another drought summer.
But we noticed that a number of old-fashioned plants, some of which were regarded as weeds locally, coped with the hot dry summers and continued to do well. These include the perennial Ageratum sp. that flowers with lovely blue flowers every year. This is also a lovely cut flower and lasts well in a bouquet or posy.
And we noticed the reeds around the dam continued to thrive, even as the water levels dropped in the severe drought. In fact, even after a long period of dry the reeds bounced back quickly after much needed rains eventually came. Our dam is a valuable source of water for the gardens in dry weather, and reeds act as a ground cover that prevents the dam walls from drying out and cracking. The dam is also lovely with surrounding trees and even sunrise, reflected in its smooth waters. The water lilies also look beautiful, adding another source of cut flowers to our collection.
So now we have learnt that investing in heirloom plants will stand the test of tough unexpected climate changes. These tiny antique daffodils are a recent addition to the winter garden. We are very excited each time a new one pops its tiny head up because we know these will multiply and cope with our tough conditions.
Which is why we have chosen to grow heirloom varieties of roses that cope with tough conditions. And even if they endure a little frost now and then they continue to grow and bloom, like this Bourbon rose, Mme Isaac Perierre. Her blooms are burnt a little from the frost, but they are still lovely. And her perfume is to die for, strong and full bodied.
The other type of heirloom rose we grow now are the Alistair Clark roses, bred especially for Australian conditions. This lovely climbing rose, Cicely Lascelles has beautiful, clear pink semi-double blooms that open with the morning sun and close in the evening. Alistair Clark was an important Australian rose breeder, with international recognition. Yet his roses languished lost in Australian gardens until the rosarian Susan Irvine began collecting these tough beautiful roses. Because of her efforts in the 1990's we are now able to purchase these tough Australian bred roses that suit our conditions so well.
And of course, another heirloom rose that suits our Australian climate is the old-fashioned Tea rose, like this exquisite Mrs B R Cant. Ancestors of modern roses, these roses were ignored in the early part of the 20th Century, until Heritage Roses in Australia (HRiA) began to educate Australian rose growers about the benefits of growing old-fashioned roses. Heather and Roy Rumsey, Sydney rosarians, were instrumental in re-introducing some of the Tea roses to Australian rose growers. Many more of these old garden roses were found still growing near crumbling cottages and in grave-yards in memorium for a deceased family member. Diligent and knowledgeable HRiA rosarians collected cuttings and bud stock so that these tough, resilient roses could be enjoyed once again.
So every time I see a bud of a Tea rose (Mrs B R Cant bud pictured) begin to unfurl, I am thankful for their hardiness and ability to thrive in our garden. Sometimes, it seems as if they too are saying a prayer of thankfulness for being rescued out of obscurity.
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