Classic Tea Roses .. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

The classic elegance of the Tea roses from the Victorian and Edwardian eras has largely been dismissed by modern florists.  A number of the classic Tea roses in the late Victorian and early Edwardian eras were once prized cut flowers.  And they look superb in classic arrangements!  

Unfortunately these elegant ladies and gents of the 19th and early 20th Centuries have  been replaced by mass produced roses that reflect the artificial environment they're grown in.  However, after a resurgence of interest in heritage roses in Australia (HRiA) from the 1970's, many of these treasures of the past have been rescued. 

Mrs B R Cant 1901

 Rosarians like Heather and Roy Rumsey of NSW found and re-distributed a number of lost heritage roses.  I remember visiting the Rumsey's nursery in Glenorie when both Heather and Roy were in their nineties!  How I wish I had realised what a treasure-trove their nursery was then.  I still treasure Heather's little booklet from that time listing the heritage roses they stocked and how to care for them.  

Here is Mrs B R Cant in bloom, with hundreds of roses covering a large rose bush. 

As well as being classic and elegant in the vase, Tea roses grow well in our Australian climate. They're so generous in the number of blooms at any one time on each bush, and they generally flower all year round!  A point of envy by many a northern hemisphere rose grower!  

Monsieur Tillier 1891
Some Tea roses grow very large, such as this Victorian gent, Monsieur Tillier.   A strong grower, he has grown into the size of a small tree.  As most Tea roses resent heavy pruning, I may need a step ladder to reach the bounty of blooms that cover him!  Regardless, he is a stand-out in our gardens!

Comtesse Riza du Parc (thought not to be the original rose of this name) 1876

Another Victorian Tea rose that does well as a cut flower is the elegant, pale peach/pink Comtesse Riza du Parc.  She  has blooms with very long stems that are perfect for arrangements in classic vases and urns.  

After carefully choosing and cutting the blooms from each of the Tea roses, it is time to leave them to condition in a very clean bucket of water.  Herbs have also been picked from the garden to add to the arrangement.  After a rest in a dark, cool place these lovelies are ready to be shown off in a classic arrangement!

Oooops!!  Someone has decided to hijack this shoot of the Tea roses in a classic urn!!

Tea roses come in a range of lovely colours, often muted blends of the same colour in the one rose!  Perfect for a classic arrangement where colour combinations are an important feature!  And the fragrance!!  Tea roses have an array of fragrances, from subtle hints of citrus mixed with dry Tea through to strong and sweet!  Fragrance combinations you won't find in standard cut roses!  

And yet their colours are strong enough to work well outdoors as in this urn of heritage Tea roses against a rather undistinguished backdrop!  The colours punctuate the natural setting in the background.  A scattering of these classic urns filled with Tea roses would work well as wedding flowers!!

Again, the colours of Tea roses work well indoors in a softer light!  And they fragrance a whole room!  What could be lovelier!!  

Even though this arrangement is classic in style, I couldn't resist adding a rustic backdrop just to show how well Tea roses fit in a less formal setting!  

So there you have it!  

My little rave about the classic elegance of the almost lost heritage Tea roses!!

Pesticide free heirloom roses .. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

Creating beautiful, artisan rose-filled creations using heirloom roses picked fresh from the garden is extremely satisfying.  And knowing that our roses are grown under the sun, without pesticides, is also very satisfying.  

Especially when we know that many of our creations are handled and touched by children, like this pretty little flower-crown destined for Miss Five's birthday celebration.

And, of course, roses are meant to be sniffed.  Taking in their perfume is one of life's pleasures.  And there is evidence emerging that the fragrance of roses actually helps us feel a sense of joy!

After years of lecturing and researching in an academic environment, my joy now is to gather together heirloom roses and plant them as part of a collection of heritage Tea roses in our gardens.

And as well as building a collection of heritage roses, we grow our roses as sustainably as possible.  As part of a sustainable system, birds and beneficial insects feast on and control less desirable insects.  That means we don't have to rely on spraying pesticides and other nasties to control pests and disease.  

And when we pick our heirloom roses to use in our artisan rose creations, the only thing we add is water.  

This fits well within my academic background in environmental psychology, where my aim continues to be  to educate others about the benefits to emotional well-being  of spending a little time each day in nature.

But when that is not possible, one of the amazing aspects of the healing benefits of natural environments, is that bringing in a little piece of the garden has similar benefits. 

In fact, research has demonstrated that even a window view of trees has astounding benefits for patients recovering from surgery; such as less need for pain medication and a faster recovery time.  

So now it's very satisfying to know that our heirloom roses have more than one benefit; as well as being beautiful and fragrant, they can help us feel a little happier ..

.. and when little noses and fingers smell and touch our posies and flower-crowns, our roses are free from pesticides and nasty toxins.  

Which is just how it should be for precious little crowns! 

Sharing our bounty of heirloom roses .. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

Our focus AT MY ROSE GARDEN has been to design and plant a  country garden filled with heirloom roses that are grown sustainably.    Each year the garden grows as we add ever more heirloom treasures to our expanding garden beds.  And as we wait for the new garden beds to become established, there's a growing desire to do more ...

... like thinking about how to share the bounty from our heirloom rose garden with others who may not have the time or space to grow their own treasures. 

So .. little ideas of how to share our heirloom roses began to pop up.  These ideas are  a little fuzzy, not clearly defined,  just on the edges of thought.  

Thinking time is a good time to  walk around the garden and take stock of the roses, sniffing and inspecting each of the blooming Tea roses on the way. 

And one of the best Tea roses that bloom in winter is the glorious G. Nabonnand.  

Soft pink buds open into lovely silken vessels of fragrance.  A glorious sight in the garden!

Then there's the unusual Tea rose, Rosette de Lizzy.  She opens from a sweet pink-wrapped  bud to a  cream coloured bloom, blushing at her own loveliness. 

Oh, and there's the divine Isabella Sprunt, iced lemon sport of the elegant apricot Tea rose, Safrano.  Exquisite and as floriferous as her parent - always covered in buds and blooms!

But nothing can compare to the extraordinary Mrs B R Cant, who blooms constantly throughout the year with offerings of late Victorian splendour!  

And her blooms are so numerous that a carpet of confetti forms constantly at her feet!

After a refreshing walk around the garden visiting all the heirloom Tea roses, that vague idea of sharing the garden's bounty begins to crystalise!  

And so for a limited season, vintage  heirloom posies in their own mason-style jars are ready for pick-up at our farm-gate!  

Now it's easy to order and pick up a gorgeous vintage, heirloom posy once a fortnight over an eight week season.  A perfect gift for someone special, or just to treat yourself!

So pleased to be able to share our bounty of  heirloom roses!