The Hidden Gems of Winter .. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

Seasons are important in the garden.  Some are seasons of vigour and growth, while others provide rest and reserve energy for the coming seasons.  Which is why winter is such an important season in the garden, because there are hidden gems that are not yet apparent.

Although it looks as though there is nothing much happening in the garden, the starkness of bare branches is just an indication that things are exactly as they should be.

Winter in our garden is a time to plan;  a time to expand the gardens to include even more heirloom roses. 

That means taking up more areas of what was previously a field to extend the gardens further.

Winter also means we are awaiting the arrival of bare-rooted roses that we ordered in Autumn.  More varieties of Tea roses.  More rambling and climbing roses to cover newly planned arches and fences.

And while we wait for these to arrive, we're going about putting into place garden extensions that were previously planned on paper.  And building more arches for the ramblers and extending garden beds for the new Tea roses.

Our next task will be to plant out these roses when they arrive by post in late winter. That means some simple administrative tasks; like keeping a list of the roses we've ordered; checking off that list against the actual roses that arrive;  and, of course, planting the roses according to plans drawn up earlier.
















And so after all the work of winter is done (and we haven't even mentioned pruning!) it is fun to anticipate what the next season will bring.  And discover more beauty as the roses begin to bloom for the first time!

And to then create more lovely things from the heirloom roses ..

Inspiring workshops ..

Infusing pure olive oils with our fragrant rose petals ..

that go into our botanical soaps and skin balms ..

And pretty flower crowns for little (and not so little) crowns ..

And more gorgeous, fragrant posies and bouquets from the treasure trove of heirloom roses in our gardens at Edgeworth Lley.  

Truly a labour of love that brings great joy ..

Botanical Soaps and Skin Balms .. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

We love our heirloom roses.  Not only are they fragrant and beautiful, rose petals from our heirloom roses also have beneficial properties that we are starting to harness in our botanical soaps and skin balms.

Our soaps and skin balms are hand-made with simple, unadulterated ingredients  ..  like olive oil and natural beeswax.  And our packaging is kept as simple as possible too.

To harness the benefits of our heirloom roses, we solar-infuse the oils we use in our products with pesticide-free rose petals grown in our gardens and field.  

Historically, rose petals have been renowned for their naturally soothing and healing  properties.  Over the centuries roses have been used in many therapeutic, cleansing and healing treatments.  In fact, rose petals were strewn on medieval floors to cleanse and purify the air!  

Now we know that roses have  anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, making roses very useful as a skin-care agent. So we use our pesticide free rose petals for their gently moisturising and healing benefits in our skin balms and soaps.  

We also love that roses are good for the mind too. Rose fragrance has  more recently been shown to have anti-depressant and memory improvement benefits.  We intuitively know this by bringing a bunch of roses close to our face to sniff and breathe in their fragrance.  And how disappointed we are when there is no fragrance in some of the modern roses on offer! 

Of course, if we knew that most florist bought roses were dipped in pesticides and other chemicals, we might think twice about sniffing them!  Our heirloom roses are free of pesticides because we allow beneficial insects like this tiny spider to do the work naturally for us.  

So our soaps and balms don't have nasty unintended additives like pesticides.  Which makes our roses good for the body as well as the mind.

We also like to think our roses are good for the soul, too!

So as we wait for winter to do it's work of allowing our roses to rest ..

we're looking forward to when our roses start blooming again, so we can harness even more of their goodness for our botanical soaps and balms!

Re-Learning the Story of our Food .. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

One of the reasons I grow heirloom roses is to ensure that these precious roses are passed down through the generations.  The story of each heirloom rose is unique and is part of the joy of growing them.  It somehow serves to connect the gardener with previous generations of gardeners who have also grown and loved these very same roses.  

English rose, Heirloom 

In fact, my enjoyment of growing heirloom roses was initially inspired by my love of growing heirloom vegetables and herbs.  And just like the story of each heirloom rose is unique, the story of how our food is grown is also important.  Knowing where our food comes from and how it has been grown and raised is part of the story of our food.  

Yet, somehow the story of what we eat every day has been lost in this era of factory farming and 'fast food'.  We are losing an important connection with our food which lessens our appreciation for it.  In short, the provenance or story of our food that we consume daily becomes fractured and lost in a long list of ingredients on the pack.

And we have become unaware of the seasons and complex natural systems that shape when and how our food is grown or raised.  And we lose a valuable part of the story of our food.  

If we only use food that is processed and packaged we lose the knowledge of generations past.  A mindless consumption of processed food impoverishes our appreciation of fresh flavours and colours.  And our knowledge of the nutritional value of the food we eat is lost. 

We lose the richness and joy that comes from being mindful of the story of our food; its role in our culture and how generations past have prepared it.  Recipes are discarded and lost forever; lost to the next generations.

We forget simple things; like picking fresh herbs  from the garden or  a pot on a balcony. These little acts connect us with our food.   Mindfully choosing a herb to flavour a dish is a simple joy that takes no time and minimum effort.   

Losing our curiosity about how our food is grown or raised; what pesticides and preservatives are used and how far it has travelled, has impoverished us all.  

And we risk losing the memory of generations past who understood the importance of looking after the land on which our food is grown.  Previous generations understood that treating our farm animals with respect  enriched our lives.  Yet, because we have lost this knowledge we ignore the plight of factory farmed animals that suffer hideously in tiny cages, or sow stalls, or farmed intensively before being transported as live cargo on long journeys to slaughter.  

We begin to accept the artificial substitutes in packages we see on supermarket shelves row upon row; packaged foods that may be filled with residue herbicide and pesticides. And we accept these as 'real' food.

So let's get back to the 'farm-gate' so to speak and search out food that is grown authentically; demand food that is grown and  raised ethically.  Let's on purpose decide to re-learn the story of our food;

.. to not accept factory farming that forces animals to suffer for the entirety of their lives; to reject grains and vegetables that have been drenched in herbicides and to seek out 'real food' with real stories that we can be proud to prepare and serve to our friends and families.   

This is not a discussion about 'organic' versus traditional farming methods, but rather a call to be curious about the food we buy and eat;  to question the origin of our food and to demand food that is grown and raised ethically by our local farmers.   

Then we can pass on the story of the food we eat to our children, and in doing so preserve precious knowledge and insights that will help secure fresh food security for the next generation.  

                              Now that's a  beautiful story that we can be proud of.