Garden Design with Heirloom Roses .. At My Rose Garden

Growing a collection of heirloom roses does not have to mean monotonous rows of roses that ignore garden design principles.  While our garden is only a few years’ old, we are adding to our collection of heirloom roses in line with an overall design vision.  

Tea rose - Mrs Reynolds Hole

As always with gardening, climate and climatic changes have an impact on the choice of plants.  That means we have deliberately chosen heirloom roses that suit our sub-tropical climate with cool winters that include the occasional below zero freeze.    We have also had to contend with some unanticipated years of drought just at the time we were developing the garden.

Tea rose - Triumphe de Luxembourg

Fortunately, the heirloom or old-fashioned varieties of roses we initially chose to plant are tough and hardy.  Many of the Tea roses for instance are varieties that have been found growing near crumbling, abandoned cottages and beside largely forgotten gravesides.   

Initially we started with planting a series of small bed of roses to form a circle with expanses of lawn between and in the centre of the circular design.  As the garden beds have been established, our ambitions grew.  We designed new garden beds, including our large arch garden supporting large climbing roses alongside avenues planted with Tea roses. 

   

Now we are editing and expanding, improving the original circular rose beds.  The beds that form the circular garden will be broadened to include adjoining arches of climbing roses.  This will add height and interest while allowing more space to plant even more roses.

Tea rose - G. Nabonnand

Despite mostly choosing appropriate heirloom roses to grow in our climate, there are still lessons to learn, such as which varieties cope with our heavy clay soils that crack in the dry and remain soggy in the wet.  This is an on-going experiment, with some varieties of Teas, Chinas, Hybrid Musks, Noisettes and species roses thriving while others need a little extra care.  

Borage 

As a result, composting and mulching play major roles in our garden maintenance schedule! We also grow lots of annual herbs that protect the rose roots from heat and add humus to the soil as they die down each season.   

And each season, the garden grows and changes as we expand and edit the overall design. 

A never ending source of inspiration and joy that we hope to share more and more into the future.  

Heirloom roses - Autumn's harvest .. At My Rose Garden

We love Autumn here At My Rose Garden.  This is the time when we see the roses reap a harvest of lots of new growth from the heat and rains of Summer in our sub-tropical climate.  And the coolness of Autumn is a welcome reprieve for the roses after surviving the heat, humidity and torrential storms of Summer.  

As the weather cools, the roses put out Autumn blooms that are larger and fuller.  Their perfume lingers in the cooler air, rather than dissipating quickly in the heat.  The colour of blooms also soften to subtler shades, often giving a layered, painterly effect.   

This year, our Autumn has been extremely hot with record breaking temperatures in the high 30’s (degrees Celsius).  As a result, the roses have continued to flower with lots of small blooms that quickly burn in the heat.  Fortunately, we have also had good rainfalls that have helped the roses withstand this unusual season of extended heat waves.  

Finally, now that it is April and midway through our Autumn, the weather is cooling as the days shorten.  And the roses are responding beautifully, with fresh blooms of the most glorious softly muted colours; a change from the intense colours of Summer, especially for the Tea roses.   

G. Nabonnand (Tea rose)

Unfortunately, after the heat and storms of Summer, weeds have also taken over the rose beds.  A major task has been re-edging the garden edges so that we can re-define where the rose beds start and finish.  Weeds have galloped across the lawns smudging the garden edges and attempting to take over the rose beds.  But because of the recent rains, the soil is soft and moist, easily relinquishing weedy roots.  We have carried away many wheelbarrow loads of weeds to eventually be turned into mulch.  

Mrs B R Cant (Tea rose)

The Head Gardener (hubby) has spent the Easter break weeding, re-edging and adding a thick layer of compost to our new Hybrid Musk hedges that were planted last Winter.   And the Hybrid Musk roses are showing their appreciation by enthusiastically putting out lots of new shoots and glorious buds.   An exquisite sight is the new buds unfurling without succumbing to the glare and heat of previous weeks. 

Safrano (Tea rose)

And the best harvest of all in Autumn ... beautiful roses for cutting and making into posies and bouquets that are more strongly perfumed and last longer in the vase.  

Heavenly ...

Workshop - Smelling the roses .. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

One of the things I love about teaching at our flower-craft workshops is watching people begin to relax and enjoy the roses, herbs and flowers they are touching and smelling.  And the perfume, texture and colour of these gorgeous creations start to work their ‘magic’, sparking wonder and imagination. 

Invariably each person begins to slow down and look closely at the flowers and foliage they are working with, often commenting on how lovely they are.   It’s as if a world they had forgotten is again opened up to them.   

And people begin to re-awaken their latent creativity.  Often someone will start a workshop saying they are ‘not at all creative’.  Excitement grows as they see something beautiful emerge using their own creativity.  At the end of the workshop they have a new concept of ‘being creative’, recognising they have a unique creativity to contribute.  And their sense of wonderment grows. 

Time and time again I have seen this unfold as individuals from all walks of life, age groups and backgrounds realise they can create something beautiful using natural flowers and foliage.  Children intrinsically look at the world around them with wonder, but as we ‘learn’ to conform we begin to shrug off this God-given desire for wonderment, imagination and creativity.   

And we are the poorer for it, with anxiety-driven busy-ness rampant in our Western culture.  There is a real disconnect with the natural environment in our culture that is impacting all areas of our lives.  Research has shown that when we connect with the natural world, even if it is just to stop and ‘smell the roses’, we improve our well-being. 

Some of the benefits of engaging with the natural environment include improved emotional cognition, a sense of self and connectedness that eases loneliness, reducing physical symptoms such as pain, even a speedier recovery from major surgery (See ‘Green Nature/Human Nature’ by Charles Lewis for an overview).

So next time you see a beautiful tree or parkland, 

a bunch of gorgeous flowers, 

or even glimpse a lovely landscape through a window, 

take the time to slow down and focus for a moment; 

breathe in the peace and beauty 

and connect again with a sense of wonderment ... 

Flower-craft Workshop - Tussie-Mussies and Nosegays .. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

Tussie-mussies are tiny posies or nosegays filled with fragrant flowers and herbs gathered from cottage gardens and hedgerows.  The name ‘nosegay’ derived from medieval English,  immediately invokes the idea of something happy and pleasant for the nose to smell. 

Tussie-mussies were originally attached to the bodice, or a waist band to ward off disease in Elizabethan England when sanitation was less than ideal.   Interestingly, many of the herbs used, such as lavender and rosemary, are now known to contain volatile oils with antiseptic properties. 

                                          

During the Victorian era with improved sanitation, the humble tussie-mussie was used as a pretty gift to give as a token of appreciation and love.  The flowers were purposefully included according to their meaning.  Flowers have been attributed symbolic meanings across different cultures in literature and art throughout the ages.  In Victorian England, a whole language of flowers evolved giving each tussie-mussie a unique message for the recipient that could not be spoken in public. 

Around the 1970’s there was a resurgence of interest in tussie-mussies, with dried flowers bunched together inserted into the centre of lace paper doilies.  While pretty, they quickly lost their fragrance and colour. 

Today, it is possible to create pretty tussie-mussies or nosegays with fresh flowers and herbs that invite us to breath in their strong fragrance and take a moment to ‘smell the roses’.    And we can even re-create the ‘language of flowers’ and give these as gifts with our own special meaning.  

Of course, it might be useful to attach a card explaining this for the recipient as there are often multiple meanings for individual flowers.  For example, a rose may have meanings as diverse as ‘love, modesty or infidelity’ according to its colour. 

(See Vanessa Diffenbaugh’s Dictionary of Flowers for an updated list of meanings;  http://www.randomhouse.com/rhpg/features/vanessa_diffenbaugh//flower-dictionary/)

Tussie-mussies differ from posies in that they are arranged in concentric circles, with the most significant and meaningful flower placed in the centre.  To make your tussie-mussie, gather one perfect just-opened rose bud, and 3 or 4 bunches of fragrant herbs and flowers.  Lay these out in separate bunches in order of how you plan to arrange your tussie-mussie.  

Starting with the rose-bud, add a circle of contrasting flowers or herbs, then add concentric circles of herbs.  The final circle of fragrant herbs or flowers is finished off with contrasting foliage to frame the tussie-mussie.   Simply tie with twine or ribbon to make the perfect gift with a hidden message. 

Gorgeous!!

Flower-craft Workshops - 'Something Beautiful' .. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

Summer’s end is here, with a final explosion from Tropical Cyclone Marcia devastating communities in central coastal Queensland.  In our corner of the Sunshine Coast hinterland we received 445 mm of rain from her aftermath.  Our precious stained glass windows were taped up against the predicted onslaught, but we were spared any destructive winds.  Although there was local flooding, we were blessed to have a safe, dry home with electricity and food in abundance.  

In our garden, spared from TC Marcia’s fury, the faded beauty of the late summer roses stands out in stark contrast to the destruction of Marcia’s onslaught further north.   Individuals, families and communities in and near Yeppoon and Rockhampton are right now living without fresh water supplies, no electricity, limited communication, and the daunting tasks of clearing then rebuilding.  Yet a key theme, ever-present in Australia during times of disaster, is that of people supporting each other and sharing with those who have lost everything.

So enjoying the loveliness of late summer evenings AT MY ROSE GARDEN seems almost churlish by comparison.  Yet the scent of freshly mown grass and the perfumes of overblown roses and spicy herbs are a joy to be savoured and acknowledged.   Who can resist the warbles of currawongs as they call to each other from across the garden?  And the happy bounding of our newest assistant, our Smithfield puppy, Milly, as she seeks out new rosebuds to taste and lovely smelly things to sniff is irresistible.

Meanwhile, supporting our local community is high on our agenda, and so with that in mind, we are launching our Autumn ‘Something Beautiful’ Flower-craft workshops.   Participants will learn how to choose lovely old-fashioned heirloom roses from our garden; cut and gather roses for lovely posies and select gorgeous perfumed herbs to mix with them.   And along the way, enjoy a good old-fashioned morning tea. 

Funding from our ‘Something Beautiful’ workshops will go toward our fledgling work with young women (and their children) in the Sunshine Coast community.   Our focus is creating opportunities for young women in need through horticulture and flower-craft workshops.   

Half-day ‘Something Beautiful’ Flower-craft workshops will be held at our garden, 'Edgeworth Lley' in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, in March and April this year.   Cost is $75 per person.   Includes access to our garden, all materials and an old-fashioned morning tea.

Dates:       Thursday, 26 March – 9.30 am – 12.30 pm.

                Thursday, 23 April  –  9.30 am – 12.30 pm.  

Bookings are essential as places are limited.  

For further information and to book your place for our Flower-craft Workshops contact us at Edgeworthroses@skymesh.com.au. 

Visit our Facebook page, ‘Edgeworth Lley, Heirloom Roses’.

You will be doing ‘Something Beautiful’ and helping to support those in need. 

Heirloom Roses - What is Luxury? .. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

How easily we can dismiss the familiar.  After 3 or 4 years of drought and limited out of season rain, the rose garden is not as advanced as we planned.  And after recent bursts of heavy rain followed by days of extreme heat, some of my favourite roses are struggling.  Our heavy clay soil has meant that some roses have wet feet at the same time as exposing their leaves to extreme heat.   Late summer is never the best time of year for our roses, with fewer and smaller blooms.  

Meanwhile, general tasks have become more urgent; weeding, laying acres of mulch, deadheading so that blooms will flourish again in the cooler autumn, checking for disease, cutting back rose-canes to prevent further die-back, hoping against hope that some struggling roses will pull through.  

The many gorgeous roses flourishing despite the extremes in weather, the exuberant climbing species roses sending up long canes, the numerous bunches of perfumed, gorgeous heirloom roses picked, have all been largely overlooked.  

So it took a chance read of a slightly tattered, well thumbed 2013 Vogue Living magazine at our local cafe to help me gain perspective. 

An article interviewed ‘famous’ personalities exploring the idea of luxury; what defines luxury for each person.  In our culture of plenty, the concept of luxury is often annexed to status and wealth.  The accoutrements of status are purchased and displayed; a house in a desirable location, luxurious motorcars, designer clothing and jewellery, and so on. 

A culture that largely defines luxury only as an object that can be purchased misses out on the truest of luxuries.  The seemingly insignificant; birdsong, leaves blowing in a breeze, sunlight on our back, green grass and trees that provide respite and shade to be enjoyed in this harried, torn-with-strife world. 

Alice Waters, advocate for seasonal, locally grown food and chef/proprietor of Chez Panisse Restaurant in California, defined her concept of luxury as an ‘object’ from nature.  She described her friend’s garden full of heirloom roses; each rose filled with perfume a ‘work of art’.  I love her brief description invoking the idea that we can draw from nature an appreciation for beauty, a sense of awe at the creative and unique.

Roses have been admired and painted since antiquity.  Redoute (1759 – 1840) is renowned for his exquisite watercolours of roses, building on the traditions of early Dutch painters of botanical subjects.  A prolific artist, Redoute continued to paint even through the French Revolution, bringing beauty to a world of horror.

So now, as I go out into the garden to dead-head the roses, I can again appreciate the luxury of picking any number of beautiful blooms, of filling buckets with glorious ‘works of art’.  

Thank you Alice Waters for reminding me what true luxury is.  

Heirloom Roses - Tea Roses as Cut Flowers .. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

It is no surprise that roses are used world-wide as cut flowers.  Florists use roses every day in their floral arrangements, regardless of the season.  While we have roses year round, we are largely limited to stiff, glass house grown varieties.    Although still beautiful, many roses grown under climate-controlled glass have somehow lost the natural beauty of the old-fashioned, heirloom varieties. 

Of course, David Austin's English roses, with their full blooms and strong perfume, have done much to influence the preference for older roses, particularly for brides.  Yet we still expect that the roses we buy should have long stems, with tall pointed buds that open to full petalled blooms.  The sacrifice of limited perfume is often deemed a fair exchange for vase longevity. 

And glass house grown roses travel fairly well; much better than their older cousins.  So roses flown interstate and internationally are acceptable as an alternative, even preferable, to locally grown, ‘garden’ roses.  However, there is a small groundswell trend to locally grown, less miles travelled, cut flowers.  Many artisan florists, dedicated to their art, use garden roses when they can find them (see http://www.twigandgrace.com/).

In the United Kingdom the shift toward more sustainable, locally grown cut flowers is growing (‘xcuse the pun).   Innovative cut flower growers such as Georgie Newbery, proprietor of Common Farm Flowers and author of The Flower Grower’s Year, (see her inspirational blog at www.commonfarmflowers.com) are leading the movement toward locally grown cut flowers. 

The challenges of growing cut flowers locally in Australia are somewhat different to that of the United Kingdom; larger areas to traverse between growers across a number of states and generally drier, hotter climatic differences.  Yet if we adjust our taste for cut roses to include the elegant, softly coloured, fragrant blooms of Tea roses, pre-dating Hybrid Teas, we will re-discover roses that adapt well to the Australian climate. 

Tea rose, Mme de Watteville

As there is no native rose species in Australia, many of the Tea roses still available in Australia were planted by early settlers.  Blooming almost year round, Tea roses are tough and long-lived with bushes found surviving near long abandoned cottages and beside graves throughout Australia.  (See the superb book, Tea Roses:  Old Roses for Warm Gardens by Western Australian authors Chapman, Drage, Durston, Jones, Merrifield and West, Rosenberg Publishing PL 2008, for a comprehensive history of Tea roses in Australia.)  

Tea rose, Comtesse de Labarthe

Tea rose, Lady Hillingdon

Tea roses as cut flowers were recommended by the influential English garden designer, Gertrude Jekyll.  She states that Tea roses last ‘quite a day longer’ than Hybrid Perpetuals.  She also offers, rather idealistically, ... ‘so delightful to any one who lives a fairly simple life in the country to go out and cut a bunch of Roses, that the need for their often renewal is only an impulse towards the fulfillment of a household duty of that pleasant class that is all delight and no drudgery.’ (http://www.rosarian.com/jekyll/roses/chapter15.html)

While most of us do not have easy access to country gardens, we could enjoy the almost year round blooming of at least one or two Tea roses.  Tea roses come in many sizes, with smaller varieties suitable for growing in pots.   Or they can be grown in a small garden as easy care shrubs. 

A vase of lovely, fragrant Tea roses cut fresh from the garden is a rare luxury these days ... but a luxury worthy of revival.