A Rose is a Rose is a Rose

“I’m not sure if I’m a good gardener or a bad gardener. I keep planting things and they keep growing.”

Presently, it is the height of summer, and despite Orange being a cool climate, this week is more typical of the central west: dry, with long, cloudless, sunny days and higher-than-usual temperatures. Gorgeous, but not so great for plants that are being scorched by the intense afternoon sun. During such a hot week, any garden…

“Cares melt when you kneel in your garden.”

The January garden continues to be my place to enjoy the lazy days of summer and relax. The garden has come into its own, bursting with life, abundant and riotous. The new rose plants have improved the landscape, and all the work done in winter and spring has come together to create a peaceful haven…

“When one flower blooms, spring awakens everywhere.”

At present, there are so many places to enjoy roses, at home or out and about. Modern roses, such as Hybrid Teas, David Austins, Floribundas, or Ground Cover roses, are in local parks, gardens and streetscapes. Old Garden roses, also known as Heritage or Heirloom roses, are well worth finding, often in Botanic gardens and…

“In the spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside 24 hours.”

The capricious nature of Spring has certainly been shown lately. At times summery, then suddenly it is winter once more and not sure if a sunhat is needed or a warm coat. After a cloudless, warm and balmy day in the garden yesterday, as I write, it is now only 8 degrees with a strong…

“All I wanted was to plant poetry in broken places, and watch flowers grow.”

Spring is one of the most loved times of the year. After the long winter, everything is full of life and possibility. It’s a fresh start — a new season and a chance to get things right, create beauty, and enjoy the rewards. Gardening forces the impatient to wait.Today, in your garden: just sit, just…

“Spring: a lovely reminder of how beautiful change can truly be.”

Spring has arrived with the seasonal promise of warmer days and floral beauty everywhere you look. The long, wet winter has finally come to an end, but nature, in true Spring style, has kept us wondering daily about what season we are in. Winter has been spectacular, quite cold as expected, with many days of…

“It will never rain roses. When we want to have more roses, we must plant more.”

Winter lingers on, but the sun shines, all the bare-root roses are planted, and the first inkling of Spring is in the air. it is always exciting to see the first glimpse of tiny delicate shoots coming out on the dormant roses. There are no roses as yet to photograph, but a selection of inspiring…

“…in all my garden there is no red rose.” said Oscar Wilde

Unquestionably, roses are the quintessential symbol of love. The red rose has long been a symbol of beauty, passion, desire, and everlasting affection dating back centuries. History is steeped in stories, myths and legends of the symbolic red rose from ancient Greece and Rome, the Middle Ages, Persia, Egypt, China, and the Victorian era. One…

“It is not enough to plant a rose and walk away. You must stand guard against time, weather, and your own neglect.”

In the world of rose growing, we are poised at the start of a new season, although we are still in the depths of quite a cold winter in Australia. Late winter in a cool climate is tied up with soil preparation, digging holes for planting new bare-root roses, and waiting to begin pruning.There is…

“Petals of poetry -The Lady of Shallot rose.”

Rosa The Lady of Shalott, is a truly spectacular rose. If I were to choose a favourite, this would be it. Its rich, vivid peach to orange colouring glows in sunlight and contrasts nicely with the bright green foliage. This remarkable and gorgeous rose was developed by David Austin in 2009. The lady of Shallot…

“A garden in winter is the absolute test of the true gardener.”

Looking around the gardens in our neighbourhood, it is easy to see that time and experience are the keys to a verdant winter garden. To create a pleasing backdrop to the bareness of a cool climate garden, with so many deciduous trees, the surrounding gardens feature a range of conifers, evergreen shrubs, and other winter…

The Painters Collection of Roses

When I consider my favourite roses in the garden, the ones that are ‘must haves’ many are from the French Delbard family of roses. Delbard is a family-run rose breeding company that began in 1935 by the founding member of the family, George Delbard, along the banks of the Seine in France. By 1958, their…

“Never underestimate the importance of fresh flowers, clean linens, and sunrises.”

I came across the quote above today and thought how wonderful all those things are. Especially when travelling, the well-made bed, the opportunity to view sunrises in varied places, and fresh flowers are appreciated on a trip away. Not least, if the flowers are roses in full bloom in new locations when you know they…

“The richness I achieve comes from nature, the source of my inspiration.”

During rainy wintery conditions garden books and especially garden artworks and paintings are a restorative pastime.. When we can’t be out enjoying nature, artworks and garden paintings can offer inspiration. Gardening is a creative process where nature, art and gardens converge. Artists often express the beauty of nature and capture the aesthetic charm from surroundings in…

“Every rose is prey to winter.”

A light dusting of snow fell over the garden today, covering the last of the autumn leaves, and the unkempt lawn. So, for a moment, everything looked soft, still, rested and made even the piles of weeds look charming. It was a frozen moment in time that covered all the areas I had been working…

“If roses could talk, they would not boast of their beauty, because they know that they have always been beautiful.”

If roses could talk they would be telling tales of recovery, exhausted from a long hot and dry summer. Offically we’ve only had a week of winter but already a deep chill has set in. Fortunately, for the garden roses, they are growing in sheltered conditions with little chance of heavy frost in the garden….

“A rose poorly placed is a song sung out of key.”

Winter is here right on queue and the energy has shifted; a gentle, decline and an alluring fade has come into the garden. Some roses have begun dormancy and are leafless and exhausted, others are still in a grand finale of colour refusing to give up. What is thrilling though, are the possibilities of what lies ahead….

Canowindra Charm: a Paul Bangay Walled Garden.

Noojea Lee Homestead was open last week. On a perfect autumn day a great opportunity for a scenic drive to Canowindra. The property known as Noojea Lee has, apart from the spectacular views, veteran trees, a wisteria-covered walkway, expansive croquet lawns and, a tennis court, two Paul Bangay-designed gardens. One is a walled garden and…

“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the Autumn.”

When I started to garden, I knew nothing. The evocative names and romantic nature of roses was appealing and enticed me to focus mainly roses: the array of styles, colours and perfume was addictive. The first year after planting, the roses have demonstrated their true nature and the idiosyncratic way they fill the garden spaces….

“And the sun took a step back, the leaves lulled themselves to sleep and autumn was awakened.”

The season is changing, and the allure of Autumn is in the air. The mornings are becoming cooler and soon, Autumns magic wand will cast a spell on the trees, turning them to rich, earthy golds and reds accompanied by the susurrous sound of the rustling leaves. “If a year was tucked inside of a clock,…

A deliciously fragrant rose has the wonderful ability to both calm us down and raise our spirits.

It is second nature to stop and smell a rose when we are up close and inhale its alluring scent. Many people do as they walk past our garden, and there are plenty of roses growing with exceptional perfume. “Something with inner beauty will live forever, like the scent of a rose.” Alex Flynn Rose…

“The greatest piece of gardening in the world is a little staircase in the Generalife,”

The gardens of the Generalife, Spain in Arabic are ‘Jinnah al-Arif’ which translates into English as ‘Gardens of the Architect’. The gardens are situated in a high area above the Alhambra’s main Palacios, Nazaries in Granada, Spain. The gardens and the Alhambra have been a UNESCO world heritage site since 1984. These stunning gardens were…

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”

When we are viewing gardens, an open garden or our own, we sometimes fail to truly see and what we see is never all there is. Yes, we notice the lush foliage, the trees, or the colours, but do we truly ‘see’ the connections, the angles, the interplay of colours, and the play of light…

“We learn from our gardens to deal with the most urgent question of the time: How much is enough?”

The words ‘How much’ are often on the lips of gardeners, whether it is water, fertiliser, compost, mulch or seaweed? Plant lovers all over the world ponder how much sun and shade plants need? Where should I plant this? How much rain have we had? How many plants are enough or How many roses are…

A garden is never really finished, and I’ve only just begun.

Creating your own garden is about creating spaces where you feel at home in nature. Regardless of the style, design, or size, it’s about the joy a garden presents. Once begun, the small incremental rewards from your work brings a new forever changing landscape into being. Gardening, is a simple, honest pastime, a powerful way…

“Every gardener’s New Year starts with a euphoric gush of hope”

It is the last day of the year 2024 and didn’t it just fly past this year? So, a new year is upon us, and like all rose enthusiasts or gardeners, we look ahead in hope for the coming year. Planting a garden is an act of hope, a belief that with care, love and…

“Then followed that beautiful season… Summer….”

The magic of Summer begins with sun-kissed days that close with dazzling sunsets and balmy nights. Summer moves on and accelerates quickly into a flurry of activity; end-of-year parties, Christmas festivities and shopping, holiday plans, and catching up with everyone we value most. Simultaneously, the temperature soars, and the anticipation of celebrating with family and…

“Nothing feels like home more than a garden full of gorgeous plants.”

Living in a country town rather than out on the land, an interest in growing a garden is a requisite of the street and our town, and I am only too happy to oblige with the status quo. We live where almost all our neighbours are ex-farmers, and all seem to have beautiful gardens. After…

The hum of bees is the voice of the garden….

As the weather becomes warmer, the sound of insects fills the air. The cicadas are deafening, announcing summer, and the bees are gently humming as they go about their work. The sights and sounds of summer are welcome, the weather is glorious, and sensational for the roses. “Every flower must grow through dirt.” Laurie Jean…

“The gifts of nature are worth their weight in Gold”

Rosa Peace or The Peace Rose is out in flower with ten or more buds yet to open. My visitors, yesterday I’m sure, did not understand my excitement at finding the roses about to flower. Rosa Peace has large full blooms, in soft yellow, ivory flushed with crimson pink edging. The foliage is glossy, robust,…

“And the secret garden bloomed and bloomed and every morning revealed new miracles.”

In no time at all, masses of roses are now gracing the garden with their beguiling perfume and blooms galore: Carmagnole, Tangles, Princess Charlene de Monaco, Sally Holmes, Iceberg, Mme Alfred Carriere Clg, Belle Parfume, Graham Thomas, Quatre Saisons Blanc Mousseux, Ballerina, Australian Beauty, The Fairy, Olivia Rose Austin and Mother’s Love amongst others that…

The magic in new beginnings is truly the most powerful of them all.

Spring is moving along, and those first reluctant warm days are now established as the norm; the atmosphere is exhilarating. Every day is new since we have not lived in our region long and are unfamiliar with the unfolding of each season. Our town is called ‘The Colour City’, it is clear why. Colour is…

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom”

At last the roses are waking up and opening in a blaze of colour. And the first roses to peep through the greenery are the Lady of Shallot roses; rich apricot petals opening from deep orange buds, glowing in the garden, especially in this perfect Spring weather. The chalice-shaped blooms were right on queue for…

“I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden.”

Living in a climate with distinct seasons, Spring is a dramatic change that delights every day as new buds and blooms catch the eye each morning. Spring is the reward for all the planning and hard work of Autumn and Winter. Spring is an old English word with Germanic origins related to the Dutch and…

“Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party’!

Yes, it’s party time, and like the best celebrations, there is a quiet moment before a party is in full swing when everything is ready: the venue is decorated, music on, food prepared, and the drinks are chilled, but not everyone has arrived yet. Well, the garden is much the same at the moment. Spring…

‘Is the spring coming?,’ he said. ‘What is it like?’…’It is the sun shining on the rain and the rain falling on the sunshine…’

Today is one of those amazing mornings after a day of rain when the sun glistens on every leaf, like hanging crystals. It reminded me of the quote above from The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, so I’ve added it as the title. In my eagerness to plant today, I went out early only…

Just now my garden is like faith – the substance of things hoped for.

Today was a really satisfying and enjoyable day in the garden. The weather was perfect, and I got most of the bare-root roses planted. The list of tasks are being ticked off, the first round of trees are planted, and the remaining trees have been trimmed, leaving space for groundcovers and companion plants. Gardening is…

“Gardens are a form of autobiography.”

Spring is unfolding with daffodils, buds, blossoms and warmer days. Garden centres are bursting with colour, and the frenzy of growth is just around the corner. After a recent trip to Bell River Nursery, several trees are now waiting to be planted: a Teddy Bear Magnolia, Bay Tree standard, Silver Birch Trees, and several large…

“One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it provides.”

We are on the home stretch of the first winter in our new climate. The minimum temperature on most days this week has been around -3 each morning. One cannot change the weather; it is what it is. Thankfully, frosty, cold mornings usually bring fine sunny days, the perfect conditions for gardening, although still…

“There are things in common between different art forms: gardens are like choreography, a slow ballet.”

Today’s post is a’ before’ glimpse of the garden as a record to look back on once trees leaf up and roses bloom. Our street has interesting and attractive gardens that will no doubt be spectacular in the warmer months. Our garden though is looking bare in winter with almost all deciduous trees and shrubs…

“No gardener would be a gardener if they did not live in hope.”

Slowly, we are edging closer to that time of year when all rose enthusiasts mimic excited children at Christmas, eagerly awaiting the arrival of presents. But, for us, it’s the approaching bare root rose season that we lie awake at night musing over; when will the roses arrive, where will I plant them, why did…

Perhaps the mystery of Winter is emptiness. The quality of pause. The lack of striving and the sense of receptivity.

Winter has fully embraced us, and the season is magnificent so far. The comfort of the evening fire and the cold, crisp mornings pave the way for the warmth of sunshine on most days. I never thought I would admit to finding winter enjoyable. However, I have welcomed the season with open arms and the…