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. Roses are adaptable and all but a few have started to hibernate; yellowing leaves and little to no foliage at all.
Winter is a fabulous time in the garden and in a cool climate the cold lingers long enough to plan, prepare and do all the necessary jobs for the next season. There is no need to work on the coldest of days they can be enjoyed by the fireside, a stack of garden books spread out for inspiring catch ups with the experts or leisurely planning tasks for getting outdoors on only the sunniest of days.
“A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift;
Gertrude Jekyll
above all, it teaches entire trust.”
Winter is also bare-root rose season, the most exciting time of year for rose lovers. Sometimes the anticipation of planting in winter is better than the blooms of spring.
“The most noteworthy thing about gardeners is that they are always optimistic, always enterprising, and never satisfied. They always look forward to doing better than they have ever done before.”
Alan Bloom
There’s a particular kind of magic in planting what looks like a lifeless stick, often tagged with an exotic or romantic name that one has poured over for months in choosing them from websites or catalogues. Like planting bulbs, there’s an anticipation that brings a sense of mystery, hope and excitement……will it work?
“How lovely the silence of growing things.”
Evan Dicken
All gardeners look forward to the next season in the hope they canl do better; fix mistakes, make ammends with nature of possible neglect or poor choices. There is always something that could be done better given the chance.
“The very soul of a garden is shrivelled by zealous regimentation.”
Mirabel Osler
This season the aim is to add more variety to the garden. A range of hardy roses and a few favourites that I was unable to transplant when we relocated into town will be planted. The elusive climbing roses for the chosen walls, and fences is my main task this season and to ensure they are in the best positions for flowering and coverage.
“I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.”
John Burroughs
Kiss me Kate climbing rose was planted recently into a large terracotta pot to grow onto the slate pillar in the courtyard. Rosa Kiss Me Kate, is a Kordes rose bred in Klein Offenseth-Sparrieshoop, Germany as part of the Parfuma® Collection in 2005.
“Yes, I’d love to have a garden of my own – spacious and full of everything that is fragrant and flowering. But if I don’t succeed, never mind – I’ve still got the dream.”
Ruskin Bond
Kiss Me Kate is a strong climbing rose with pink and darker reverse petals and medium green foliage. It has a green apple, lemon, myrrh, raspberry, sweet fragrance and will repeat flower in flushes throughout the season from rounded ovoid buds. The rose has grown quite well so far, but has not flowered as yet.It is expected to grow to 200 cm and should repeat bloom all of next season from Spring.
To give a soft yellow apricot glow to the courtyard I’ve chosen an older style rose called ‘Buff Beauty’ to spread across the back wall. Buff Beauty is a Hybrid Musk rose bred by Ann and John Bentall, UK in 1939. The blooms are an apricot to yellow shade – hence the name, and have a strong tea rose fragrance growing in clusters to 300 cm.
“One of the things I really like about gardening is that it doesn’t take a lot of concentration and leaves a lot of space for speculation.”
Michael Pollan
Buff Beauty rose is hardy and drought resistant once it gets going. It is thought to be one of the Hybrid Musks bred by Reverend Joseph Pemberton. Joseph Pemberton (1852 – 1926) who was a well-known rose breeder in Essex UK and Buff Beauty may have been one of the roses released after his death by the Bentall family who took over his business.
The Buff Beauty rose has some added features as it is very tolerant of hot conditions and it will grow happily in large containers and in partial shade.
Lastly, to grow on another pillar in the courtyard is Guy Savoy Climbing rose. I’ve heard this plant called “The Happy plant” because of its bright crimson pink petals that dance in the sun and are flecked with white, mauve and softer pink.
Guy Savoy climbing rose is a hardy, semi-vigorous, shrub rose bred by Delbard in France in 2002. It was named to honour the famous French chef, Guy Savoy.
Guy Savoy Rose will thrive in our hot, dry climate as it did on our rural property where temperatures were often in the low 40s, and is relatively disease resistant. The blooms are a stunning cerise, magenta colour with white and red splashes of colour as contrast. The foliage is healthy, and the leaves thick- always an indication of health, strength and hardiness.
“Weather means more when you have a garden. There’s nothing like listening to a shower and thinking how it is soaking in around your green beans.” [Or roses!]
Marcelene Cox
I have grown Guy Savoy before where it was visible from the kitchen window, a lovely rose to view each morning. I look forward to having Guy Savoy back in the garden as it is a very uplifting rose with a long bloom time and cheerful colouring.
“The man or woman who has planted a garden feels they have done something for the good of the whole world.”
Charles Dudley Warner
Title quote by Michael Bassey Johnson
Content Di Baker June 2025, Orange NSW