“To contemplate roses is to punctuate one’s days with poetry.” Wild Roses are also called Species roses. Roses native to the Northern hemisphere and considered to be the roses that all modern roses have been bred from. Many of them date back to ancient times or pre-date our civilisation. Wild roses grew in swamplands, grasslands … Continue reading The Wild Rose
Roses exude charm and beauty, but why are there so many different types and where did they originate? Today I’m uncovering the mystery of rose classes and what is meant by Heirloom, Heritage and Old Garden Roses. Roses come in three distinct classes; A. Species Roses see post Wild Roses B. Old Garden or Heirloom … Continue reading Heirloom Roses
What continues to astonish me about a garden is that you can walk past it in a hurry, see something wrong, stop to set it right, and emerge an hour or two later breathless, contented, and wondering what on earth happened. The Palm Garden is the name chosen for a large garden bed started in … Continue reading The Palm Garden
The sentiment in the Robert Browning quote above could have been written about David Austin, the English rose Breeder who revolutionised garden roses with his team in Shropshire, United Kingdom. David Austin will always be remembered for bringing the charm and romance back into rose breeding. From a young teenager until the age of 92, … Continue reading It was roses, roses all the way.
Spring is here although in some areas the season has been slow in starting with unusually cold, frosty mornings contrasting with high daytime temperatures. Patience is needed, as I wait for the leaves to sprout on the bare root roses. I can see that the sap is moving and there are signs of life and … Continue reading Fragrance always clings to the hand that gives roses
My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant’s point of view. Evidently the idiom having a ‘green thumb’ dates back to the early part of the 20th century and means a person with a gift for gardening or who can easily grow … Continue reading A Green Thumb
This week, I enjoyed working in the garden, hand in glove with one of my son’s. Our main task was to mulch the garden in preparation for the hot, dry summer ahead. It was wonderful to spend time gardening closely with someone else and even more special when it is family, and you work so … Continue reading Hand in Glove
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” Spring has begun and the garden sings with new growth. What a fabulous time of year it is as we wait in anticipation for the bare roses and perennials to green up … Continue reading Spring is nature’s way of saying, “Let’s party!”
“The rose is a rose from the time it is a seed to the time it dies. Within it, at all times, it contains its whole potential. It seems to be constantly in the process of change: Yet at each state, at each moment, it is perfectly all right as it is.” Paul Coelho Last … Continue reading Jardin à la française
In Aix en Provence quite close to the town centre there is a beautiful Hotel, called Le Pigonnet from the French word Pigeonniere ( Pigeon House). We fortunately were able to stay at Le Pigonnet in June 2019. I must confess, I chose this hotel because it sits in a glorious garden that forms a … Continue reading Le Pigonnet
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, By any other name would smell as sweet. An added bonus of loving roses is learning the history, names and parentage of roses. Rose names have wonderful stories of life-long achievements in the dedication to rose breeding and the work done in perfecting new roses and … Continue reading The Name of a Rose
“My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece.” —Claude Monet I love gardens made in pots and containers. Whether you have room for a small or a larger garden or have just enough space for a few pots on a balcony. Pots, containers and hanging baskets are a great addition to any garden. They offer flexibility, … Continue reading Thrillers spillers and fillers
“Gardening is the art that uses flowers and plants as paint, and the soil and sky as canvas.” -Elizabeth Murray If you love Gardens then Al ru Farm at One Tree Hill in South Australia is a must visit. The property is owned by Ruth and Alan Irving since 1979. It is a working farm … Continue reading Gardens to visit- Al ru farm
El-Kelaa M’Gouna Rose Festival in Morocco Have you ever wondered where all the roses are grown to make perfume? The French Perfumers in the 1940s built distilleries in Morocco in the Dades Valley area to produce rose oil and rose essence from the Rosa Damascene. Considered by the Berber culture as a very feminine flower … Continue reading Vallee des Roses Morocco
We must cultivate our garden.” Voltaire – Candide ou l’Optimisme Walking around Epernay along L’Avenue de Champagne we came across the Town Hall that sits within the lush greenery of an enchanting French Garden. It is part of the Remarquable series of gardens that are scattered across the country. As we wandered through the garden … Continue reading Jardin Remarquable in Epernay
As the Van Morrison song goes ‘When all the parts of the puzzle start to look like they fit, my Mama told me there’ll be days like this’ Van’s lyrics portray my day in the garden yesterday. After a cold frosty start the day warmed up to a glorious, still and sunny afternoon perfect for … Continue reading There’ll be days like this….
Singapore is a destination well worth a visit just to see The Gardens By The Bay. The gardens showcase plants and flowers from across the world. Singaporeans are proud of their gardens which are a fantastic drawcard for tourism but also for education and aim to be a model for sustainable development and conservation. Their … Continue reading Gardens by the Bay
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication Leonardo de Vinci Over the last decade or so it has become apparent to me, that our Australian Dream has changed. Rather than the desire to own a suburban house block within the metropolitan area and build a dream home, it seems we all just want to live in, or … Continue reading Living in the Bush
Giardino in Passagno These lovely, pastel pink blooms are from the Giardino at the Gipsoteca in Italy. The gipsoteca means ‘the plasterworks’ and is where the Antonio Canova museum is located in the small Italian town of Possagno not far from Asolo in the Veneto region. As one enters the Museum you pass through a … Continue reading Antonio Canova Gipsoteca
“For many years, the Jardin Majorelle has provided me with an endless source of inspiration, and I have often dreamt of its unique colours.” Yves Saint Laurent Sometimes when travelling out of the blue one can find hidden gems that you may not have been aware of at all but end up being the highlight … Continue reading Jardin Majorelle, Gueliz Morocco
The following is a pictorial post of the garden at Rilly -de Montagne near Epernay, France- a typical French garden that surrounds the Hotel de Rilly France. Images by Di Baker 2019 Continue reading Chateau De Rilly
