August

It’s the middle of August, we are back from a hot two weeks in Ibiza into a much cooler, but still beautiful, English summer.

The roses are looking quite spectacular, and sometimes they are weary by August, so it is a wonderfully refreshing sight. We have thousands going out this weekend for Bank Holiday weddings and the whole garden is vibrating with colour and fragrance. Despite the rain showers we are picking in wellies and macs when necessary and the barns are as busy as they are in June and July.

The best on offer at the moment is a range of vivid reds: crimson Royal William, magenta William Shakespeare, purple Big Purple and the deep red of Deep Secret.  

For pinks the best are the delicate pale pale pink and wafting scent of Liliana and the stronger pink of Gertrude Jekyll which has come back magnificently. 

Yellows are Graham Thomas and Golden Celebration but there will be more in September and at the moment Peace is extraordinary – a huge translucent bloom going from pale pink edges to deep yellow, rather as Pure Bliss goes from the streaky red/pink outer petals to unfurl into fabulous creamy peach pink petals of fabulous proportions.

TAKE YOUR PICK – IT’S ALL THERE