ON THE COVER Susie’s Garden

Everything’s coming up roses as Susie shares her favourites and explains how ancient varieties have been improved on

My parents grew roses either side of their front path. Brightly coloured hybrid teas, the soil around them was kept bare, there was a strict pruning regime and the formal looking flowers had rather angular petals. Balloons, given away after a birthday party, would pop on their prickles and there would be tears!

My favourites were the wild roses growing in the hedge and an old shrub rose that had a fuller shape and a good scent. Even as a child I liked a more natural look.

Thanks to modern breeding, the characteristics of old roses have been combined with repeat flowering and a wider colour range to produce reliable, healthy and scented plants. It is thanks to the work of David Austin that we have the range known as English Roses which come in a variety of sizes. There are glorious climbers for walls, roses for making hedges, but also ones suitable for planting in containers. Of the old roses, my favourite is Rosa gallica “Officinalis” also known as the Apothecary’s Rose. It has a long history, being known from at least the 15th century and grown by herbalists for its medicinal qualities. This was the Red Rose of Lancaster, the emblem chosen by the House of Lancaster at the time of the War of the Roses. I grow the Apothecary’s Rose surrounded by hardy geraniums, peonies and lavender and I love its large semi-double crimson flowers with golden stamens. It’s healthy and reliable and has pure Old Rose fragrance.

Centuries ago, a very pretty sport occurred from it and was called “Rosa Mundi” which means “rose of the world”. It has white and crimson stripes and is also very reliable.

Climbing roses do well here and I have used “Goldfinch” on the wall of the shed. Its scent drifts across the lawn and I love its pale lemon flowers. I’ve planted the vigorous rose “American Pillar” to scramble up several trees; all are from cuttings that took directly in welldrained soil. How satisfying to see the result in this striking red rose with its white-eyed centre.

Pruning “Rose Little White Pet”

“American Pillar”

Alifelong and passionate gardener, Susie White has a free flowing planting style which owes much to herbs, wildflowers, childhood plants and unusual perennials.