As they reach their peak, find time to stop and smell the roses
IMMORTALISED in art, poetry and classic works of literature, roses are the nation’s favourite flower. As these much loved plants are close to reaching their flowering peak, this a great time to visit a garden famed for its displays. Here are six of the best in Britain.
Mapperton, Dorset
Named garden of the year 2020 by the Historic Houses Association, the property owned by the Earl and Countess of Sandwich is set on the side of a steep valley with views across countryside. The 15-acre plot is on four levels and is peppered with roses. There are old French roses, rambling and climbing roses and a pergola that drips with crimson flowers belonging to ‘Parkdirektor Riggers’, a repeat-flowering climber launched in 1957. l Open Sunday-Thursday, 11am-5pm, closed June 2-5 (mapperton.com).
Mottisfont, Hampshire
Thousands descend upon this garden in June and July to enjoy its world-famous collection of oldfashioned roses. More than 500 types can be found inside the walled garden, along with borders filled with herbaceous perennials. There are shrub roses in beds around a central pond, climbers on walls, hedging of Rosa rugosa ‘Rubra’ and arches smothered by ramblers. Dating from 1972, the rose garden was the brainchild of Graham Stuart Thomas, a leading rosarian and adviser to the National Trust from 1955 to 1972. l Open daily, 10am-5pm. Prebook parking to guarantee entry (nationaltrust.org.uk/mottisfont).
Peter Beales Rose Gardens, Norfolk
Started in 1983 to showcase roses from the adjacent nursery, this three-acre garden contains about 1,200 varieties, including historic, rare and contemporary gems. Shrub roses, ground covering types and an impressive collection of wild species roses thrive in beds divided by grass paths, while climbers and ramblers cover arches, arbours and a 20ft-long pergola. Look out for some of the 70 or so varieties bred by Peter Beales Roses since 1968, such as ‘Anna Pavlova’ and ‘Highgrove’. l Open daily, 9am-5pm, Sunday 10am-4pm (classicroses.co.uk).
David Austin Rose Gardens, Shropshire
Deemed by the World Federation of Rose Societies to be one of the finest rose gardens on the planet, the two-acre space is split into five themed areas by walls, pergolas and a network of paths. More than 700 varieties put on a colourful spectacle, including the 200-strong National Collection of English Roses developed by David Austin Roses since 1961. Those with small gardens should check out the patio garden, where compact roses are raised in large terracotta planters. l Open daily, 9am-5pm (davidaustinroses.co.uk).
Castle Howard, North Yorkshire
Famed as the setting for hit 1980s TV series Brideshead Revisited, Castle Howard was designed by Sir John Vanbrugh for the 3rd Earl of Carlisle in the 18th Century. The stately home sits at the heart of a 1,000-acre landscape that boasts a 300-year-old, ten-acre walled garden containing a magnificent collection of old roses and more than 2,000 modern ones. l Open daily, 10am-5.30pm (castlehoward.co.uk).
Drum Castle, Garden & Estate, Aberdeenshire
Ancestral seat of the Clan Irvine, Drum Castle nestles within a 166-acre estate of parkland, woodland, lawns and an arboretum. A short walk from the castle is an 18th Century four-acre walled enclosure, home to the Garden of Historic Roses. The space is divided into four distinct areas that illustrate how roses have been grown from the 17th Century. Older varieties are displayed in formal knot gardens and parterres, while modern roses grow in planting schemes that represent the 20th Century. l Open daily from June 1, 10.30am-4pm (nts.org.uk/visit/ places/drum-castle).