Saturday, September 15, 2012

I promised you a rose garden.
















Some of my fondest, earliest memories are playing in my grandpa's rose garden; the only rose garden in a small mining town in Scotland. I have a photo of me when I'm about two years old, with a big blowsy bloom grasped in my little hands and my face buried in the fragrant petals. I still remember the shock when I discovered that earwigs like to live in there. The roses were pruned, preened and pampered to perfection by large hands stained black with coal dust. "You have to wash your hands grandpa," I would say but the dirt was a permanent tattoo in the cracks of his skin from years of dangerous, hard work.

My grandpa was good at finding jobs for me in the garden to keep me out of mischief. One those jobs was to collect the fallen petals that lay like pieces of sweety coloured silk on the paths. He would have loved the rose gardens at Wisley, the displays are stunning. One of my favourites was a russet coloured, beautifully scented variety called Hot Chocolate. (Seen on the right, third photo from the top). I was drawn to the unusual colour as soon as I saw it and was pleasantly surprised by the heady scent. I was delighted to find it for sale in the shop (they have a huge variety or roses for sale) so Rosa Hot Chocolate came home with me.

9 comments:

  1. This has been a very good year for roses for some reason. I still have loads of them in flower now.

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  2. Beautiful photos of beautiful roses! Haven't been to Wisley in years must go back there!
    June

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  3. I noticed that too Anne. A very good year for the roses.

    Glad you enjoyed the post June. Quite an incredible place isn't it!

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  4. What a charming tale of roses, grand-parents, and reality. I enjoyed every word of your childhood memories and smiled at the Hot Chocolate rose! I am now your most recent follower.

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  5. Thank you millefeuilles, it's lovely to have you here.

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  6. Wow, those roses against the stormy skies make for quite a picture.

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  7. Paul! Steely grey is a favourite colour of mine as it shows of other colours in such a dramatic way and looks great with shades of green. The day I visited Wisley it was very warm with dark, threatening skies that did eventually pour down on us forcing us to retreat to the glass house for shelter. I loved it!

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  8. Beautiful roses Lorna...I especially like the lovely pink ones but am intrigued by the Hot Chocolate rose.

    Your memories of being in your grandfather's garden read like a poem... What a contrast it must have been to be in a hot, dark coal mine all day and then come home to such beauty.

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  9. Hi Tanya, I hope all is well with you. Thanks for your lovely comment. I hadn't quite considered the contrast of the dark mine and his beautiful garden. I suppose because he was retired when I was little. It's really hard for me to imagine what it must have been like down a mine all day long.

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