Hello everyone , hope all is well in your part of the world.
Here is the garden post I mentioned I was working on, the title reflects the way I think of flowers in the garden.
The front garden of our house today with its box hedges, two standard weeping Seafoam roses, Cecile Brunner roses along the front fence, a very vigorous climbing rose named Cherub is on an archway over the front gate, Sasanqua camellias near the iron work on the front verandah and one pink hydrangea. That pink hydrangea is the only reminder of the original front garden when we bought our house in December, 1979.
This beautiful pink climbing rose is on a fence in the front garden . It is Constance Spry ,named after a well known floral artist and the first rose developed commercially by David Austin in 1961 and has the most wonderful myrrh fragrance and although she only flowers once a year she makes up for that with the abundance of blooms .
The garden , as is usually the way , is always a work in progress and has seen many changes over the years , going from a child friendly garden with a lawn for cricket and football to the back garden it is today. The last major change happened over twenty years ago after the death of my daughter , India, and thinking back now it gave me a purpose and was my own way of coping with the overwhelming feelings I was experiencing at that time .
My mother was a keen gardener , a life member of our local horticultural society , so maybe it was only natural that both my sister and I are also fond of gardens . It was also about this time that I started visiting open gardens and discovered my love of old roses . I was fascinated by their history and to that end found like minded gardeners and a few Tasmanian growers . I also started my collection of garden books and read everything I could on garden design and growing old roses. One of the authors was Susan Irvine , who I was fortunate to meet in her later years after she moved to Tasmania from Victoria . Her last garden was Forest Hall , near Elizabeth Town and is being restored by its new owners.
The cottage was built by John a few years ago and is his workshop . The shrub to the right is a Chimonanthus , an original plant in the garden that flowers in Winter and perfumes the whole garden.
My word for this year was restore and to that end I have spent many hours in the garden . I am not there yet but have rediscovered the joy of working in my garden even if I can no longer physically spend the time I once did.
This pale pink beauty is Fantin Latour , named after French still life painter Henri Fantin-Latour , is a Centifolia rose and the first old rose I acquired from a small specialist nursery in the south of our state. The nursery was owned by another Jill and was an absolute treasure trove for lovers of roses and unusual plants. Unfortunately the nursery no longer exists , so this rose is a memory of Jill and the many conversations we had about gardens and roses.
I have several roses (all pink) that were given to us after India died and they hold a special place place in my heart . I have a camellia that my mother gave us in the early days of the garden and many bulbs and plants from friends and Lyn’s garden . That may be how I acquired the lupins that are now flowering profusely each Spring and Summer.
This pink rose is Rosarie de la Hay , a rugosa rose that I first discovered at the rose garden at Woolmers Rose Garden , with an unknown white rambler rose that I bought at an open garden many moons ago.
My garden will never be one of those picture perfect neat and orderly gardens but this year has been a reminder of how much I truly appreciate the benefits -both physical and mental from simply being in the garden.
I do hope you have enjoyed my garden ramblings .
Planting a garden is such a wonderful way to remember someone, and to work your way through grief.
Such a gorgeous post. Thank you.
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Thank you so very much Janet for your kind comment.
I absolutely loved your garden ramblings, Jill, and what a dream of a garden you’ve created!
Your post was a sight for sore eyes on this gloomy Autumn day! xxx
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Thank you so very much Ann . Glad I was able to brighten your gloomy Autumn day.
Your garden is beautiful! I’m in Surrey, British Columbia.
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Thank you so very much Judy for your lovely comment. You live in a beautiful part of the world , visited back in 1983.
Seafoam I too have had for years but it’s slowly dying!
I read once that it is the only rose that was developed in Italy. Can you confirm that Rose Lady Devine?I must replace it!
I too got back into the garden this year after many years of not participating and realized how happy it made me feel!
Funny we both had that realization this year!
I LOVE THAT YOU GOT INTO CREATING THE GARDEN ONCE YOUR BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER LEFT YOU!
India is a special name and I only know of one other India that would be in HICKS!
Love too all PINK.Would imagine that was her FAVORITE COLOR!
Xxx
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Thank you so very much Elizabeth. Glad to hear that you too have been able to enjoy your garden again , it is a happy place to be.I do hope your Seafoam rose survives as it is a lovely rose. I don’t know the rose , Lady Devine , maybe it is one grown by US growers.
Yes , pink was India’s favourite colour , her brothers called her the pink princess.
Jill, you are an artist in the garden! I love wild looking gardens rather than the ones that are so smoothly groomed. Your roses are gorgeous. I have two David Austin roses that bloom all summer long and smell wonderfully like real roses should. I’m hoping they make it through the winter as I didn’t get to them before the cold weather hit. I’m glad your garden gave you comfort when your daughter, India, passed. Did she enjoy working in the garden, too, even though it was much different then?
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Thank you so very much Marsha . It has been a good year for the roses as they are all blooming well . I agree what is the point of roses without a perfume. The garden was different then but India did enjoy the flowers and playing in the garden.
What a treat to see your beautiful garden. Roses are so special, the perfect flower for remembrance as you found with your daughter and friend Jill. I love how your roses grow with lupins and other plants. My mum carried on gardening until she died. She did less in her 90s but still went out there with her kneeling stool to do weeding and dead heading.
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Thank you so very much Gail , pleased you enjoyed a tour of my garden as I know you too enjoy your garden. I hope I can be like your Mum and enjoy my garden in my later years.
Your garden is lovely. I can’t imagine losing a daughter, but feel that a garden could have helped me with grief.
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Thank you so very much Olivia . It was a difficult time and creating the garden became therapy for me.
Jill, I absolutely LOVE your garden – it flows and moves so beautifully, I want to inhale it through my computer screen! Forget orderly, (whatever that is), your garden is a unique palette of colour, stories and perfumes. Thank you so much for sharing, I’d love to see more.
Happy gardening,
Love,
Elizabeth.
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Thank you so very much Elizabeth , the garden is at its best at the moment. It will never be one of those neat gardens as that’s just not me . It was my pleasure to share my garden and its stories. xx