Winter 2017. A space, a love, a desire to share, scent, nostalgia, sea breeze and gardeners’ shadows. When Elaine learned I did actually like roses, she quickly turned to the south side of the little glasshouse and nodded. Yes, this will be our cutting garden, a trial garden, a garden filled with perfume and happiness; all for sale locally to fellow islanders and to the local floral designers; at least we hoped so.
Choices. Settled on 12 varieties of David Austin Roses, 5 each of: Munstead Wood, Wollerton Old Hall, Gertrude Jekyll, Golden Celebration, Charlotte, Sharifa Asma, Lichfield Angel, Princess Alexandra of Kent, Lady of Shallot, Winchester Cathedral, Windermere, Abraham Darby. One Jude the Obscure. One Sombreuil. One Just Joey. I am included inverted commas, sorry. (:
More excavator soil prep. Forrest dug 65 holes and scraped the sod off and it turned into a lumpy field of hope. 30 yards of hog fuel spread over.. two days of planting. Amazing help from Forrest’s mom Dorothy.
Had about 4 weeks to get the fence in before they leafed out and the deer had lunch and dinner.
Early on we could tell our efforts and selections would pay off with the gorgeous horde of roses. The first year we didn’t expect much but as those of you who know plants and planting bare root roses will attest the plants just grew with abandon and bloomed and bloomed. We just picked for ourselves that first summer.
Summer 2019 they picked up the pace like mad. Visitors said they could smell them before they even saw them. We started to sell a few here and there. We joined Slow Flowers Society mid summer, 2019, and within weeks I got a cryptic email from Copenhagen asking for flowers for a friend; and then another arrangement for the same person. What a treat to be able to share the flowers that way from so far away. Thank you Debra Prinzing for starting such a wonderful community of flower growers and customers alike. Late in the year we sold mixed bunches via Zach Chan’s New Hannah Farm Fresh Sheet.
Welcome to 2020. The shrubs were enormous, covered with buds and the summer unfolded with many many roses sold and bunches made for individuals, floral designers, and buyers of vegetables.
2021 saw the addition of Caitie Blethen to our rose crew which infused our growing, caring and sharing with new energy. The roses were loaded and maturing well but the dry summer presented us with time to relax and care for the shrubs instead of pushing them to give when they needed to rest.
See the Cut Roses page for more details. UPDATE August 2023 I have removed the cut roses page with all of the beautiful images of roses because the garden is no longer owned by Elaine. But it was glorious while it lasted..
