A Local Lockdown Wander

A LOCAL LOCKDOWN WANDER

  How to amuse yourself during Covid 19?  We get the message loud and clear - STAY AT HOME - So what does home have to offer?  Lots - if you have a garden, and even more if you have a park in your neighbourhood!   I am lucky enough to have a Heritage Rose Garden in my local park - Beverley Park Heritage Rose Garden.  And not only that - I have the Red Zone too, and the recently redesigned Avon Loop walkway, all within walking distance - so I am spoilt by choice.

This beautiful single apricot rose with the long elegant golden stamens which seems to reach right out to you is called 'Mrs.Oakley Fisher'. It is an Early Hybrid Tea rose introduced in 1921 and belongs to a group of other single roses such as 'Dainty Bess' and 'White Wings'. There are 4 bushes of these at Beverley Park as seen in the context of the garden on the left.

It's the Beverley Park Heritage Rose Garden which I visit most as it is just around the corner from me and is so beautiful.  Another bonus - I always meet walkers or neighbours strolling through the garden and sometimes I arrange to meet a neighbour or friend there for a catchup chat - from a distance you understand.

And why not?  It is the most divine sweet smelling place for a catchup tucked away in it's sunny corner of Beverley Park.  I have met both Henrietta and Katrina there, both local rose enthusiasts and volunteers who help look after the garden.  Katrina was on her daily run, and Henrietta and I chewed the fat, and dreamed up all sorts of ideas for the garden, post lockdown.  

The garden is  looking surprisingly handsome in spite of so little rain and very little TLC, as of course nobody is allowed to maintain the garden at the  moment, so the nettles are looking very luscious right now!  Much to the delight of Katrina, who is on the lookout for nettles on her daily run to make soup so she ended up foraging in the garden, which was a great help in eliminating some of the the weeds at the same time!

LOOKING AT A FEW OF THE HERITAGE ROSE VARIETIES AT
BEVERLEY PARK

There are 150 varieties altogether

'Rosa rubra Carmenetta' From the Species group, this rose was chosen both for it's bright red hips as well as it's unusual bluish bronze foliage. Although these attributes make up the main event, this variety does have little single crimson eye catching flowers dotted all the way down it's arching stems in early summer. There are 3 of these large bushes grouped behind the seats and paved central area of the garden. Unfortunately there are just 2 at the moment, as one of the bushes which had been flourishing suddenly turned up it's toes and died this season, leaving a big gap, which we hope will be filled with a replacement of this outstanding variety for next season. Planted directly behind Rosa rubra Carmenetta with the pale pink flowers are 3 'Ballerina' Hybrid Musk roses

'Nancy Hayward' -climbing rose

'Rosa rugosa 'Alba' This is the time of year for rose-hips which in some cases outshine the blooms. In fact several of the of the roses chosen for the garden were selected for their hips. None are more outstanding than the Rugosa group which are native to northern coastlines, such as Scotland, the Baltic countries, and Siberia, so they are a very hardy variety. Many Rugosa varieties do have stunning flowers as well, which often flower throughout the season alongside their hips as seen above. Here, the pure white large single flower of 'Rosa rugosa Alba' is just as beautiful as the shiny luscious hips. Flowering behind is 'Dapple Dawn' from the English Rose group, while above through the metal rose support, 'Rosa moyesii 'Geranium' can be seen with it's distinctive bottle shaped hips.

'Comtesse du Cayla' - English Rose in the foreground a very vigorous and reliable rose with pretty semi-double apricot blooms - not as red in reality as the photo shows here. Alongside is 'Penelope', a popular Hybrid Musk and a healthy floriferous rose with semidouble creamy pinkish clusters of flowers. But it is the climber 'Nancy Hayward' over the arch in the background which everyone notices with it's huge floppy single electric pink flowers, like big pink handkerchiefs.

One of the views from the central path of the Rose Garden showing the lavender hedge or mounds edging the central pathway. In the foreground is the popular China rose - 'Mutabilis', repeated further back in the border. There are 6 Mutabilis bushes throughout the garden - one of the hardiest and most reliable of roses which flowers almost non-stop throughout the season. On the other side of the path, is the creamy white fragrant 'Sombreuil' known as a climbing Hybrid Tea rose. Although not a climber in our Rose Garden, it is certainly one of the most vigorous and floriferous of roses - with a gorgeous scent.

REMEMBER - THERE IS ALWAYS TIME TO 'SMELL THE ROSES'