As I don't have many roses blooming in my own garden right now and miss them very much, I feel I could need some winter cheer and decided to continue my series of posts about Mottisfont Abbey. Maybe many of you have the same desire and I hope you enjoy my second installment about this phenomenal rose garden. If you would like to see part I about Mottisfont Abbey Rose Gardens, please click here. The photos in this post are still all from the first walled garden that you enter when you visit the Rose Gardens (Mottisfont Abbey Rose Gardens consists of three separate walled gardens). In this part of the gardens many older David Austin roses, they also go by the name English Roses, are displayed.
Here is a close-up of the same rose. I feel the flower form and coloration is irresistible.
By the way, isn't it amazing how one wilted bloom can mess up a photo? Altogether I have to say though, that I was very impressed how well the gardens were taken care of and how meticulously the roses were deadheaded. I always wonder how many gardeners are working at Mottisfont Abbey Rose Gardens.
One last shot of the same rose together with rose friends and perennials taken from a different angle. For me the combinations of roses with each other and perennials at Mottisfont Abbey have never gotten old. Whoever designed the borders has been a true master.
Another rose that just took my breath away. This is an amazing specimen of 'Chianti', a shrub rose, bred by David Austin (United Kingdom, 1965). The color is a rare dark purple, which stands out even more because of the contrast with the yellow stamens. In addition to the intriguing color the rose has a great fragrance. Unfortunately, it is only a once-bloomer.
In Mottisfont Abbey Rose Gardens this rose was combined with a saturated yellow one (see the one yellow flower peeping out in the foreground), which just started to bloom. I am fairly certain that the yellow rose is 'Graham Thomas' also bred by David Austin. I have read that David Austin and Graham Stuart Thomas, the great rosarian, have been friends and that David Austin let Graham Stuart Thomas pick a rose, that he liked best from the ones that David Austin had bred, to be named after him. It always puzzled me that Graham Stuart Thomas, who was a great admirer and devoted advocate of the Old Garden Roses, choose such a bright, clear yellow and therefore almost modern looking rose, since most of the Old Garden Roses have a much more subtle and muted coloration.
In this border you can see the perfect layering of the roses in size from the big climbers in the background, to the moderate sized ones growing on standards in the middle ground, to the smaller ones in the foreground and all are inter-planted with interesting perennials. Even though this bed is not very wide, the effect is one of a full and lush border. In the following photos I will show you the individual roses from this border in close-ups.
The yellow-apricot rose to the outer left is 'Buff Beauty', a Hybrid Musk rose, bred by Bentall (United Kingdom, 1937).
Moving from the left to the right, the next rose grown as a standard is 'Geoff Hamilton', another shrub rose bred by David Austin (United Kingdom, 1997). It comes with a strong fragrance and I love its medium pink globular flowers very much and tried to grow it in my own garden in Southern California with disappointing results. The rose just didn't want to bloom and it is long gone. It is interesting how different the same rose behaves in different climates. 'Geoff Hamilton' seems to like the climate in England very much. I think, it is one of the most beautiful pink roses that David Austin has bred so far.
Close-up of an individual bloom of 'Geoff Hamilton'. How can one not love this rose?
The smaller roses in the front of the border are the 'Cottage Rose', another one of David Austin's creations. It was bred in the United Kingdom before 1991. The delicate, unpretentious, cupped, old-fashioned, pink blooms fit right into any informal cottage garden. At Mottisfont Abbey Rose Gardens it seemed to be a very floriferous rose.
'Crimson Glory, Climbing' is characterized by an incredible rich, velvety, dark, crimson-red color, very large blooms, and a strong damask fragrance. I regret, that I couldn't capture the color of this rose properly. It is way more deep and saturated in reality than on my photos.
I also like the bloom form very much.
What was interesting is that the label read 'Crimson Glory', 'Beales Form'. It didn't say 'Crimson Glory, Climbing', but judging by the size of the rose, I assume, that it is the climbing version of it. 'Beales Form' indicates probably that this is a clone coming from Peter Beales, another great rosarian and nursery man.
'Crimson Glory', the Hybrid Tea rose, bred by William J. H. Kordes (Germany, 1935) had sported into a climbing form, which is not unusual for roses, and was called 'Crimson Glory, Climbing'. Climbing sports of 'Crimson Glory' were found by Miller Bros (South Africa, 1941), Richardson (country of origin unknown, 1944) and Antonio Naungayan (United States, 1946) and maybe more were discovered, that were not publicly listed. Is the rose growing in Mottisfont Abbey one of the climbing sports that were found and registered and that I named above? Did Peter Beales found another one? It would be nice to know more about the climbing sport of 'Crimson Glory' that is growing in Mottisfont Abbey, especially because it is such an outstanding rose.
I feel that 'Crimson Glory, Climbing' is such a wonderful rose that it is a "must have", if you have the space to grow a climber. I myself think, that I will at least try out the 'Crimson Glory', the Hybrid Tea rose.
This row of light yellow roses grown on simple wooden pillars struck me as the only thing "being off" in Mottisfont Abbey Rose Gardens. The variety is 'The Pilgrim', a beautiful modern shrub rose, bred by David Austin (United Kingdom, 1991). I found the minimalistic, almost modern presentation of this rose very awkward and boring and in a stark contrast to all the other beautiful beds and borders at Mottisfont Abbey Rose Gardens. What makes it even worse is that this is the first impression that you get of the Rose Gardens as you have to walk through this part to reach the main entry. Wired! I wonder what the story is behind this design...
Here is a shot of an individual pillar.
But what I just wrote should by now means diminish the beauty of the rose itself. I feel, that 'The Pilgrim', with its darker yellow center and the light yellow outer petals, is one of the most lovely yellow rose that David Austin has ever bred.
Here is a close-up of a bloom of 'The Pilgrim'. Aren't they just lovely?
I don't know the name of this rose grown as a standard, but it is certainly pretty. I love the combination of it together with the white and blue perennials. I believe, the white one is a penstemon and the blue one is a catmint. It is also a very nice planting idea that would fit in any small garden!
Here is a close-up of the white flowering plant. I just adore it!
This is 'Marguerite Hilling', also called 'Pink Nevada', a Hybrid Moyesii shrub rose, discovered by Thomas Hilling (United Kingdom, before 1959) another striking specimen of a rose. 'Marguerite Hilling' is a sport of 'Nevada', which is presented in the next photo. The white flowering trees make an ideal background that let the rose stand out even more. Usually I am not so much into single roses, but this one makes me wish I would have a bigger garden so that I could plant it. 'Marguerite Hilling' is supposed to bloom in flushes throughout the season.
The lovely white 'Nevada', a repeat flowering Hybrid Moyesii shrub rose, bred by Pedro Dot (Spain, 1927).
The golden-yellow stamens and the yellow center of the blooms of 'Nevada' make a very charming contrast to the otherwise pure white flowers.
Again, I couldn't find a name tag for this rose. I believe it is a Polyantha. It would be good in front of a border and is a rose that also fits into a small garden.
Here is the picture taken of the same bush, but from the other side. I think it is a rather sweet little rose.
The last rose that I would like to feature from the Mottisfont Abbey Rose Gardens in this post is 'A Shropshire Lad', a modern shrub rose, bred by David Austin (United Kingdoem, 1996). The flowers come in a soft peachy pink color. This photo shows a bloom in the early stage...
... and this image another flower of 'A Shropshire Lad' opened to a very full, cupped shaped bloom form. This is one of my all time favorite David Austin roses. I don't grow it yet in my own garden, but I hope that will change in the future.
It was a great pleasure for me to put this post about the Mottisfont Abbey Rose Gardens together and I hope you liked reading it. In the next one in this series we will visit the second walled garden, which contains many Old Garden Roses. Besides lovely roses I will show some very beautiful peonies and other stunning plants that graced the borders.
See you in the garden!
Christina
When I saw this beauty my heart skipped a beat. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a name tag. I have no clue what variety this could be, but if you, my dear readers, have an idea and want to give it a try to identify it, please leave me a comment. I really would appreciate it!
Here is a close-up of the same rose. I feel the flower form and coloration is irresistible.
By the way, isn't it amazing how one wilted bloom can mess up a photo? Altogether I have to say though, that I was very impressed how well the gardens were taken care of and how meticulously the roses were deadheaded. I always wonder how many gardeners are working at Mottisfont Abbey Rose Gardens.
One last shot of the same rose together with rose friends and perennials taken from a different angle. For me the combinations of roses with each other and perennials at Mottisfont Abbey have never gotten old. Whoever designed the borders has been a true master.
Another rose that just took my breath away. This is an amazing specimen of 'Chianti', a shrub rose, bred by David Austin (United Kingdom, 1965). The color is a rare dark purple, which stands out even more because of the contrast with the yellow stamens. In addition to the intriguing color the rose has a great fragrance. Unfortunately, it is only a once-bloomer.
In Mottisfont Abbey Rose Gardens this rose was combined with a saturated yellow one (see the one yellow flower peeping out in the foreground), which just started to bloom. I am fairly certain that the yellow rose is 'Graham Thomas' also bred by David Austin. I have read that David Austin and Graham Stuart Thomas, the great rosarian, have been friends and that David Austin let Graham Stuart Thomas pick a rose, that he liked best from the ones that David Austin had bred, to be named after him. It always puzzled me that Graham Stuart Thomas, who was a great admirer and devoted advocate of the Old Garden Roses, choose such a bright, clear yellow and therefore almost modern looking rose, since most of the Old Garden Roses have a much more subtle and muted coloration.
In this border you can see the perfect layering of the roses in size from the big climbers in the background, to the moderate sized ones growing on standards in the middle ground, to the smaller ones in the foreground and all are inter-planted with interesting perennials. Even though this bed is not very wide, the effect is one of a full and lush border. In the following photos I will show you the individual roses from this border in close-ups.
The yellow-apricot rose to the outer left is 'Buff Beauty', a Hybrid Musk rose, bred by Bentall (United Kingdom, 1937).
Moving from the left to the right, the next rose grown as a standard is 'Geoff Hamilton', another shrub rose bred by David Austin (United Kingdom, 1997). It comes with a strong fragrance and I love its medium pink globular flowers very much and tried to grow it in my own garden in Southern California with disappointing results. The rose just didn't want to bloom and it is long gone. It is interesting how different the same rose behaves in different climates. 'Geoff Hamilton' seems to like the climate in England very much. I think, it is one of the most beautiful pink roses that David Austin has bred so far.
Close-up of an individual bloom of 'Geoff Hamilton'. How can one not love this rose?
The smaller roses in the front of the border are the 'Cottage Rose', another one of David Austin's creations. It was bred in the United Kingdom before 1991. The delicate, unpretentious, cupped, old-fashioned, pink blooms fit right into any informal cottage garden. At Mottisfont Abbey Rose Gardens it seemed to be a very floriferous rose.
The photo above shows the wall opposite to the one that I just described. I would have loved to take a shot of both walls together, so that you could get a better impression of the design, but they are very closely located to where you enter the Rose Gardens and there were so many people coming and going, that I wasn't able to take a shot without them on the photo.
Anyway, I assume, that the rose to the very right is 'Buff Beauty', again. It would make sense to plant it in this position to achieve symmetry. The dark crimson colored rose further more to the left was another absolutely stunning one. Its name is 'Crimson Glory, Climbing'. In the foreground the yellow rose is most likely 'Graham Thomas' and the dark purple one to the very left is 'Chianti', which I already wrote about.
'Crimson Glory, Climbing' is characterized by an incredible rich, velvety, dark, crimson-red color, very large blooms, and a strong damask fragrance. I regret, that I couldn't capture the color of this rose properly. It is way more deep and saturated in reality than on my photos.
I also like the bloom form very much.
'Crimson Glory', the Hybrid Tea rose, bred by William J. H. Kordes (Germany, 1935) had sported into a climbing form, which is not unusual for roses, and was called 'Crimson Glory, Climbing'. Climbing sports of 'Crimson Glory' were found by Miller Bros (South Africa, 1941), Richardson (country of origin unknown, 1944) and Antonio Naungayan (United States, 1946) and maybe more were discovered, that were not publicly listed. Is the rose growing in Mottisfont Abbey one of the climbing sports that were found and registered and that I named above? Did Peter Beales found another one? It would be nice to know more about the climbing sport of 'Crimson Glory' that is growing in Mottisfont Abbey, especially because it is such an outstanding rose.
I feel that 'Crimson Glory, Climbing' is such a wonderful rose that it is a "must have", if you have the space to grow a climber. I myself think, that I will at least try out the 'Crimson Glory', the Hybrid Tea rose.
This row of light yellow roses grown on simple wooden pillars struck me as the only thing "being off" in Mottisfont Abbey Rose Gardens. The variety is 'The Pilgrim', a beautiful modern shrub rose, bred by David Austin (United Kingdom, 1991). I found the minimalistic, almost modern presentation of this rose very awkward and boring and in a stark contrast to all the other beautiful beds and borders at Mottisfont Abbey Rose Gardens. What makes it even worse is that this is the first impression that you get of the Rose Gardens as you have to walk through this part to reach the main entry. Wired! I wonder what the story is behind this design...
Here is a shot of an individual pillar.
But what I just wrote should by now means diminish the beauty of the rose itself. I feel, that 'The Pilgrim', with its darker yellow center and the light yellow outer petals, is one of the most lovely yellow rose that David Austin has ever bred.
I don't know the name of this rose grown as a standard, but it is certainly pretty. I love the combination of it together with the white and blue perennials. I believe, the white one is a penstemon and the blue one is a catmint. It is also a very nice planting idea that would fit in any small garden!
Here is a close-up of the white flowering plant. I just adore it!
This is 'Marguerite Hilling', also called 'Pink Nevada', a Hybrid Moyesii shrub rose, discovered by Thomas Hilling (United Kingdom, before 1959) another striking specimen of a rose. 'Marguerite Hilling' is a sport of 'Nevada', which is presented in the next photo. The white flowering trees make an ideal background that let the rose stand out even more. Usually I am not so much into single roses, but this one makes me wish I would have a bigger garden so that I could plant it. 'Marguerite Hilling' is supposed to bloom in flushes throughout the season.
The lovely white 'Nevada', a repeat flowering Hybrid Moyesii shrub rose, bred by Pedro Dot (Spain, 1927).
Again, I couldn't find a name tag for this rose. I believe it is a Polyantha. It would be good in front of a border and is a rose that also fits into a small garden.
Here is the picture taken of the same bush, but from the other side. I think it is a rather sweet little rose.
The last rose that I would like to feature from the Mottisfont Abbey Rose Gardens in this post is 'A Shropshire Lad', a modern shrub rose, bred by David Austin (United Kingdoem, 1996). The flowers come in a soft peachy pink color. This photo shows a bloom in the early stage...
... and this image another flower of 'A Shropshire Lad' opened to a very full, cupped shaped bloom form. This is one of my all time favorite David Austin roses. I don't grow it yet in my own garden, but I hope that will change in the future.
It was a great pleasure for me to put this post about the Mottisfont Abbey Rose Gardens together and I hope you liked reading it. In the next one in this series we will visit the second walled garden, which contains many Old Garden Roses. Besides lovely roses I will show some very beautiful peonies and other stunning plants that graced the borders.
See you in the garden!
Christina