To complete showing you the display of roses at their peak in the garden, I thought I ought to write about the  four weeping standards of Alberic Barbier in now full bloom.

 

I’ve waxed lyrical about this rose before, but it really is magnificent and I think admirably suited to use as a weeping standard.

 

But you do need strong stakes  and you have to give the heavy heads a sympathetic haircut now and then, otherwise they get so heavy that they break.

 

Not good, not good. Especially not so in a very formal planning,where symmetry is all….I know because I’ve had to replace two of these standards as they broke in half,  though by now I consider you’d be hard pushed to tell me which were the ones..Go on, have a guess ;-)

Here is a short video showing you the garden and the views from it.

done

This part of the garden is sort of “cross roads”  area and it leads you on to different parts of the garden by use of craftly placed urns and bird baths.

From here you can go on into to the Long Rose and Lavender Borders,

..to the urn…..

 

 

..or, into the Old Roses Garden,

 

 

or down through the Evergreen Oak Avenue

…to the urn  terminating that walk.

Because of the crossing paths, I decided to make this garden very simple.

 

I wanted to have some standard roses in the garden but I find they are sometimes difficult to place successfully  ,especially in mixed shurb borders. So putting them all in one formal part  was the answer.

The weeping standards are underplanted with purple sage. Some of it needs replacing as it has got too old and too woody…another job to go on the ”To Do List”..are you keeping count of those for me? Good, because I’ve a memory like a sieve……

It is one of our friend’s favourite places to sit , here on the Lion Head Bench.

 

You can just make out the lions heads now.

They have weathered very well and you’d think this bench was made in Jane Austens era, so encrusted is it with lichens. In fact it is  only 16 years old. And its surprisingly comfortable, and gets lovely and warm in the sun.

 

Come and sit with me for a while while we decide which direction to take next…….