Visit Houghton Lodge Gardens during the summer months and you will discover a delightful array of roses.
It is a beautiful time to visit, and if you missed the display of the peony walk in late May/ early June, then visiting when the roses are in bloom will fill you with joy!
We recently took a walk around the gardens in search of our most fragrant roses. Here are five that we think are particularly delicious- see if you can find (smell) them on your next visit!
Five fragrant roses for gardens
- Jaques Cartier (1896) – Beautiful old rose, mid pink in colour, medium shrub, repeat flowering and a strong fragrance. Can be found by the tea room terrace in the Walled Garden.
- Chandos Beauty, peachy apricot blooms with pink accents. Repeat flowering. This one gets a lot of attention from visitors, they love it! You can find this near our Herb Garden/Fish Pond, in the Walled Garden.
- Lady Sylvia (1933) – a climbing rose, hybrid tea. Blush pink blooms with apricot. Really beautiful scent. You can find this on the far side of the Walled Garden by the Iris Beds.
- Toile de Hollande (1883) – A famous old Hybrid Tea, Climbing rose, large double crimson-red flowers. Heavy old rose fragrance. Can be found by the Iris Bed in the Walled Garden.
- Boscobel (2012) – red buds open to coral-pink rosettes, the small petals are of various shades. A rich warm scent. You can find this rose on the terrace of the main house facing the large lawn.
As a gardening team, we often get asked for advice and tips on pruning, growing and looking after roses. We have put together some simple pointers and general pruning tips; however, do always check what type of rose you have (Climber/Rambler/Bush etc).
Tips for pruning roses
- As a general rule roses love being pruned! They can usually take a hard pruning which can create more blooms than just dead heading.
- Most roses should be pruned in late winter but always double check your variety.
- Cut just above a bud, the cut should be sloped away from the bud and always make sure the cuts are nice and clean – so keep your tools clean and sharp!
- Remember to cut right back any dead/diseased stems or crossing stems. The aim is the have a clean plant. With a shrub/bush aim for an open centre.
- You can use a small hand saw to get rid go any old stubs at the base of the plant.
- The harder back you prune, the slower the new blooms will return but the flowers will be bigger and better! I go back to almost half the plant in winter.
Don’t forget, you can always have a chat with one of the gardening team during your visit, we always try our best to help and give suggestions where we can.
We look forward to welcoming you soon,
Cat
