A Week of Fragrance and Flowers at Hampton Court
A look back at a week among the roses
As the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival drew to a close recently, reflections linger on days steeped in sunshine, heavy with scent, and warmed not only by the blazing summer heat but also by the shared joy of gardening.
Our stand this year was built around fragrance. Visitors were welcomed into a courtyard garden filled with some of our most beautifully perfumed English Roses. Each variety was chosen not just for its beauty, but for the distinctive character of its scent - rich with notes of fruit, musk, myrrh and old rose. It was a joy to watch people pause, lean in, and smile as they took in the perfumes one by one.
The display itself was a space to linger. With soft planting, paved paths and roses growing close to hand, it invited people to slow down and take everything in. We had many conversations throughout the week - some with lifelong rose growers, others with those just beginning. All shared the same delight in seeing the roses at their peak.
A Gold Medal Award
We were honoured to be awarded a Gold Medal by the RHS for our display. It’s a quiet reward for many months of planning and growing, and we were proud to receive it on behalf of the team who made it possible.
To all who visited, thank you for joining us. And to those who couldn’t make it this year, we hope this small glimpse captures something of the atmosphere and the roses that filled it.
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A Garden Seen Through the Kitchen WindowFrom the kitchen window of Bowling Green House, the view is quiet but alive. Beyond the old glass panes, a narrow canal runs still beneath the branches of the weeping ash, its surface shifting with light and the soft wake of ducks. Native reeds and waterlilies fringe the banks, creating a scene that feels more discovered than designed. David C. H. Austin had it dug after admiring something similar in a friend’s garden. Here, it became the garden’s steady centre, a reflective ribbon running through the planting, anchoring moments of calm.Read more10 days ago -
Roses Perfect for Balcony Gardens: Charming Varieties for Compact SpacesEven the smallest of spaces can be transformed into places of beauty. A balcony may offer only a few square metres, yet with thoughtful planting, it can become a sanctuary of colour, fragrance and joy. English Roses, known for their charm and reliability, are particularly well suited to growing in containers, making them a natural choice for balcony gardens.Read more13 days ago -
Colour Between the Flushes: Planting Companions for Continuous Summer InterestRoses offer their beauty in graceful waves. Most repeat-flowering varieties bloom in two or sometimes three distinct flushes throughout the growing season. The first flush typically emerges in early summer, producing the garden’s most abundant and dramatic display. After this, the rose takes a quiet pause to replenish energy, during which flower production slows or nearly stops.Read more17 days ago -
What to Do with Rose Petals After DeadheadingDeadheading roses can feel a bit like clearing up after something quietly wonderful. One flower fades, its colours softening and edges curling, while another is just beginning to open, full of promise. Suddenly your hands are full of petals - soft, warm from the sun, and still carrying that unmistakable, subtle scent of the garden. It’s easy to let them drop back to the soil, returning to where they came from. But sometimes they feel too lovely to leave behind, as though they’ve still got more to offer.Read more20 days ago -
Creating a Dog-Friendly Rose Garden: A Safe and Beautiful Space for EveryoneDavid C. H. Austin, known for his deep love of dogs, was rarely seen without his Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Bertie. Whether wandering through the rose gardens, riding on his gator, or enjoying quiet moments in the restaurant, their bond was unmistakable. David always believed that a garden should be a place for everyone to enjoy - and that includes our four-legged companions.Read more63 days ago -
Rosa Gallica Officinalis: The Apothecary’s Rose in Shakespeare’s GardenAs April arrives and gardens begin to stir into life, one flower stands out not only for its vivid beauty but for its rich connection to history, healing, and literature. Rosa gallica officinalis, known as the Apothecary’s Rose, is more than an ornamental bloom. It carries with it centuries of meaning and a deep-rooted place in both horticulture and the poetic imagination.Read more90 days ago
