Inspiration

Deadheading 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.

Each June, as the nation gathers to mark Trooping the Colour, a ceremony full of history and pageantry, there is another way to celebrate. Not on the parade ground but in the garden, where beauty grows with care and purpose.

The garden at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show was designed to feel like a retreat. It was calm, immersive, and deeply personal, built around the idea of a secret sanctuary. While the space itself was large, the principles behind the design can be applied at any scale. Here’s how to recreate that atmosphere in your own garden.

This year at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, we’ve created something truly special – a garden that feels like a quiet retreat. Inspired by the idea of a hidden sanctuary, our Secret Garden is calm, immersive, and filled with roses that each tell part of the story. At 16m x 16m, it’s our most ambitious stand yet, but also our most personal.

David 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.

As 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.

We asked Harry Hoblyn, Head Gardener at Charleston, to share his insights into the remarkable garden that surrounds this historic home. Deeply intertwined with the artistic legacy of Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, the gardens at Charleston are a living expression of their creativity.

A garden is more than just a collection of plants – it’s a living, breathing space that reflects your personality and creativity. One of the most powerful ways to shape your garden’s atmosphere is through colour. 

With its exquisite deep pink, many-petalled rosette blooms and delightful, fruity fragrance, Gabriel Oak is a captivating English Shrub Rose that infuses any garden with timeless elegance. The vibrant, deep pink flowers contrast beautifully with their lush green foliage, creating a striking visual display that commands attention. Gabriel Oak stands at 4 feet (125 cm) tall, making it a versatile addition to formal garden settings and more natural landscapes.

Planting a climbing or rambling rose in a pot is one of the most effective ways to introduce height, fragrance and structure to smaller gardens, courtyards and terraces. Whether used to frame a doorway, create a flowering screen along a wall or soften the lines of an obelisk, these roses offer a remarkable display when given the right conditions. Though the approach demands a little more upkeep than planting in open ground, the rewards are considerable: abundant blooms, repeat flowering, and a sense of movement and beauty that elevates even the most compact of spaces.

Brightening Your Garden with Roses: Creating a Beautiful Mixed Border with English Roses