Pierre de Ronsard
Now that I know for a fact that my mother does read my blog, I thought a page about roses might be appropriate.
Where vines grow, roses abound and every house front, barn wall and crumbling bit of masonry is adorned with flowers during the month of May. Our garden proudly boasts 180 specimens varying from some cheap and cheerful garden fillers from the local supermarket (which although they have no scent are hardy and generous) to David Austin beauties and Meilland tea roses. I actually thought that was quite a lot of roses – certainly feels like when I’m pruning them- but I had French couple to stay earlier this year who have 500 bushes in less than one hectare of garden with box hedging as well. He did say that he found my pruning had been done with ‘passion’ –I was very flattered.
One climber however, Pierre de Ronsard is still my favourite and I posted a picture on Facebook and had an outstanding 1700 people look at it. Although it’s in every French garden it is absolute perfection and lasts for days in a vase. The English equivalent is called Eden and definitely worth acquiring.
Our tea room, The Glass House, has been open again since the beginning of May and lots of new faces have popped in. My ‘MoMa’ pumpkin and apple cake is going down very well and so is my upside-down rhubarb cake. And as we don’t have hordes of people yet I’ve been indulging in a bit of furniture painting.
I’ve discovered a fabulous chalk paint made by Annie Sloan and it goes onto absolutely anything with sanding or priming or any of the boring jobs needed before transforming an old piece of furniture. I’ve already painted a buffet and a commode that has been pushed from one attic to the other over the last few years and the result is beautiful. I posted a picture on Instagram and was delighted to have Annie Sloan in person comment on it a minute later! I’ve even painted rather rusty old outdoor tables, wine bottles and glass dishes. My favourite colour is Duck Egg Blue which teamed with Antoinette Pink is very ‘tea time’.
We plan to organize a ‘high tea’ early July with cucumber sandwiches and local bubbles – should be fun!
Carbonneau 
Good post, Jacquie. Just starting to learn about roses myself. My father loved them but they did not suit where he lived in Sydney, so when Kerry and I lived in the Southern Highlands of NSW for a couple of years early in our marriage he was delighted because the weather and terroir suited them. We have recently bought a house again in the same area with a large garden and several rose plants. His instructions were that they had to be cut back hard after flowering – but I think to cut them back with « passion » is a much nicer way of saying it! Count us in for the high tea in early July! But we will see you long before then – Paul Townsend
J’aimeJ’aime
Fabulous – hope we’ll see you for a lower version before that! The roses are struggling a bit with the lack of rain at the moment but I’m looking forward to de-heading them all and new blooms arrving.
J’aimeJ’aime