The first rose of summer

Mme. Alfred Carriere, just in bloom, and usually the first of our roses to flower and the one to go on longest.

We bought her quite a few years ago from David Austin Roses, and planted her at the foot of a flight of steps which leads up from the garden and into the house through French windows.

Although she can tolerate shade and face north if she must, here she's on the sunny side and has grown to a considerable height.

Her branches now over-arch the steps, creating a Sleeping Beauty effect and requiring the use of, if not a sword, then at least a pair of secateurs for ingress and egress.

I love the semi-wild, rampant style she's been allowed to adopt, but apart from barring the way, this means that she raps at the window rather too often on stormy nights, so 'Himself' takes a more ruthless approach and has been known to prune her when my back's turned.

As always, I wish I could transmit the scent somehow.

Comments

[kim]

Thank you for posting such beautiful photos of my favourite flower! Our roses are just about ready to open - I can't wait!
Kim x

[Charity]

What a beautiful rose, and in just my favourite Rose Colours. Wonderful! :0)

[A Wildlife Gardener]

What a lovely well written description on today's post. The photographs are superb...I could almost smell that exquisite rose. I wish these ones would live in my garden, but the winds burn the stems black.

Ever the optimist I bought six new roses, all climbers and planted them to grow up and over pergolas where I already have clematis and honeysuckle growing...but I know they will not survive for long...

[Donna]

Oh, how very beautiful. We are so lucky to have such beauty in the world. I think I shall have to paint a rose today. Thanks for posting these lovely photos, they are much appreciated.

[Avice]

Smashing. Your photography makes everything seem quite close at hand! In far away Washington, we are seeing the first of the blooms on the New Dawn that covers the pergola in our postage stamp garden. Rising up one side we have zepherin drouhin, which has two blooms and is recovering from being planted in too shady a spot. Otherwise we have the last of the deutzia and the cranesbill. I am headed north for the weekend, however, and it will be back to apple blossoms, daffodils, and bleeding heart.

[Peg]

Beautiful - I did notice that a few of my roses are starting to develop buds, but I will have to wait some time yet for blossoms. I can almost smell the rose from here!

[tara]

These are so, so beautiful. I love that they are just barely 'kissed' by pink.