It All Started With A Picture
I fell head-over-heels in love with a cover of Garden Design Magazine about 15 years ago. It was an extreme close up of this rose, 'Graham Thomas'. I was growing some roses at the time, but they were all very common hybrid teas that I had bought bare-root at the grocery store (remember those days?). I had never seem such a voluptuous rose before and it ignited a passion that would result in over a hundred David Austin roses with about a dozen of them being Graham Thomas just so I would have lots of blooms all summer long. It smells as heavenly as it looks. Over the years the romance has not waned. I still love this rose as much as the day I first spotted it on the cover of the magazine. Kind of like an obsession with a super model, except this one is accessible!
I fell head-over-heels in love with a cover of Garden Design Magazine about 15 years ago. It was an extreme close up of this rose, 'Graham Thomas'. I was growing some roses at the time, but they were all very common hybrid teas that I had bought bare-root at the grocery store (remember those days?). I had never seem such a voluptuous rose before and it ignited a passion that would result in over a hundred David Austin roses with about a dozen of them being Graham Thomas just so I would have lots of blooms all summer long. It smells as heavenly as it looks. Over the years the romance has not waned. I still love this rose as much as the day I first spotted it on the cover of the magazine. Kind of like an obsession with a super model, except this one is accessible!
It all starts with a picture of some kind doesn't it. Lovely rose.
ReplyDeleteDavid Austin's roses are beautiful - all of them, I think. I can well understand your passion for Graham Thomas - it's colouring is subtle and the shape of the individual rose is superb!
ReplyDeletekatarina
The colour is spectacular!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. My husband's family used to live in Sunset Beach and Surfside. His grandparents used to live in Laguna Beach. I have many happy memories from that area.
ReplyDeleteLove David Austin roses.
Ingrid
It is a spectacular rose Sheila. I received a David Austin rose for Mother's Day this year ~ it's my first one. I went back & forth between several before I decided on one and 'Graham Thomas' was one in the running. Pink won me over tho (like it usually does) and I picked 'Gentle Hermione.' They are so full and lush, I don't think I could buy another kind now.
ReplyDeleteGentle Hermione is my only Ausrose, although I got my x richardii from his nursery too. If you love roses, it's worth going to Chelsea some year, if you can, just to see their stand, alone with the Peter Beales one.
ReplyDeleteThe neat thing is, it was Graham Stuart Thomas's books that made me want to grow old roses - I bought Old Shrub Roses for about 20p in Oxfam!
I know all about falling in love with roses.
ReplyDeleteThat really is a beauty! I must confess to knowing absolutely nothing about roses but I do like them, and the scent too!
ReplyDeleteHi Sheila, that's why I have a million garden magazine subscriptions...for the pictures! Graham Thomas is a favorite too of mine! Btw, that Badland iris is WOW!
ReplyDeleteLove this rose! One of my favorites for sure! If I had more room I might just have each and everyone of the Austin roses!
ReplyDeleteLois