Mottisfont Roses

The National Trust's Mottisfont Abbey holds the national collection of old fashioned roses, and during their peak season in June open until late on some evenings in the week. Today was one of those evenings, so after a leisurely morning at home (with a bit of admin thrown in) I headed down the M3 for my annual visit.

On arrival, it seemed rude not to partake of the cream teas on offer before braving the heat and heading for the walled garden and the roses. The scent from the old varieties hits you enter and follow you around. What I like about this garden is that there are lots of companion plants growing around the bushes, which not only fill in the gaps but extend the flowering season as many of these old roses only flower once in the season.  As the afternoon moved into evening a jazz group struck up, entertaining the visitors, many with picnics and bubbly! All in all, it is a feast for the senses.

A small ornamental pond sits in the centre of one of the garden area, with a magnificent rose bush trailing into the water and makes the subject of my main shot. A few more in extras.