Posted on by susurrus

Rosa ‘Strawberry Hill’

Strawberry Hill Rose

To continue this week’s rose theme, three perspectives of Rose ‘Strawberry Hill’, taken at RHS Hampton Court Flower Show several years ago.

Forcing roses for a show often changes their character: flower size, colour and even form can show subtle or major differences from their typical appearance in the garden and you can see that here if you’re familiar with the rose.

Rosa 'Strawberry Hill' at Hampton Court

Whether the flower is young and more boldly coloured as in the top picture, or paler as in the second, Rosa ‘Strawberry Hill’ has a very distinctive warm flush that you may associate with strawberries (I think of it as salmon).

The rose was named for Strawberry Hill House which recently had an online flower festival you can still check out here. The historic house and garden is reopening on Sunday 26th July under a bookings system. Tickets go on sale from 2 pm today, so if you are in the area and have been keen to visit, now’s your chance.

For those who ask about scent, Rosa ‘Strawberry Hill’ has a lovely fragrance of myrrh and honey (with the usual caveat that some people don’t pick up the myrrh, even when it’s strongly present for others).

Rosa 'Strawberry Hill'

All have been cropped square for Becky. I’ll leave you with my favourite shot. It has a nice mix of buds, young and mature flowers, shows off the ruffled petal edges, and seems to catch the antique character of the rose.

I’m also linking to Cee’s Flower of the Day.

23 Replies to “Rosa ‘Strawberry Hill’”

  3. What magnificence! And what a way to start my day. That top photo qualifies as “strawberries and cream” for sure. Of course I do love that last photo with all the life stages of the rose. I had to peek at Strawberry Hill House if for no other reason for the draw of its name. As always, I am enamored of names in your part of the world. Perhaps “Pig Pen Flowers” doesn’t merit the same historical awe that others do, but I do admire it.

    1. One of the most famous and widely grown roses with a myrrh fragrance is Rosa ‘Constance Spry’, a once flowering pink, usually grown as a climber. If you happen upon one in flower, try it and see. It’s a curious scent.

      1. That’s so true, I don’t expect it of many other flowers but a rose isn’t a rose for me unless it is scented! Is that a cultural thing do you think?

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