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Rosa ‘Summer Song’ in a Flower Arrangement

Rosa Summer Song in a flower arrangement
Rosa ‘Summer Song’, allium and lisianthus

Some English Roses are unique in colour and this is one of them. An unusual colour brings challenges describing it. Rosa ‘Summer Song’ used to be ‘a sophisticated shade of orange’, or ‘burnt orange’, but in checking, I note its breeder is now plumping for ‘orange red’.

Rosa ‘Summer Song’ is not a cut flower, but I can see why florists would be drawn to it. Here it is but half open – enough to show the promise inside, but closed enough to last for a few days (with fingers crossed). Continue reading “Rosa ‘Summer Song’ in a Flower Arrangement”

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Celebrating The Southport Flower Show’s 90th Birthday

Southport Flower Show Poster from 1929
Southport Flower Show poster from 1929

Remember the days when the Town Hall was the place to go if you wanted ‘further particulars’ about an event? How life has changed since then! At this year’s Southport Flower Show, we had no horse leaping events, but we did have heritage animals, courtesy of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, including a pig that was more rare than a giant panda (and much the same size).

The cultivars may have changed over the last 90 years, but gladioli like those shown on the 1929 poster were on display in 2019, together with just about every August flowering plant you could hope for.

Perfect pink Japanese anemone flower with gold stamens
A serenely beautiful Japanese anemone

Amongst so many choice plants, this solitary, perfect, innocent-looking, pink Japanese anemone caught my eye. Continue reading “Celebrating The Southport Flower Show’s 90th Birthday”