Rose Border

A blue brick path is edged each side with Rosa gallica versicolor, often wrongly called 'York and Lancaster'. Many have sported back to its brilliant crimson parent, the Apothecary's rose Rosa gallica maxima, giving a brilliant and bizarre effect when in flower. The borders are filled with a variety of old fashioned roses interspersed with pink deutzias for effect before they flower.

Simon Verity's statue

Later on, interest is provided by summer flowering ceanothus, astilbes, penstemons and salvias, many of which are not reliably hardy. The path edged with Astilbe 'Sprite' is particularly effective. Silhouetted at the end is an arch of clipped Sorbus aria 'Lutescens' with a statue seat by Simon Verity behind, He was asked by my mother to make a stone seat out of two large tombstones and here is the result. Around it are various ferns and ornamental grasses, providing a tranquil corner, only broken by the scarlet creeping Tropaeolum speciosum in the yew hedge.