Wednesday 1 June 2011

The Rose


Further reading of the reviews of movies and books over the long weekend,  I read a review of a new book call The Rose, A True History by Jennifer Potter, it is a  fascinating and comprehensive study of this mysterious flower and how it has captured the imaginations of everyone, everywhere through history.

This past week has also seen the roses bloom everywhere and nowhere more spectacularly than at the rose garden at Regent's Park. Walking into the this classically planned round rose garden is breathtaking, feeling like you have walked into a film or into Alice in Wonderland.





There are beds of roses 15' across and 12' long radiating off a circle of full blooming red "Ingrid Bergman". Each rose is named: "Majestic", "Remember Me", "Lovely Lady", "Song and Dance", "Wife of Bath", "Autumn Leaves" and so many more, where do they get these names? The colors were reds, oranges, yellows, pinks, and white. The colors changed as the flowers opened and bloomed from deep hues to soft tints.

Walking around the garden after reading the lengthy review of the book by Jennifer Potter, ( I must get a copy) where she points how the flower has inspired poets and song writers, artists and illustrators to religion and politics I was also reminded of how the rose has influenced all designers of textiles and surfaces:






Here you can sit and smell the roses at Regent's Park.

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