Rosewood Gardens

A message from heaven or a weird coincidence? The Memorial Garden to Princess Diana has always been color themed with plants and bulbs in shades of peach, purple and white. In early spring last year I ordered and planted a tray of purple bee balm seedlings and more white oriental lilies from two different wholesalers who I have used for years with no problem whatsoever. Fast forward to summer and the bee balms bloomed red, not purple and the oriental lilies bloomed red, not white. Was Princess Diana wanting a more vibrant look to her garden for the Summer?

Renovation of the Rock Garden began back in 2022 when many of the larger evergreens were cut down because of damage by heavy wet snow. This opened up the area and allowed me to replant with ornamental grasses, shrubs and more flowering plants. Photos below taken in May and late September 2023.

If there is one plant that can lift your spirits even during the dreariest days of winter, its the hellebores (a/k/a lenton roses). Took these photos yesterday in the Shade and Butterfly Gardens. They bloom from February into April and over the years they have increased to form these gorgeous drifts of bloom.

To complete the year of posting for 2022 - a few pictures taken in September and October. More detail on the individual photos.

Photos from the garden in summer last year (2022) I have posted more detail on each individual photo.

I didn't post any photos of the garden in 2022 so here goes - from spring thru until fall, with more detail posted on individual photos. Beginning with three photos taken in Spring 2022.

Now its fall, the garden is loaded with many native plants in bloom - asters, golden rods, iron w**d, etc. I use a range of cultivars of asters which give variety in height and color. Great for birds, bees and butterflies. I also leave many seed heads on summer bloomers to give birds food for the winter.

Both borders in the Victorian Garden are now loaded with bloom. This photo, which I took today, shows a portion of the smaller border. Again, really benefiting from the extra light now the dividing hedge has gone.

Had she lived, Princess Diana would have celebrated her 60th birthday today. So sad when you think of what might have been. I have added two more postings detailing the Memorial Garden we created in remembrance.

We continue upkeep of the Memorial Garden dedicated to Princess Diana. Most of my Facebook friends, plus many visitors who toured the Gardens during the time we were open to the public, already know that we had to get formal permission to use her name. Following correspondence with Buckingham Palace, we were referred to Princess Diana's Foundation, where we were honored with the necessary permission (have posted a portion of that letter). Over the years that have followed, the Memorial Garden has become more and more shaded by large trees, but I feel it gives a calmer and more reflective setting.

Further commemorating what would have been Princess Diana's 60th birthday today. Before starting work on the "Memorial Garden in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales", I wrote to Earl Spencer
(Princess Diana's brother) hoping to get some idea of the flowers she loved. The answer: Roses and lilies, although forget me nots were her favorite flower. This is a photo taken in April a few years ago showing the borders full of lovely blue forget me nots, blooming alongside narcissus. "Forget me nots" - what an apt name, as I will never forget a Princess who did so much wonderful humanitarian work during her lifetime. She so deserved the reference that Tony Blair made on the day of her funeral, when he called her "The People's Princess.

Its hard to imagine how badly damaged the Victorian Garden was after the storm last Christmas. The large herbaceous border on the left is really lush now and should be full of bloom by July and August.