hedging roses

One of the special challenges in creating six acres of beautiful, natural gardens at Cordwood is the lack of a landscaping budget.
So, we are busy raising plants from seed and dividing the many gifts of plants we're given to increase their number.
But we do buy plants and have special jewels we've bought as we've travelled the country visiting gardens and nurseries.
And then there are surprises...
The German supermarket chain Aldi has had bundles of hedging plants for sale this week - 10 plants for £3.99 - and I love Aldi bargains.
First I delved in and bought beech (fagus sylvatica) hedging - four bundles for less than £16.00.
Then I spotted individual rosa rugosa (the Ramanus Rose) and some at 99p.
And by then I was caught and stuffed dog rose (rosa canina), burnet rose (rosa pimpinellifolia), rosa glauca rubrifolia and rosa virginiana into my trolley: I'd only gone in for milk!! Each of the roses is blessed with the simple flowers that insects love.

The beech hedge may form a screen through which we will walk into the Cedar Walk. The roses, augmented with holly, may screen the vegetable garden beneath the avenue of birch.

 All have been bought too soon and so have been 'healed in', in a corner of the orchard until we are ready to put them into their permanent position.

Here, our team of gardening assistants check the quality of our work....