A Rose by any other name

When I told my friend Elizabeth (the other Elizabeth, that is!) that I was coming to live in France with Colin she offered to buy us a rose for the garden. Knowing I love the old fashioned heavily scented roses, she chose  Ispahan, a damask rose from David Austin rose growers.

It was delivered bare-rooted to my daughter's house in England back in November and she heeled it in until we could bring it back to France in the new year.

I know everyone was concerned that the 'twig in a bucket' would survive, but we need not have worried; it is flourishing.

At the last count it has twenty five buds on it and they are just about ready to burst. I can't wait to see and smell the open blooms!

So thank you, Elizabeth, it's a delight and it will give me lots of pleasure for a long time to come. And thanks to Jane for looking after it until we could bring it home!