My Climate Change Garden

This is perhaps the most popular flower in the world and well placed to adapt to climate change.

According to fossil evidence, the rose is over 35 million years old .The cultivation of roses began in Asia around 5000 years ago, and they have been a part of the human experience ever since, appearing in ancient tales of love and desire.

There are wild roses ranging from vivid pink to snow white with a sweet intoxicating scent emerging now that the sun has been shining over the past few days. They may not last long and the petals droop when picked but I adore these flowers as they really capture the essence of an english summer. Wild roses supposedly only grow in the Northern hemisphere which means that, if you are living in Australia, South Africa or India, your roses are most likely from cultivated stock.

Wherever you live in the world, there are likely to be roses growing in a garden not far away. It is a universal plant that tolerates a wide range of conditions and adapts to many styles of gardening with a range of over 250 different species.

The Historic Rose Organisation have produced a guide to encourage planting of roses that cope well with our changing weather conditions. http://www.historicroses.org/index.php?id=79.