Complicata Rose

Complicata is a once-flowering old-fashioned rose I grow in the messy garden in front of my (equally messy) glass-house. It's a rose that likes to spread out over other plants. A well behaved scramble sets its large single pink flowers off nicely.

Interestingly, in one of my neater control-freak phases I thought I'd dug my Complicata rose out completely. I'd decided greedily that as a once-flowering rose it didn't deserve all the space it was taking up. How short-sighted!

Each year, early in summer, the canes reach elegantly over the neighbouring Buddleia, and the flower display is magnificent. These blooms are a clear strong pink with bright yellow stamens, and some are quite big (nearly 4 inches, or 10 cm wide, to quote my rose reference book). Must go and measure some!