Mermaid Rose

Mermaid is a renowned country rose, thorny and unforgiving. She's not a pretty, pretty rose, and will try to strangle any person foolish enough to weed underneath or prune her. The single palish lemon flowers usually sit beside scruffy old buds - this rose is a bit rough around the edges.

beware of mermaid's thorns

My Mermaid roses used to reign supreme along the fence-line by Taj-dog's original run, and certainly used to discourage him from digging to China. The fence originally divided the back lawn from paddock where the sheep could roam.

Mermaid Rose Flowering in Autumn

Footnote - 2008

Well, Mermaid managed to reign supreme until I decided to turn that garden into lawn. The fence came out, and the Mermaid rose with it. Cut down in her prime, she was, and as yet there's been no replacement. I've often wondered how such a tough rose was given such a whimsical, watery name.