Old Master

My first Old Master was a standard rose I bought for five dollars from a sale at a local Crematorium. One of Sam McGredy's 'hand painted' roses, it looked superb in Middle Border surrounded by self sown white and lime green nicotianas.

the hand painted rose old master

Change of Fortune for the Old Master Rose

Oops! In the winter of 2004 I shifted my Old Master standard - just across the path, you understand. It was, after all, the right time of the year to shift a rose!

I dug it well into its new spot, watered and composted it. Old Master, like a crusty old school teacher, obviously abhors change, and has seriously sulked all summer.

Old Master

New Old Master

In the autumn of 2005 my flirtation with Old Master as a standard rose finished, and he went into retirement (actually the burning pile). Then off to the rose sale I went and found a shrub replacement, which I've lovingly planted in the Hen House Garden.

The new Old Master is still flowering madly, and autumn is almost at an end! Hopefully this is the happy ending that the beautiful 'hand painted' rose Old Master deserves.