Pink Grootendorst Rose

I bought some pink Grootendorst rugosa roses in a sale. I love rugosas, I love the colour pink, and I love good cheap shrubs - not that any self-respecting gardener needs any reasons to buy new roses...

In solemn memory of a beautiful hedge I'd seen at Inverewe Gardens, Scotland, I planted my pink Grootendorsts close together in a little row at the edge of the Hen House Garden. Rugosas are tough, my books told me, and these shrubs would need to be - sandy soil, competition from gum trees and a Leyland shelter hedge, almost out of reach of the garden irrigation system.

When 'tough' turns into 'too tough' gardeners need to act quickly and decisively. The struggling roses were dug up on Valentine's Day, 2008 (in mid-summer) and popped into the top corner of the new Shrubbery Garden. The quasi-hedge concept was abandoned.

Inverewe's Pink Grootendorst Rose Hedge

Inverewe's hedge of pink Grootendorst roses stretches for many meters, all trussed up on tall posts and chains. But, hey! My little group are now extremely happy and floriferous in the sunshine of the Shrubbery. When I wander past I think about my wonderful garden travels in Scotland. And I couldn't possibly copy Inverewe's planting design, anyway - why bother?

The flowers are frilly, and quite non-rose-like, with other writers comparing them to carnations. A Google search gives it the common name 'The Hedgehog rose', which appeals to me. Pink Grootendorst roses are a sport of the original red, and there's also a white variety. For colour worriers, the pinkness isn't extreme, and the rugosa leaves are a charming, wrinkly green. Go on - you'll love them!