December 2023
In January 2023 we launched our Rose Garden appeal to purchase roses to replenish the empty beds and replace old and diseased shrubs. The generous funds given by the public were kindly matched by the rose grower David Austin, thus enabling us to acquire 350 shrub roses, in a variety of colours and forms, all chosen for their fragrance and resistance to drought. Two new species were introduced, Dannahue, a compact and shapely apricot flower, and Penelope Lively, a classic and elegant mid pink rose.
A plaque with a new design is being made and will be positioned at both entrances of the garden to help identify the different varieties.
We would like to thank CityParks groundsmen for giving us a helping hand in planting the roses and Preston Park ranger Marie Ingledew in bringing her team of volunteers to plant and prune.
Our dedicated Tuesday volunteers have been very busy all year long weeding, pruning, planting and keeping a vigilant eye on the health of the roses. They ask members of the public to keep their dogs on a lead as the roses have young stems that bruise or snap easily when dogs go through the beds and considerable damage has been noticed over the years.
In spring 2024 we will be mulching the Rose Garden once the pruning is done and we aim at purchasing enough fertiliser to hoe in. We welcome any donations to go towards the purchase of the fertiliser so if you would like to donate please use the donate button on this page.
Thank you to all our generous donors who are contributing to making the Rose Garden the most cherished garden in Brighton for today’s and tomorrow’s generations.
