THE MODERN MINT BLOG
Roses for Hips
Just a quick note to share these choices of roses for their hips, from the RHS magazine. The rose choices were…
Rosa rugosa ‘Alba’ – yes, lovely. choice
Rosa filipes ‘Kiftsgate’ (not sure who has the space to grow this one!)
Rosa ‘Francis E Lester’
Rosa ‘Generous Gardener’ (though the article noted if you leave the hips on you will get fewer flowers later in the season)
Rosa ‘Morning Mist’
Rosa ‘Cupid’
Rosa sericea subspecies omeiensis f. pteracantha (not just a mouthful of a name, but the hips drop off quickly too, within a few weeks)
Rosa ‘Geranium’
Rosa californica
Rosa rubiginosa (sweet briar! Crush those leaves for the scent!)
Rosa virginiana
Rosa ‘Shropshire Lass’
Many of these roses are species roses, because they have a need to set seed, in order to live on and prosper!
Uses of Rosehips
Loved this part of the article, as we have a special interest in skincare and the use of plants for helping the body stay healthy.
Hips were used for:
Itching powder
An excellent source of Vitamin C
The pulp for jams and juices
As a tea – recommended to alleviate headaches, cramps, dizziness and osteoarthritis.
It is also said to improve your mood, your energy levels and the quality of your sleep.
Those hips don’t lie, huh?
For more on roses, take a look at a blog about our visit to David Austin Roses.
Modern Topiary, the Book, at Garden Media Guild
My book about topiary, Modern Topiary, has been mentioned on the Garden Media Guild newsletter…. As the screenshot says, the book can be read for free online here. At the bottom of the screenshot, it looks like another Garden Media Guild member has a book out called ‘A Year In A Cottage Garden’…. so if that is where your garden heart lies, check that out too! And at the top of the screenshot, it looks like I was listening to Pelleas et Melisande, by Debussy. What a classy chap I am, listening to classical music as I reply to emails. …
Start of the Whitby Topiary Library
I have been offered a space here in the centre of Whitby, south-facing aspect, with some raised beds in, so that I can make a Topiary Library. In my head, a topiary library is a place to showcase the common (and then not so common) shapes you can make out of topiary. With classical topiary plants, as well as some more unusual pieces. This Topiary Library can act as a reference for people to learn more about pruning and clipping. The space is small but the aspect is great and the beds are deep enough to put some plants in. …
Delivery After Dark – From the Makers of The Amelia Project
Last week I spent most nights stood in cold water streams on the moors of North Yorkshire, helping to film a new project called Delivery After Dark from the makers of the Amelia Project. I worked on the Amelia Project back at the end of 2024, lending my terrible vocal talents to a small part in the episode Didius Julianus. But this project is something new – and exciting! – and thankfully only needed me to be filmed, rather than to actually say anything. But not only did I have to stand in cold moving water at midnight, I also …