The moors shaped Emily Brontë long before she shaped words. Wind, wide skies, and the steady presence of nature formed the rhythm of her days, and that rhythm lives on in everything she wrote. Emily Brontë did not observe the landscape from a distance. She belonged to it.

A garden is never simply planted. It is designed with intention, shaped by light, season, and colour. Every bloom plays a role, and together they form a living canvas that changes from morning to evening and from spring to autumn. Colour is one of the most powerful tools a gardener has. It influences how large a space feels, where the eye travels, and even how relaxed or energised we feel when we step outside. When understood and used thoughtfully, colour transforms a collection of plants into a harmonious, expressive garden.

Every February, Valentine’s Day arrives with flowers in shop windows, handwritten cards, and small moments of thoughtfulness shared between people who care about one another. Yet behind the modern traditions lies a long and fascinating story. Many people find themselves curious about the history of Valentine’s Day, wondering how a single date became so closely linked with love, romance and, of course, roses.

Imagine a garden where the air is filled with the gentle perfume of roses and every corner seems to invite a pause, a quiet moment of reflection. English shrub roses, with their soft, cupped blooms and delicate fragrances, have long been linked with the elegance and charm of period dramas. These gardens are more than a collection of plants. Each rose adds to the story, creating a sense of romance and timeless beauty.

Valentine’s Day has always been a day of gesture, but it has never truly been about the gesture alone. At its heart, it’s about choosing a way to express what matters, and doing so with care. That might be a few well-chosen words. A note left somewhere it will be found. A gift that feels considered, not hurried. The most enduring expressions of love rarely shout for attention. They simply remain.

Roses guide the pace of the garden year. Their summer display is shaped by a series of small, thoughtful tasks that unfold long before the first bloom appears. Each season offers its own moment to step in and help your roses flourish.

The winter solstice arrives quietly, the shortest day slipping in with little ceremony. In the garden, everything feels suspended. Frost holds the edges of fallen leaves, the soil settles into its long exhale and even the familiar shapes of roses seem to rest. This stillness is not an ending but a pause, a moment when the year hesitates before turning back toward the light.

Roses and Christmas may seem unlikely companions, yet the flower has held a place in midwinter traditions for centuries. At a time of year when daylight is brief and the garden lies still, the rose has often stood for continuity, memory and the promise of renewal. Its presence, whether symbolic, preserved or coaxed into late bloom, has long brought a touch of grace to the festive season.

A winter walk often reveals more than you expect, especially when you start gathering what the season gives you. For generations, people have stepped out into the darker months to collect what the hedgerows have to offer: evergreens, seedheads, berries and, of course, rose hips. A wreath made from these finds feels honest and seasonal, shaped by the garden and the landscape rather than by anything store-bought. It is a small way of bringing winter’s character indoors.

In the stillness of December, when frost feathers the garden and bare branches trace strong silhouettes against pale skies, it is easy to think of another age. A Dickensian Christmas feels close at hand: lantern light on cobbled streets, mist in the air, and behind brick walls and wrought-iron gates, old roses resting through the cold. Though they are bare now, many of the varieties we grow today were already cherished in Victorian times, rooted in gardens that knew the same cold, the same darkness, and the same deep anticipation of return.

Winter has a way of showing roses as they really are. With the leaves down and the flowers long gone, the plants stand in their most open, honest form. This is when the hips become noticeable. On wild species roses, these fruits are not just a seasonal leftover. They are small clues about the landscapes that shaped each plant. If you look closely, they reveal far more than you might expect.

As autumn settles and the days take on a crisp, silvery light, the garden begins to quieten. Blooms fade, leaves fall, and roses offer their final gesture of the year. Their hips, glowing in reds and soft oranges, brighten bare stems like small lanterns and bring warmth to the stillness of the season. These fruits have long carried a nostalgic charm, recalling winter walks, simple festive gatherings and the comforting traditions of Christmas. Rose hips are easy to collect. Choose firm, brightly coloured hips and snip them with a short length of stem attached. A gentle rinse is enough to prepare them for craft or cookery.