The stories behind the blooms

Named after the virtuous and committed queen from Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, Gentle Hermione embodies the enduring power of love, grace, and forgiveness. This rose is a vision of delicacy, with its perfectly cupped blooms in soft blush pink that open to reveal an intricate rosette pattern. Its fragrance, a blend of myrrh and classic old rose, lingers in the air like a whisper of compassion and understanding. Much like the character it is named after, Gentle Hermione speaks to the quiet strength found in devotion and the healing nature of love that withstands the trials of time.

There’s something enigmatic about Eustacia Vye, named after the passionate yet complex heroine of Hardy’s The Return of the Native. Her warm, apricot-pink blooms hold a touch of mystery, radiating with the same heady allure that made Eustacia both irresistible and unreachable. With a fragrance of soft, fruity notes, this rose captures the intensity of desire and the complexities of unspoken longing. Much like the character herself, Eustacia Vye brings a sense of intrigue and romance, transforming the garden into a place of both beauty and contradiction.

Bathsheba, inspired by the captivating heroine from Hardy’s Far from the Madding Crowd, is a rose that demands attention. Her apricot-pink blooms, held in perfect cups, are radiant and full of life, much like Bathsheba Everdene herself, an independent woman torn between the pull of passion and the weight of responsibility. The honeyed fragrance of Bathsheba hints at the complexity of her character, echoing her fierce independence, her charm, and the tenderness of love that eventually finds her. This rose is a celebration of sensuality, the boldness of the heart, and the eternal tension between freedom and devotion.