Rose Gardens in England

June is traditionally when rose gardens look their best in the northern hemisphere. Some great locations in which to visit and view them are in the British Islands.

Here is a sampling of some of my favorite Rose Gardens in England:

• The Royal National Rose Society's Garden of the Rose at St. Alban's offers the best and most important rose collections in the world. International Rose Trials include new varieties from all over the world. My daughter and I spent a fantastic day there at the annual Festival of the Rose in 1984. Now closed throughout the rest of the gardenfor renovations and expansion to some 60 acres, the gardens will not reopen in this year as expected. Coordinators feel the plants and collections are not yet ready for public viewing.

• Hever Castle and Gardens in Kent was once the childhood home of Anne Boleyn. Roses are in bloom all summer long, but are at their peak during 16 - 22 June. My daughter and I spent an enchanting day, also in 1984, exploring this thirteenth century romantic castle and the enchanting gardens. We could almost hear Henry VIII and his entourage ride boisterously onto the grounds.

• Sissinghurst Castle Garden near Cranbrook in Kent is probably one of the world's most celebrated gardens. Creation of Vita Sackville-West and her husband Sir Harold Nicolson, the showpiece of Sissinghurst for me is the "White Garden" with its pergola of white climbing roses that reaches bloom peak in mid-June. Many years ago, I made a daily pilgrimage to the top of the adjacent tower to photograph these roses at their peak! Throughout the rest of the garden sections, old-fashioned roses climb through trees and ramble over walls. All are well-tended adn neatly labeled. Detailed information about Sissinghurst is presented in a multipart Suite101 series by former garden design writer Kirk Johnson.

  If you have a favorite rose garden, please send an e-mail about it to me at landscaping@suite101.com