Old-Fashioned Roses at Daws Hall

Iain first succumbed to the charms of old roses whilst visiting gardens in England and Italy, but it was at Mottisfont Abbey, Hampshire, home to the National Collection of pre-1900 old-fashioned roses, that he became truly smitten. ‘I was bowled over by the wonderful scent, which modern rose growers try to emulate — not altogether successfully, in my view,’ he says. ‘For me, nothing can beat the exquisite blooms of old roses, and many have such a rich heritage — The Apothecary’s Rose is at least five hundred years old.’ Today, Iain grows some 150 different old roses, as well as a handful of the best modern roses — such as ‘Graham Thomas’, ‘The Pilgrim’ and ‘Munstead Wood’ — and several species roses.