The White Rose Garden

The White Rose garden encircles an oval shaped lawn, accessible from the back terrace. We originally planted two winter flowering cherries in the far corners but they cast too much shade and looked out of place with the ancient beeches behind them. A range of white roses filled the beds, but we found that 'Macmillan Nurse' with its creamy flowers and glossy foliage made the other look tired and eventually we dug them all out and planted 36 'Macmillan Nurse', with just Siberian Iris and geranium tuberosum to offer some contrast. the entrance arches are covered with Clematis 'Viola' and the obelisks (which replaced the cherries) with Clematis 'Wisley'. Marcus Aurelius (who it seems might actually be Septimus Severus) has a purple toga of 'Clematis Wisley'.