It’s all coming up roses

This past week has been a celebration of roses at Rose Week – a flower spectacular held every July at the International Rose Garden at Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park in Belfast. It’s a hugely popular event, not only celebrating the roses in all their glory but also Northern Ireland’s heritage of rose breeding which dates back to the late 19th century. Entry to the garden is free and you can bring your dog (and of course we did !)

We arrived on Saturday afternoon and had to wait for some fairly heavy rain to pass before venturing out into the rose garden. Even with the rain, the roses were simply beautiful. Everywhere you looked you could see roses, thousands of them – in a myriad of colours and varieties – a real floral feast for the eyes. We slowly made our way round the garden, busy with locals and tourists alike,  enjoying the spectacle and stopping every now and then to inhale the delicate fragrance. I don’t have roses in my own garden, I think I have always been slightly intimidated by them, but I should probably rethink that strategy and give it a go.

These are a few of my personal favourites…to be honest, it was hard to narrow it down to just a few as they were all stunning.

I loved this striking combination of red and white…

And after the rain, the ground strewn with delicate rose petals.

I think this one is my favourite of the favourites…the Sissel rose – a soft blush pink flower with a subtle rose fragrance. Really rather breathtaking.

I hope this has given you some idea of the beautiful blooms on display. Some people may never have thought that Belfast would even have a rose garden. But it’s one of the many lovely gardens that we have here – well worth a visit for a botanical pick me up and some inspiration for your garden at home.

For more information, you can learn more at the Visit Belfast website