David Austin – Charlton and Blackheath Amateur Horticultural Society

Clare Lanes talking about the Greenwich Park Rose Garden renovation project.
CABAHS September 2025 — Clare Lanes explaining the Greenwich Park Rose Garden renovation project.

CABAHS members were delighted to welcome Clare Lanes, Project Manager of the ambitious Greenwich Park Revealed project, to talk to us about ‘The Greenwich Park Rose Garden: Renovation and Redesign 2023-2025‘.

Tackling this has been a thorny issue – no pun intended – amongst park users as the Rose Garden was a much-loved feature. Somewhat surprisingly the Rose Garden, as it was when Head Gardener Tom Brown began work on the replanting in 2021, was not one of the heritage areas that fell under the Greenwich Park Revealed project. The garden had first been laid out only in the 1960s with some updates taking place in the 1990s.

June really is the month for roses and when I saw Margaret T’s roses growing on her allotment, I was enchanted by each and every one and I have listed below a few that are in flower now.

Rosa 'James Galway' — Rosa ‘James Galway’

A David Austin climbing rose, introduced in the year 2000 and named after the Irish flautist. Margaret grows this rose as a shrub, so the flowers are at head height and the pink blooms, paler at the edges, have an old rose appearance and fragrance.

Rosa 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' — Rosa ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’

What a name! And, what a rose! This gorgeous hybrid tea has blush-pink, very fragrant, repeat-flowering clusters, and glossy dark-green leaves. Considered disease resistant. Introduced in 2006 by rose-breeder, Colin Pearce.

Tag: David Austin

September 2025 Talk: Clare Lanes on the Greenwich Park Rose Garden

Plant of the Month: Rose (June 2024)