Blithe Spirit

There are various criteria that will guarantee a plant a place in my garden.  Not all plants will meet all criteria, but they have to tick some of the boxes on this imaginary list.

It goes without saying they have to be beautiful.  They might have beautiful flowers or foliage or structure, but something about them will make my heart sing in some way.

They might have a purpose, like the Bramley apple tree or the vegetables that I grow.

They might have some memory or symbolism attached to them and this is how we get to Rosa 'Blithe Spirit'.

For starters, it is beautiful.  It has a nice delicate scent and pale yellow flowers.  The flowers start as red-tinged buds and when going over fade to a pale, whiteish yellow.  They are quite small compared to many of the roses that I grow, but they are lovely and earn their place in the garden for their beauty alone.


Blithe Spirit is also a play written by Noel Coward in 1941.  It was then made into a film directed  by David Lean in 1945.  The film cast includes Margaret Rutherford and Rex Harrison and is a triumph of technicolour filming.  It is on my list of favourite films.  Margaret Rutherford (1892 - 1972) is one of the great British film stars and on film, in my opinion, the definitive Miss Marple  (on TV then that accolade goes to Joan Hickson).

So I've established I consider it a beautiful flower and a superb film.  It is here that Blithe Spirit moves into 'guaranteed a place forever in my garden' status.

Noel Coward wrote Blithe Spirit at Portmeirion, from previous posts you will know my obsession with Portmeirion so at this point bells ring, lights flash, this rose has ticked every box possible and three are in the garden.  The only thing that would make this scenario more perfect would be if Noel had written it whilst staying in the Watch House, my favourite Portmeirion room/building.  Still, can't have everything.

Comments

  1. I love the link between the rose and Portmerion - seamless!

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  2. Beautiful rose. And bang on about Margaret Rutherford and Joan Hickson, btw! xx

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  3. That;s a very neat connection between Noel Coward, Portmerion and a flower.

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  4. @cookslaneherbs - love Miss Marple :-)

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