Mawson's roses revived
16 August 2010
A rose garden originally designed by Thomas Mawson has re-opened after a £1.5 million restoration rescued it from years of dereliction.
The Grade II registered Bushey Rose Garden, near Watford in Hertfordshire, was created by Mawson in 1913 in exchange for a portrait by the eminent Victorian artist Sir Hubert von Herkomer, who ran an art school on the site. However the garden later fell into disrepair after vandals damaged structures and stole paving, forcing its partial closure.
A grant of nearly £1 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund, with further contributions from Hertsmere Borough Council and others, paved the way for work to begin on reversing the garden's decline. It took about a year to restore the main features, matching their original architectural details as closely as possible. A Bavarian tufa stone fountain which had not run for decades is now in working order, a rose temple and Grade II listed summer house have been refurbished and red sandstone cloisters dismantled, cleaned and reconstructed.
In all about 500 new roses have been planted alongside thousands of herbaceous perennials to extend the season of interest. They include many varieties which Mawson – himself a rose enthusiast – would have chosen, such as the Bourbon rose 'Boule de Neige' and climber 'Rêve d'Or'. The new head gardener, rose specialist Paul Knott, will work with a team of volunteers to look after the garden, and hopes to include more Mawson-recommended roses in the garden.
'Although the bones of the Rose Garden are finished, there is a lot of scope to develop it,' he said. 'I think the garden has a unique and special ambience which I really hope to build on.'
Entry to the Bushey Rose Garden is free and is open daily all year round.