How does your garden sound?

[Bryn]

Quite possibly the first classical use was by Enescu, in his opera Oedipe.

[EdgeleyRob]

I've got a Robert Plant.

I've got a Kate Bush.

[Ferretfancy]

Yes, my avatar is indeed the Benjamin Britten rose. It flowered particularly well this year - must have known it was its centenary. In fact there are still a few flowers and new buds. I'd describe it as a slightly orangey red, rather than pink.

I did once try to grow the Peter Pears gladioli, but no luck. They aren't easy things to grow. When it was launched, there was also one named after Benjamin Britten, a lavender/lilac colour. It didn't survive the way the Pears one did, and I doubt it it's obtainable any more. BB and PP gave sacks of them to their friends in Russia, I believe. (Is that legal?) I remember seeing the PP one in the Red House garden when Pears still lived there, about 1981, I think.

Didn't David Austin Roses (of which the BB is one) have one named after Elgar, too?

Are these the same gladioli that Dame Edna encourages people in the audience to wave at the end of her show? This request goes with the injunction 'Remember ladies, it's the little bit on the end that does the work ! '

[hedgehog]

Bergenias are an oft overlooked plant. The plant breeder Eric Smith liked them however and for some reason named (some of?) his new varieties with names of composers starting with 'B'.

So there are Bach, Beethoven, Brahms and Britten Bergenias. No Berio or Boulez though, conservative lot these plant breeders.

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/Plant-trials-and-awards/Plant-awards/Latest-AGM-plants/Bergenia-Eric-Smith

P.S. The climbing rose 'Handel' is lovely, I can recommend it.

[Mary Chambers]

Are these the same gladioli that Dame Edna encourages people in the audience to wave at the end of her show? This request goes with the injunction 'Remember ladies, it's the little bit on the end that does the work ! '

Ha ha. No, Dame Edna's flesh-pink gladdies predated the Peter Pears ones by some years.

[edashtav]

Quite possibly the first classical use was by Enescu, in his opera Oedipe.

That's surprising - both in terms of the (conservative) composer and the late date , c.1925-30. Cheers, Bryn!

[MrGongGong]

This is the essential label I think ?

http://www.gruenrekorder.de/

[Serial_Apologist]

This is the essential label I think ?

http://www.gruenrekorder.de/

Wot! No cow looking over the gate? Someone should alert Liz Lutyens...

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

The climbing rose 'Handel' is lovely, I can recommend it.

- the first plant we put in the garden of the house we're in now. Seventeen years on, it's flourishing (fresh buds still appearing in October).