Prints, perfumes and poetry: how to bring the joy of roses into your home

By Holly O'Mahony on 15/5/2020

We’re approaching peak rose season, and as buds of pink, peach, cream and crimson come into bloom, few things are as lovely – or quintessentially British – as enjoying a peaceful moment in a rose garden. Tearing yourself away might prove hard, but the charms of these blushing blooms can be recreated in your home. Of course, there are bouquets themselves (the best, in our opinion, coming from David Austin), but the simple pleasures of roses can also be evoked through stylish prints, sweet-smelling perfumes, sensual poetry and sartorial pieces.
Here are the rose-themed accessories we’re filling our homes, wardrobes and make-up bags with this spring.

The inspiration…

Stroll through your nearest rose garden and soak it all up; the colours bleeding into one another and the subtly different scents. It’s here that you’ll find inspiration for your home.

Queen Mary’s Gardens boasts London's largest collection of roses – approximately 12,000 in 85 different varieties. With plenty of benches dotted around you can spend the whole day reading and lounging amid these floriferous beds.

Hyde Park also stakes its claim to the English rose garden and channels novelistic romance with charming pergolas and fountains dotted around. Look out for the curvilinear flower beds which are shaped to look like musical notes.

South Londoners, meanwhile, should head to Brockwell Park, where inside the walled garden a treasure trove of blushing pink and fiery red roses awaits. Drink up its beauty while breathing in its natural perfume.

The blooms…

When it comes to growing roses, one name practically synonymous with the process is David Austin. The late rose breeder released over 200 new roses in his 75-year career, always with the objective of creating a rose more beautiful than the last. Austin exhibited at RHS Chelsea Flower Show an impressive 36 times over the course of his career, winning a total of 24 gold medals. Two years after he died, David Austin Roses remains a family business specialising in the shrubs, trees and tools to help you grow your own at home.

The prints…

‘Ah, little rose – how easy / For such as thee to die!’ concludes the 19th-century poet Emily Dickinson in her poem Nobody Knows this little Rose. While gazing upon real roses might leave you with equally morbid thoughts about their fleeting existence, the allure of a bold and beautiful print could bring joy to your home all year round.

CW picks (left to right): PeardropPrints Enchanted Rose print, £5 – buy here; Anne Storno: The Secret Woman by Anne Storno, £210 – buy here; Pink Rose in a Vintage Vase, by Estelle Day, £495 – buy here.

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The wearables…

Roses continue to inspire all forms of creativity, not least of all in the fashion world. Carry around the image of the passionate flower with you, whether sewn into a jumper, printed on a dress or through brandishing a bag designed to resemble the delicate folds of its petals.

CW picks (left to right): Staud rose bag, £240 – buy here; Reformation Veronika dress, £171.50, was £245 – buy here; Prada wool and cashmere-blend sweater, £695 – buy here

The scents…

The aroma of roses has seduced lovers and poets alike for centuries. In its most natural and refined forms, the fragrance has been proven to have antidepressant properties, and is used in ointments to calm and uplift. In heady perfumes, meanwhile, rose is enjoyed for its delicacy, versatility and freshness.

CW picks (left to right): Miller Harris Rose Silence Eau de Parfum Spray, £71.95 – buy here; Lumira Persian Rose Scented Candle, £54 – buy here; Frédéric Malle Une Rose Eau de Parfum, £165 – buy here; Jo Malone Red Roses Scent Surround Diffuser, £64 – buy here.

The balms & creams…

In the skincare world, rose extracts are coveted for their mood-boosting, anti-ageing and anti-inflammatory properties. These extracts are also high in vitamins C and E, and thanks to their antibacterial properties, they’re usually compatible with oily, acne-prone complexions. Here are our favourite rose-infused creams, balms, body oils and soaps.

CW picks (left to right): Neal's Yard Wild Rose Beauty Balm, £40 – buy here; Chantecaille Rose de Mai Body Oil, £80 – buy here; Buly 1803 Savon Superfin Damask Rose Soap, £31 – buy here; Floral Street Neon Rose Body Cream, £24 – buy here; By Terry Baume de Rose Face Cream, £55 – buy here

The poem…

The American writer and satirist Dorothy Parker was best known for her wit. But in her poem One Perfect Rose, she also strikes a more sentimental tone, capturing so exquisitely our ongoing fascination and love affair with the perennially romantic flower.