Notes from the cutting garden

The Idea

Roses are one of the most requested flowers in weddings and events — a symbol of beauty, romance, and timeless elegance. But here at Branch and Bloom, our approach to roses is a little different. We grow over 200 bushes in our cutting garden, not as a production crop, but as an ongoing love affair with the old-world charm of garden roses.

The reality

Despite how often roses feature in our installations, most of the blooms we use for large-scale weddings and events are sourced from specialist growers. These are glasshouse-grown roses, cultivated under carefully controlled conditions for consistency and longevity. Ours, on the other hand, are grown outdoors and left to thrive (or struggle) in Clevedon’s ever-changing weather — under the watchful eye of Mother Nature and a rather indulgent florist.

We have around ten varieties, planted in modest quantities — twenty plants or so of each. There’s Windermere, a creamy rose that looks divine on the bush but drops its petals the moment it's picked. She’s objectively unfit for event work, but I can’t quite bring myself to dig her out, I keep warning her she has one more season. Then there’s Ali Mau, an early- and late-season bloomer with fewer thorns and a reliable temperament — a favourite here. Tradescant used to be a showstopper but seems to be growing tired and will likely be replaced this time next year, while Sparrieshoop is thriving, flinging out long, arching stems covered in single-petalled blooms.

Princess Margaret of Kent is a more recent addition and doing wonderfully. Julia was a romantic dream that never quite found her footing — only one of her remains. These roses aren’t just plants, they’re personalities, with triumphs and shortcomings like the rest of us.

The process

Each winter we prune them hard, apply natural treatments like copper spray, and prepare them for spring. We stopped using harsh chemical sprays a few years ago in favour of organic alternatives and foliar feeds — the result is a garden that smells sweet and feels safe, whether you’re cutting armfuls or simply inhaling deeply.

I often prune later than most to time the first big flush for our early November weddings. That’s when the roses tend to be at their most glorious — just as the year begins to speed up. The spring wind arrives, school deadlines hit, end-of-year celebrations kick off… and right in the middle of it all, the roses give their best performance.

The moment

Last season, Saskia and Aniket’s wedding at The McCallum Residence coincided perfectly with the garden’s first flush. We added handmade garlands of garden roses into their suspended installation — soft threads of scent and colour woven into the structure. You can see a peek of it over on our Instagram feed.

And more personally? That same time of year, you’ll often find me grabbing five minutes in the rose garden with friends or colleagues — glass of rosé in hand, basking in that brief window when everything is in bloom.

The invitation

If you have a wedding, event, brand shoot, flowercrown workshop or spring celebration planned for mid to late November — and dream of incorporating garden-grown roses — now’s the time to get in touch. These roses can’t always be relied upon, but when they do perform, they bring something utterly magical. Reach out via the Contact page, and we’ll see what’s possible.