Rosa 'Betsy Sinclair' & Crambe maritima - 13 August 2022

Crambe maritima, known as sea kale, was a fave of Rosemary’s because it is a grey /blue leaved perennial. It tolerates being close to the sea and salty soil so it is called a halophyte. 

Since I have not bought this plant as far as I can remember, the plants (about four of them) in my garden are noble perennials that Rosemary purchased years ago.

Having observed my potted roses, I have come to the conclusion that Crambe maritima and small clematis are pleasant companions that roses feel comfortable in sharing a pot.

This explains my scans here. I particularly like how the leaf edges come out light and the inside of the leaf is rendered dramatically darkish.

Rosa 'Benjamin Britten' & Crambe maritima - 13 August 2022

The problem is combining a leaf with a rose. The 3 roses here, English Roses, Rosa ‘Benjamin Britten’, & ‘Darcey Bussell’ and Robin Dening’s Rosa ‘Betsy Sinclair’ (named after his wife who is Margaret Trudeau’s sister) because they have multiple petals, the flower itself, if not suspended with my small bamboo pole, is heavy on its own and the petals flatten. It was slightly better when I scanned Darcey Bussell because I made a hole in the middle of the crambe leaf so that I could pass the rose stalk through it and suspend the rose from the bamboo. But best was Betsy Sinclair as it was not yet quite open so there were no petals to flatten. 

Rosa 'Darcey Bussell & Crambe maritima 13 August 2022

Observe the photograph I took of Betsy Sinclair being scanned and you can see the setup.

And here is a second version with Betsy Sinclair.