Dear Chelle, actually because of the gulf stream on the west side of our small island and the fact it rains quite a bit the rose hips are quite big! Roses seem to like clay soils, especially around here. Everyone who grows them puts horse manure around the base in October, and prunes them to stop wind rock in November. Endless pruning and deadheading as they grow so well. I know as most of the Royal parks and big estate gardens have massive rose gardens, and I have worked on them.
The dog rose grows wild everywhere, and it can be a menace. Yet it is still collected and made into Rose Hip Syrup. or in some places Rose Hip Wine! Rose Hip wine is incredibly good for you, if you don't have too much.
My mother is getting on in age now, but you brought back some lovely memories for her, so i thank you again!
My mother always tells the story of some Caribbean soldiers, yes they were in the war as well. They were billeted into my uncles farmhouse, that is they were allowed to live there as we did not have enough military barracks, and those we did have were bombed by the Germans.
Anyway they brought some bananas and pineapples with them across the Atlantic. They most kindly shared them with the schoolchildren to taste. That was an amazing thing during the war, as nobody knew what they were, and you could not get them.
My mother tasted her first Orange in 1943 when my grandfather came home on leave from Egypt, and dates, she was very lucky as orange juice was not available until the late 1950s
The children nowadays think it is rough, try that. No chocolate, no sugar, no coffee and a small amount of tea. Hardly any meat and you grew your own vegetables.
Great Article.
Neil.
