I never promised you a rose garden...

Do you remember that line in a romantic song? Either way, we understand that, even though the wish was there, its realization was never possible. And much is the case concerning roses in our climate in Portugal. The heat reduces the flowers to fallen petals in a moment. Yet we have a need to express our passions just the same. Today, it is often forgotten how the incredibly courageous Portuguese set sail in their little wooden ships to discover routes to the unknown parts of the globe and answers to their everyday existence. Well, you have probably guessed by now that one of the plants they brought home from China and Japan were Japanese roses or camellias.

But camellias are no shadows of roses; they are much hardier and grow into wonderful flowering trees lasting a hundred years or more. And, in this way, I CAN promise you the rose garden of your dreams - subtle, varying, colourful flowers with evergreen foliage and NO thorns!