Cottage Memories

Cottage Memories, a family rose nursery near Wisbech

Cottage Memories is a family business that grows classic roses alongside cottage perennials, iris and peonies. The nursery trades online as Cottage Memories Rose Nursery and operates from Meadow Farm on Leverington Common, in the Gorefield area near Wisbech. It is part of SENS Horticulture Ltd, company number 05005857, and holds GB Plant growing passport number 105838.

Roses organised by type and colour

The catalogue is structured so that buyers can browse by growth habit and by flower colour. The type categories include climbing roses, climbing patio roses of 6 to 8ft, hybrid tea roses, floribunda, rambling roses, patio roses, nostalgic or English style roses and old fashioned shrub roses, plus a section of new varieties and another of occasion or gift roses. Colour groupings cover apricot, orange and peach; cream and white; pink; lilac and purple; deep pink; red; deep red; white; and yellow.

Further sections gather roses suited to pots and containers, varieties for shady spots, a fragrance selection and a Rose of the Year selection. Standard roses form a separate group marked as collection only.

Varieties listed in the shop

Among the best sellers shown were Peach Melba (Rose of the Year 2023) at £14.00, Starlight Symphony (ROTY 2019) at £14.25, and Eye of the Tiger and Abracadabra at £12.50 each, all listed as pre-order and with VAT included. New introductions such as Ice Cream, Jubilee Papa Meilland, Tropicana, Wildberry, Pacific Blue, Sweet Parfum de Provence and Peter's Persica were priced at £12.75. Art Deco was listed as Rose of the Year 2027 at £14.00, and You're My Everything as Rose of the Year 2025 at £14.00.

Standard roses appeared at £37.00, marked collection only and out of stock at the time of writing, including You're My Everything, Together Forever, Precious Memories, Pure Poetry, My Dad, Mum In A Million, Duchess of Cornwall and Audrey Wilcox. The nursery notes that standards are budded at approximately 80cm and that examples which may be available include Absolutely Fabulous, Arthur Bell, A Whiter Shade of Pale, Birthday Boy, Blue for You, For Your Eyes Only, Henri Matisse, Hot Chocolate, Margaret Merrill, Nostalgia, Oranges and Lemons, Rachel, Reconciliation, Rock and Roll, Rhapsody in Blue, Special Anniversary and Tequila Sunrise.

Bare root, potted and standard roses

• Bare root roses are offered for mail order between late October and March.
• Potted roses are available from April to September or October, subject to weather and stock.
• Standard roses, particularly those with a high fragrance rating, are collection only from the nursery or from a show.
• Containerised roses can also be bought at the events where the nursery exhibits, and pre-orders can be taken to shows.
• Collection from the nursery can be arranged during the summer months.

Delivery limits within the UK mainland

Plant health restrictions mean the nursery can post bare root and containerised roses only within the UK mainland. Courier costs prevent shipping to some postcode areas in Scotland, including the Scottish Highlands and Islands; a courier quotation is offered on request for those destinations.

How varieties are chosen

The nursery states that it selects the roses it grows on the basis of reliability and health, and that its featured roses are presented as a gallery of suggestions rather than a complete list. Its own description of the range highlights a combination of beauty, plant health and reliability, with many varieties carrying fragrance. A dedicated fragrance page and named fragrance favourites such as Whispers of Rose, Rose Petal Breeze, Velvet Rose, Spice, Bold Rose Essence, Sugar-Kissed Rose and Intense Rose Bloom support that emphasis.

Buying in person and at shows

Beyond mail order, Cottage Memories sells at garden shows, where it exhibits and can bring pre-ordered plants, and offers collection from the nursery during the summer. The site also lists gift cards and a rewards programme called Petals Rewards.