A chat with: Jenny Barnes

Jenny Barnes is Head Gardener at Cottesbrooke Estate and is leading the way on creative rose pruning. Her amazing rose sculptures and layered, swirling, beautifully trained ramblers and climbers are inspiring lots of gardeners to experiment and be brave with their pruning. I love her unconventional approach and am thrilled to share this interview where you will find out a bit more about Jenny, her thoughts on pruning and a rose called Ethel.

SH: Lots of people are inspired by your innovative, fun rose pruning techniques. How did you first get into working this way? Where does your inspiration come from and do you have a mentor?

JB: I was lucky enough to work under Mark Edwards for a few years at Asthall Manor. He was an amazing gardener and taught me everything I know. The style of pruning that I now use was dreamt up and developed by Mark. Whilst I was there, he gave me a quick tutorial and then let me loose on his beloved roses….so brave!! I still use the same technique but have developed my own style and it amazes me how different our work looks. Mark’s pruning is loose and free, he is brilliant at picking the right stem to leave in place to create beautiful natural shapes whereas I prune very tightly, creating solid, cage like structures.

SH: Apart from rambling roses, are there any other plants that can be trained using the same technique?

JB: I use this pruning technique whenever I can, it is a great way of controlling vigorous plant growth whilst adding something really interesting to look at through the winter months. Summer flowering climbers and shrubs traditionally don’t look visually interesting during the winter period so creating structure or pattern using the stems is an added bonus. Wisteria, honeysuckle, clematis and chaenomeles are all great to work with, but I would try it on anything!

SH: Roses are such wonderful plants to grow but they seem to have a reputation for being difficult and a lot of people are worried about making mistakes with rose care and pruning. What are your top tips for someone who is just starting out growing roses?

JB: My best piece of advice and one that I repeat frequently is ‘JUST GO FOR IT!’ Don’t be afraid! You’re right, many people are nervous about rose pruning and rose care – in fact I was one of them when I first started gardening. Text books make it appear a complicated science, with strict rights and wrongs, but that just isn’t the case! You are highly unlikely to kill a rose through poor pruning, the worst you can do is create an odd shape or cut off a few flowers. If the rose appears to not like what are doing, then don’t do it again, pick the strings and try something else. Gardening should be enjoyable, if you like what you have created and you enjoy doing it then you’ve done it right!

SH: Your role as Head Gardener at Cottesbrooke Estate sounds like a dream! What is the best thing about your job and what made you pursue this career in the first place?

JB: I moved to Cottesbrooke about 16 months ago and my feet haven’t touched the ground since! I feel incredibly lucky to work in such an established garden which also has huge potential for future projects. I love the fact that no two days are the same, gardening is such a varied job! We often joke that you wouldn’t become a professional gardener unless you genuinely loved it. Digging in the pouring rain, standing on a ladder in the snow or pushing a mower in 30°C heat isn’t for everyone!  There’s a huge amount of enthusiasm from everyone here at Cottesbrooke and a willingness to push the garden forward, it’s a real challenge which I love!

SH:  It’s impossible to name a favourite plant, I know, so I will let you choose a few – top three roses on your forever wish list?

JB: When I lived in the Cotswolds, my neighbour had the most beautiful pink rambler that was swamped in flowers for months on end. We always referred to it as Ethel. When I moved, I planted an Ethel in my new garden…and it was different! The real Ethel is even more floriferous and super flexible, so a favourite to sculpt. 

Raubritter has the most amazing cup shaped pink flowers, it’s a bit of a straggly grower and not good for the style of pruning that I do, but the flowers more than make up for it.  

The best roses to sculpt are the biggest ramblers and Pauls Himalayan Musk is one that I use a lot.  It’s incredibly vigorous and throws lovely, long, pliable new stems, giving me lots of material to play with. We’ve put lots in at Cottesbrooke, so look out for future wacky sculptures!

SH: Roses are a key component in classic country gardens but what do you think about using them in a smaller setting? And what if your home is rented, can you still grow roses?

JB: Absolutely, yes! Roses are for everyone. I add to my own little rose collection each year and I’m very attached to it. Every time I’ve moved house, the roses have been dug up and taken with me, often at the worst time of year. The oldest have moved 7 times now and have always settled well, put on new growth and flowered well in their new spot. People think roses are difficult to move and that they have to leave behind their favourites, but mine are living proof that they can tolerate most things.

For more rose and gardening inspo follow Jenny on Instagram @niff_barnes. If you are interested in finding out about rose training workshops with Jenny, take a look at @cottesbrooke.estate.