Guy Savoy Rose
Guy Savoy Rose
In my garden the Moosey cats, and the dog (and recently the garden birds) are all robustly catered for, with variety if not flair (Whiskas and tough Tux triangular biscuits, plus scrummy left-overs from the Moosey kitchen). The resident Moosey cook (me) is sadly non-gourmet, and doesn't read recipe books or even watch the TV chefs.
A Famous Chef
But I've got a famous chef in my garden! His name is Guy Savoy, and he's a rose - a rather individualistic striped chap, possibly crimson, cherry, or cardinal red, depending on the eloquence of the rose catalogue. And the other bits of his stripes? Think squishy cranberries stained with whisked egg-white...
I buy a lot of my roses in a rather random way. They may be recycled from other gardens, or rescued from sale tables. That's how I first met Guy Savoy, but there was nothing on his label to suggest his origins. I've done some research (thanks, Google) and can provide the following information:
From the year 2001 on, the Delbard company in France created a collection of roses called 'Great chefs', with roses named after culinary greats Guy Savoy, Michel Bras, Pierre Gagnaire, Olivier Rollinger, and Dominique Loiseau.
Guy Savoy Striped Rose
Poor Guy! He was suffocating, bare-rooted, in his plastic bag, looking as if he had definitely puree-ed his last artichoke and shaved his last truffle. This just wouldn't do, so I bought him home and popped him straight into a pot of good, moist potting mix. Later, when he'd recovered, he went into my rather 'basse-cuisine' Glass-House Garden.
Guy Savoy Roses
Well, he lived and flourished, and now insists on throwing out one ridiculously long rose cane each year, late in the autumn, a dramatic gesture for anyone wandering dreamily along the nearby path. Silly chap!
Recommended Striped Rose
I'd recommend Guy Savoy to anyone who has had a bad-colour experience with a striped rose. Guy's stripes are really beautiful, and he manages to look natural and stylish at the same time. For me he flowers in flushes which are noticeably later than my main batch of roses - this is an added bonus. Michelin three stars? Moosey five stars, please!