Dear Mummy, every year for the past 3 years you’ve been taking me to see the roses at Mottisfont in Romsey, Hampshire. It’s an 18th-century home with a medieval priory owned by The National Trust and we’ve had many adventures here. Every year in June, Mottisfont host an internationally renowned heritage collection of 19th century roses which draws crowds in from far and wide. The display is in the walled garden and you can see why people choose to spend hours sitting in the sun admiring the views.

The roses flower just once a year so I made sure mummy booked some time in the calendar for us to see this unrivalled show. It’s a great day out as there is so much to see and do. We’re also members of the National Trust, so we gain free entry. Here’s a photo snapshot of our day out. I’ve changed a lot since my first visit to Mottisfont when I was 4 months old!

We start off by having a picnic on the lawn in front of the house. It’s a very chilled out affair with only the ducks to bother us! A lot of people are also having picnics with wine! On a Monday afternoon!! *Ahhhh the life!**

Afterwards we seek out the roses. Acclaimed horticulturist Graham Stuart Thomas designed and planted the rose garden and brought his unique collection of shrub roses to Mottisfont in 1972. The walled garden is one of only 6 in the world to be in the Rose Garden Hall of Fame. Woweee mummy I feel privileged to see it!

I like using the paving stones as stepping-stones and we spend a lot of time in the walled garden hunting for fairies amongst the flowers.

I find it hard to resist touching the soft petals of the flowers and I am mesmerised by their beauty. They hold some strange power over me and stop and stare. I’m told to be gentle with them by my mummy.

We posed by the glorious Kathleen Harrop climbing roses in the Frameyard.

‘Mme Alfred Carriere’ roses climb over the walls and the arches and are a beautiful pale pink rose, they were a Victorian favourite. We see them everywhere in the walled garden at Mottisfont. Roses aren’t the only blooms showing off in the gardens, there are also beautiful irises and shrubs which act as a backdrop to the display.

It’s very relaxed in the gardens and there is a gentle hum of people chatting, just like the humming of bees which collect pollen from the flowers. The roses will be in bloom until the end of this month and Mottisfont have extended their opening hours on some of the evenings, so make sure you visit after work or at the weekend to take in this stunning display. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/mottisfont

We had a fabulous time and can’t wait to go back next year and enjoy the display. It’s become quite an annual pilgrimage for my mummy and I. It’s lovely for my mummy to look back and see how much I’ve grown as well as the roses! We hope you like our photos!

Love Bella x