A design in progress for myself and people who had never seen a purple rose and did not know if they really existed.

The rose is named Reine de Violettes which means Queen of the Violets in French. It is a very old rose, seldom grown in the United States, from 17th century France. It begins with a dark purple bloom that gradually fades to lighter purple.

These inspirational photos are from my garden in midsummer. The lower photo is of A clematis called Etoile de Violette which means Violet Star which grows on an archway above the purple roses.

My entire garden, Chez Violette, is a sanctuary for violets and other rare purple flowers - many of which are nearly extinct and deserve protection. These flowers are not as popular as they were in a 18th century European gardens and are in danger of dying out.