Niffing: creating rose sculptures using innovative pruning techniques  

Jenny Barnes has developed her own, unique, pruning technique which not only encourages blooms across the whole rose structure it transforms roses into a plant providing year round interest and structure in the garden.

For a few days last week an intricate living sculpture was skilfully woven into the fabric of our garden. After years of following Jenny’s incredible pruning methods (and also trying a fair few which did nothing to lessons awe) I stumbled across her post asking if anyone had any unruly roses they’d like “Niffing”. 

There was no way I was going to let that pass without reaching out to share the magnificent Kiftsgate, which I’m guessing is around 30 years old, and had been cut back to the ground when the holly tree it grew through fell in a storm 2 1/2 years ago. It was now rampant along a Cornish bank right in the middle of our garden.

Undeterred by the circa forty foot growth, basically barbed wire, Niff accepted the challenge, and set to work over two days of beautiful sunshine sandwiched between flooding and storms.

To say it’s incredible would be an understatement. It moves, resembling a barrelling wave, and everyone who’s seen it is captivated by the movement and shapes and in awe of the skill required to create it.