There is something special about Dog Roses. Somehow it seems a special treat to see them in the hedgerows. Their pale pink petals so fragile, tender and ephemeral, their colour changing with the degree of light and shade. Dog roses are blooming this week in the village playing field (Olympic Park), the Charlton Down Nature Reserve, and the place I call the ‘Meadow’ on the north side of Charlton Down – to name just a few of the easily accessible spots where you can enjoy them. In these locations there are only isolated rose bushes but sometimes the whole hedgerow is adorned with them; I have included some pictures like this from a walk on Charminster Down taken several years ago.