Fushia Flowering Gooseberry

A few weeks back we drove out for a quick visit to Coughton Court.  The visits to the house were timed, and since we had about half an hour before our entry time, we had a little tour of the garden.

Just look at this...no wonder I was drawn to this little beauty, its flowers were like little fushia blossoms, but the leaves were really shiny and looked like tough gooseberry leaves.

There was no name label, and I was really pleased when I entered: gooseberry with flowers like fushias into my search engine I found the name.  Ribes speciosum or Fushia Flowering Gooseberry.

With great spines, and my hatred of being lacerated by thorns, I don't think this one will be in my garden.  Had the flowers been followed by large delicious berries, I may well have been tempted, since I love gooseberries.  The two gooseberry plants, which I have growing in tubs are now in flower and my mason bees are doing a fine job of pollinating them.