Sunday 5 July 2015

Good year for the roses ...

The very best time of the year is right now. Right this moment. When the roses are out, and the foxgloves, delphiniums, sweet peas and honeysuckle are their good companions.

I just can't resist giving a snapshot (literally) of the roses currently in bloom in the garden. This year a lot of my Old roses are blooming well for the first time, and growing strongly. Although late to flower, due to the cold spring, all the roses are loving the current conditions of warmth and rain, and they are putting lots of new growth on. I am having to support quite a few, due to the weight of the blooms pulling down the canes, particularly after heavy rain.

Being a sad anorak, these photos are loosely ranked, with my favourites coming first, and those I tolerate drawing up the rear. There are lots of other roses which didn't have a flower to photograph,  so I hope to get photos as new blooms appear.


Wollerton Old Hall
The most gorgeous rose ever. A huge, romantic David Austin English Rose. Currently covered in massive  blooms, each one having the most glorious scent.


'Jude The Obscure


'St Swithuns'


'Rennes de Violettes'



'Charles de Mills'


'Teasing Georgia'


'Alissar Princess of Phoenicia'


'White Pet'


'Gruss an Aachen'


'Gentle Hermione'


'You're Beautiful'


'Geoff Hamilton'


'Cardinal Richelieu'


'Wisley'


'Comte de Chambord'


'Cream Abundance'


'Alberic Barbier'


'Aloha'


'Pink Abundance'


'Greenall Glory'


'Champagne Moments'


'William and Kate'


'Munstead Wood'


'Shropshire Lad'



'Silver Wishes'


'The Countryman'


'Attenborough rose'


'Ballerina'


 'Pearl Anniversary'


'Mme Alfred de Dalmas'


'Mme Alfred Carriere'


'Belle Poitivine'

Bit of a cheat as it is not in flower now. The flowers are a clear, bright pink, but the foliage on its own, makes it well worth growing. Apple green, healthy, vigorous and unusual!


'Rosa Mundi'


'Veilchenblau'


'Mme Hardy'


'Bonica'


'Pearl Anniversary'


'Teenage Spirit'


'Absolutely Fabulous'


'Waltz Time'

So, 'Waltz Time' is on borrowed time at the bottom of my list of roses, as it is my least- loved ! 'Wollerton Old Hall' is number one, and many of the the ones in between are interchangeable, depending on how they are looking and how I am feeling. 

I would love to know your own personal favourites ... and least favourites, which, I would hazard a guess, will be totally different to mine, as like all gardening, it is all down to personal taste !











































38 comments:

  1. What an impressive collection Jane, and I can just imagine the lovely scent on some of them! William and Kate is my favourite of the lot :)

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    1. Hi Mark & Gaz, William and Kate has such pure white flowers, and it has strong canes which do not need support.

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  2. I am such an anorak! I hold up my hand ! I collect them like stamps. William and Kate is lovely. Self supporting, strong growth and lots of lovely pure white blooms !

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  3. 'Greenall Glory' -- that is my favorite amont the ones you show here. Yet, they are all stunning. The other day I was feeling a "need" to visit a rose garden, and then I got too busy. I am going to have to make time for it! Lovely post!

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    1. Hi, 'Greenall Glory' is lovely as the buds are pink before the flowers open. The foliage is so glossy and healthy too.

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  4. Wollerton Old Hall - just planted this spring - is right at the top in my garden, along with Crown Princess Margareta. Blooms on the former are only semi-double just now (due to the heat, I imagine) but what a marvelous rose... I would love to try some of the once-blooming antiques (including my old favourite, the Common Moss), but it seems like a bad choice here where they would just be getting into stride when the weather turns nastiest! I will stay with the repeat-bloomers for now, and the David Austin varieties are first class for that... You are reminding me that I'd still like to try Veilchenblau one of these days :)

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    1. Hi Amy, veilchenblau is a beast! So vigorous but very lovely. Wollerton Old Hall is the epitome of the English roses, I agree. I do not grow Crown Princess Margareta - what is it like ? You can't go wrong with DA's !!

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    2. Crown Princess Margareta is luscious: apricot (more pink in the heat) and very, very double, good scent, strong, clean growth, canes might benefit from pegging!

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  5. Oh what a fabulous collection Jane! I'm sorely tempted by 'Wollerton Old Hall'. Shropshire is not so far from us so we've visited the garden at Wollerton several times over the years. My favourite rose is probably rosa glauca. It's not that showy flower wise but the foliage is most attractive.

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    1. Hi Anna
      I agree with you about Rosa Glauca, it is attractive in flower and out, as the foliage is spectacular. I do have two in the garden, but neither are in flower. What is the garden at Wollerton like ? I believe they have lots of Old roses, is that right ? Lucky you!

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  6. Hi Jane, You have so many wonderful roses. Your garden must be a feast for the eyes and nose! I'm partial to showy flowers so I love St Swithuns, Rennes de Violettes and Absolutely Fabulous. I must admit I love Waltz Time, too, but think maybe it should be renamed Last Waltz! Happy Gardening!

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    1. Hi, I should maybe learn to love Waltz Time ! St Swithuns is a beauty, as is Rennes de Violettes. Absolutely Fabulous is lovely when the flowers are fully out, but I must admit I am not keen on the bright orange buds ! Boy am I hard to please !! Happy gardening to you too!

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  7. Wow you do have a lot of roses, At the moment White Cloud and White Star are our top performers.

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    1. Hi Sue. I love White Cloud, but don't know White Star. White Cloud is late to the party here, this year, but is finally flowering!

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    2. White Cloud has been putting on a good show for ages here -strange

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  8. You certainly have a wonderful choice of roses, the perfume must be wonderful! I can't say that I have a favourite but David Austin roses win hands down in the garden here.

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    1. Hi Pauline, I love all the DA's, they are fantastic!

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  9. I have lots of the same roses as you. I think my favourite is Abraham Derby though. It has been a good year hasn't it. Although they were late to get going they seem to have bloomed for ages.

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    1. Hi Su, I also have Abraham Derby and love him dearly, he is not in the photos as there are no blooms at present. Which is your least favourite ?

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  10. Of the ones you have, I love Veilchenblau, it is in my top 10. Also Buff Beauty, Reve D'Or, New Dawn, Moonlight are just a few of my favorites that I grow. I have not grown "Belle Poitevine" but always thought it was a lovely name for a rose.

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    1. Hi Phillip, Veilchenblau is a very unusual colour, and I am partial to single flowers. It also grows like a weed!!
      I like Buff Beauty, but do not know your other favourites so I will have to do some research!

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  11. Madame Hardy so far down your list. Disappointed, I am.

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    1. Don't be disappointed Professor!! She is but a babe in arms, and has only borne that single flower, so has yet to prove how lovely she is!!

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  12. My favorite rose is any without blackspot. I had to dig out my very favorite, Westerland, because the blackspot was so bad. I'd done everything I could and it was just covered. I thought I'd miss it but I don't. Yours are gorgeous. I love every single one!

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  13. Hi Tammy, that was a very brave act ! I tend to find it much easier to love the roses with healthy foliage ! They have to take their chance here in my garden as they are left to their own devices. I have a climber 'White Cloud' which seems to be affected by mildew every year and I am planning to take that out in the autumn, or at least find a better spot to replant it.. They have to deserve their place !

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  14. Hi, Jane! wonderful collection of beautiful roses. I love 'Waltz Time' as well but it bloomed two summers only and died after very cold winter. I think it's not too hardy for our climate. I also love 'The fairy' and 'Proud of England ' they both winter well.

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    1. Hi Nadezda, it hadn't crossed my mind that roses like 'Waltz Time' may not be hardy. I know the China roses are not hardy but thought all others were totally hardy! How cold was your cold winter?

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  15. What a lovely roses you have...you have so many collections....I'm so amaze...

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    1. Hi Normala, thank you for your comments. I'm afraid I can't stop buying new roses ...

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  16. Almost missed this beautiful post of lovely roses. Difficult to mention all my favourites but my number one is definitely 'Félicité Parmentier' following by 'Mme Hardy', 'Mme Isaac Pereire', 'Ferdinand Prichard', 'White Wings', 'Tess of d'Urberville', 'Gloire de France', 'Winchester Cathedral', 'Abraham Darby', and many more, I think I have to make a top 50.
    I have to say we have a great rose year until now, many strong flowers and almost no diseases.
    Wish you a lovely new week between your fabulous roses!

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    1. Hi Janneke, thank you for your list , I will refer to it when choosing new roses for the garden. 'felicite Parmentier' is already on my wish list, as is 'Ferdinand Prichard'. I already have - and love- Abraham Derby, Tess and Winchester Cathedral .

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  17. Hi Jane, I do like roses but really struggle to grow them in my shady garden and those that I do manage to grow are usually full of blackspot. Seeing yours is like a breath of fresh air, I can almost smell the scent as I turn green with envy!

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    1. Hi Rick, I do have to do a lot of lopping and cutting back to keep it sunny enough to grow them. However, I have been experimenting with my own one year old cuttings, and seeing how they tolerate semi-shade. I have been surprised by how well they cope as I thought they had to have over 6 hours of sunshine a day to succeed ! Some varieties can seemingly cope with less !

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  18. I don' t know how I missed this post. What a wonderful collection of roses. I am another rose anorak. I love them all. From your list I have and love Charles de Mills, Teasing Georgia and Gentle Hermione. I love single ones too such as Mutabilis and Sally Holmes. But David Austin roses are peerless, I love them all. As I write I keep thinking of more and more that I can' t be without.

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  19. Hi Chloris, so many gorgeous roses out there ! I would have them all if I could! I will check out those single ones you have recommended as I am really getting into singles at the moment, but have heard of neither of those.

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  20. A newish hybrid, Mollie, is performing well in my garden. I liked it so much I bought another one. Glossy leaves help keep bugs and disease away. Pretty coral pink, large semi double blooms last forever on the bush and it blooms it's little heart out. It held up well during our recent 2 months of extreme heat. Rhapsody in Blue is a favorite because it looks beautiful with almost every other rose and is especially charming with Love Song, a pale lavender floribunda. I just found your blog and bookmarked it.

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  21. Hi and welcome Annie, I will have to check out Mollie, as that is a new one for me ! I love to see glossy, healthy foliage !

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    1. Jane, you won't find Mollie on Google or Help Me Find. The hybridizer is Ed Odegaard. There is a picture on northlandrosarium.com, but even prettier in person. The petals look almost translucent. Hope you find one and like it as much as I do.

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Thanks for visiting and reading.
I really welcome comments and have learned much from them, over the years of leaning over the virtual garden gate ...