Plant of the Month: Roses

June really is the month for roses and when I saw Margaret T’s roses growing on her allotment, I was enchanted by each and every one and I have listed below a few that are in flower now.

A David Austin climbing rose, introduced in the year 2000 and named after the Irish flautist. Margaret grows this rose as a shrub, so the flowers are at head height and the pink blooms, paler at the edges, have an old rose appearance and fragrance.

What a name!   And, what a rose! This gorgeous hybrid tea has blush-pink, very fragrant, repeat-flowering clusters, and glossy dark-green leaves.  Considered disease resistant. Introduced in 2006 by rose-breeder, Colin Pearce.

A climbing rose, that many gardeners are very familiar with. First introduced by Jack Harkness in 1973.  Opening coral-pink, fading to pale pink, the blooms are highly fragrant.  Repeat flowering.

Crowned ‘Rose of the Year’ in 2006, and deservedly so, as this floribunda rose is just enchanting.   A National Trust Charity Rose, inspired by Powys Castle in Wales and introduced by breeder, Kordes in 2006.   Repeat-flowering, with clusters of fragrant, creamy-white flowers with a pale-apricot centre. Disease resistant.

A sumptuous hybrid tea bush rose introduced by Noack Roses in 2008, with purple-crimson double, highly-fragrant long-flowering blooms.  Considered disease resistant.

Many years ago at a garden centre in Northamptonshire we were both sold this rose as ‘Claude Monet’ which, I discovered, happens to be multi-coloured.  We call them the Monet roses but for clarification we need to double-check with the garden centre – if we can locate it!  However, both our roses appear to have the same appearance as ‘Ferdinand Pichard’, a hybrid perpetual, with raspberry-fuchsia coloured stripes/markings on each petal.  The blooms have an old-rose fragrance and appearance, rather lovely, and a favourite of ours. Considered disease resistant.  Rosa ‘Ferdinand Pichard’ was introduced by Rose breeder, Rémi Tanne in 1910.

Margaret tells me she provides the roses with a mulch of manure in late winter and that is all – no fertilisers whatsoever!  She grows them amongst her flower beds and their height adds an additional dimension and another layer to the overall look of the planting compositions.

Anna L