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OLD Roses
We grow our
roses on their own roots.
Alba - Dating from Medieval
times, Albas feature pastel colors with pale, greeny-grey foliage, seven leaves,
and pointed, scimitar-shaped thorns. Most have superb fragrance. Albas are
spring-flowering, extremely cold-hardy, and disease-resistant. USDA Plant
Hardiness Zones 3-9
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Celestial- Alba, unknown origin- very
ancient. Healthy, robust, superb. Shell pink flowers semi-double. 6x4
tolerates light shade. Very fragrant.
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Great Maiden's Blush
-is one of the best of the Albas, and is one of the most well known also. Many
a cottage garden has had this rose growing beside if for decades. It is
absoutely charcteristic of the group, with its graceful habit, soft coloring,
long bloom period, and incomparable fragrance. This rose will eventually
attain a size of 6 feet tall by 5 feet wide. Blooms are borne in clusters of 3
to 5, exuding one of the most refined scents of all roses. The bloom period,
although occurring only once a year, lasts for up to 6 weeks. 'Great Maiden's
Blush' is considered to be one of the finest of all of the European
once-blooming rose, and has been a standard in many cottage gardens. It's
great heath and carefree demeanor has ensured its popularity for centuries.
Very Fragrant
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Maiden's Blush- 18th century-smaller
version of Great Maiden's Blush- smaller flowers on larger shrub than GMB. (GMB
has larger flowers -15th century) Very Fragrant.
Bourbons
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Zepherine Drouhin- Bourbon- Climber-
pretty flowers produced in great quantities, very fragrant, deep
cerise-carmine. Grows happily on north wall and may be grown as a shrub or for
hedges. Can withstand heavy pruning. Very good repeat bloomer. Thornless.
18-10ft. Very Fragrant. 1868 Bizot
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Honorine de Brabant-
Bourbon. Strong leafy growth, with pale pink flowers produced well into
autumn. Very sweet, rich scent. to 6 1/2' Unknown
origin.
China -
The Chinese were probably hybridizing roses
before the 10th century! China roses added the yellow gene to modern roses
(giving us apricots, oranges, etc.)as well as the "rebloom" gene.
Brought to Europe in the mid-18th century, these low-growing shrubs produce
clusters of small flowers ranging from white to pink to true scarlet, with a
spicy fragrance.
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Old Blush-
China rose, almost thornless. Flowers are
pink, fading to silvery-pink and are produced almost continuously from summer
to winter, delicious scent. Tolerates part shade. To 15 ft. with support.
(1789)
Damask - Brought to Europe by
the Crusaders, these ancient roses have rich perfume. The tall, arching shrubs
exhibit strong winter-hardiness. One of the oldest classes of roses , these
provided the basis from many of our modern hybrids. Zones 4-9
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Ispahan- Damask- Vigorous, upright,
shrubby. Flowers fully double, cupped, warm pink, rich and heady scent, blooms
over long periods in summer. Good for hedging, mixed borders, and containers.
prune to shape, and remove a portion of oldest wood after flower. 5'x4' zone
4-9, sun, regular water. No repeat bloom. (1832)
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Madame Hardy- 1832 Damask Alba-very
double white bush to 6 feet Fairly intense Damask
fragrance, with honey-like overtones.
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Celestial- Alba, unknown origin-
ancient vigorous, spreading, bushy, flowers cupped, 3 in. across, pale pink.
very sweetly scented. to 5 ft. long red hips, blooms midsummer, tolerates
light shade.
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York and Lancaster- a Damask known since 1551 which is easily recognized by its unstable
flower colours, deep pink, very pale pink, or some combination of the two,
with occasional striping in petals. Easily confused with Rosa Mundi. Legend
has it that the name came out of the War of the Roses. The house of York had a
white rose and the house of Lancaster had a red rose for their emblems. York
and Lancaster, with its bicolor blooms, supposely represented the joining of
the two houses. Very Fragrant.
Gallicas - Possibly
older than Damasks are the Gallicas. Short, compact plants with thin, prickly
canes and highly perfumed flowers. Colors range from pale pink to dark purple.
Plants are spring-flowering and winter-hardy. Zones 4-10
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Apothecary Rose- This is probably the
oldest form of Gallica in cultivation, having been brought from Damascus to
France by Thibaut Le Chansonnier in the 13th century. It is shown in the
famous altarpiece in Ghent Cathedral painted in about 1430. Notable for its
culinary and medicinal value, useful in crafts, and ability to control erosion
on steep slopes.Spreading,suckering bush up to 5ft high. Deep reddish pink
blooms mid-late summer. OTB. Highly disease resistant, prune out unwanted
canes after flower.
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Autumn Damask (Orgy Rose)- Rosa
Damascena Bifera- Quatre Saisons- very ancient rose which probably
originated in the Middle East as a Hybrid between R.gallica and R. moschata.
Twice flowering (or more) Intense Damask
fragrance. Excellent rose for making pot pourri. 10th century 4-5'
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Cardinal de Richelieu- triploid
Gallica-China hybrid- Laffay 1840- shrub up to 5 ft. few thorns- needs feeding
and careful pruning-dbl
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Complicata- Very robust, reliable and
free flowering variety with very large flowers of a brilliant, pure rose-pink
and golden stamens. Excellent as shrub, or climbing into in old trees, hedge.
Light, fresh sweet scent. 5ft x 6ft or to 15ft as climber. One time bloomer-
but a fantastic display lasting 6 weeks or more. Unknown origin
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Sissinghurst Castle- An old Gallica
found by Vita Sackville-West growing at Sissinghurst Castle in the ruins of
the garden. It makes a mass of stems up to 4 ft high, purplish-crimson
flowers, mid to late June. Good for low hedge.
Hybrid Perpetual - An offshoot
of Bourbons- can be pegged- very versatile in the garden. Popular in Victorian
England, these roses bear repeat blooms of fragrant, full flowers on tall,
upright shrubs. Zones 5-10
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Reines des Violettes- Hybrid Perpetual-
Flat, well formed, medium-sized flowers with varying shades of lilac and
purple petals. Almost thornless, dusky greyish foliage. True Old Rose
character. Repeats well. To 6ft. (Prior to 16th century)
Moss - Popular in Victorian
England, these distinctive roses have fragrant, mosslike growth on the flower
buds. They are available in a range of colors and flower forms. Some repeat
bloom. Zones 4-9
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William Lobb- Moss shrub up to 6 ft or
more. Semi-double, crimson in bud, dark purplish-crimson fading to paler
purplish lavender, scented. Mid June. OTB. Well mossed on buds and pedicels.
(Laffay-1855)
Portland -
Compact, fragrant, and repeat-blooming, Portland
roses are excellent in small gardens. Possibly a cross of Damask & Gallicas.
Zones 4-9
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Jacques Cartier-
Old Rose -Portland-China hybrid. Rich pink flowers from summer to autumn.
Blooms are fully double, sometimes showing a
button eye at the center, and the fragrance, to me, is quite strong and sweet
4x3ft. (Moreau-Robert 1868)
Species - These are the
original roses, growing wild in temperate climates, with characteristic flowers
of five petals.
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Rosa Glauca- (Rubrifolia/Species/Wild)
Purplish gray leaves, small single bright pink blooms. Mostly gown for it's
foliage, flowers a bonus. Summer flowering- 6-8 ft. long bloom time. Great
fall hips. Before 1850. Lightly fragrant.
Ramblers - These varieties can
be so vigorous they grow into treetops. Most are once- blooming, producing
masses of vibrant blooms. Some are very fragrant and produce red-orange hips in
fall.. Zones 5-9 (depending on variety)
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The Garland- Rambler, vigorous up to
16ft. but can be hard pruned to large bush. Small flowers in large clusters,
pale creamy- salmon fading to white with a buff yellow tinge. Very fragrant,
an amazing display when flowering. Mid June bloom. May be grown into small
trees with great effect. (Wells, 1835)
Climbers - These varieties can
be so vigorous they grow into treetops. Most are once- blooming, producing
masses of vibrant blooms. Some are fragrant. Zones 5-9 (depending on variety)
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Zepherine Drouhin- Bourbon- Climber-
pretty flowers produced in great quantities, very fragrant, deep
cerise-carmine. Grows happily on north wall and may be grown as a shrub or for
hedges. Can withstand heavy pruning. Very good repeat bloomer. Thornless.
18-10ft. Very Fragrant. 1868 Bizot
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