A WEEK IN MY GARDEN - 13 JUNE, ANOTHER ROSEY POST

 The 'can I write about every rose in the garden challenge' continues.  There's plenty to get through so if you're ready we will dive straight in.  

The first rose is a really good one.  It's called Blush Noisette and it's a short climber, growing 3m high.  Its beautifully scented, smothered in blooms and it repeat flowers.  It seems to be disease free as well.  It was introduced in 1817, and it seems appropriate as the garden surrounds a Victorian house.  The roses grow up two obelisks standing by the greenhouse.  I would highly recommend this one.

Blush Noisette

The next rose is grown over a support as I think it would be too lax to support itself.  It makes a dome about 1.5m high.  It is in quite a shady position but it doesn't seem to mind, blooming very freely.  The colour is slightly redder than it appears on my computer monitor.  Tyrian Purple, it's described as on one growers website.  It's called 'Prince Charles'  and was introduced in 1842.  Its healthy, but it doesn't repeat flower.  I did read that roses that flower only once are more tolerant of shady spaces which seems to be true.

Rosa 'Prince Charles'

Another purple rose is next.  I am fond of a purple rose.  This one I chose for the romance of the name.  It is Cardinal de Richelieu introduced in 1847.  Its a another rather lax plant, although that may be partly caused by growing it in the shade so it could do with some better support.  It does get a bit of black spot and although the individual flowers are pretty it's not a rose I would recommend.  I think some of the modern roses with blue in the name are a very similar colour and will repeat flower unlike this one.

Cardinal de Richelieu

The next rose is another old rose called Comte de Chambord first grown in 1860.  This one did not like being in the shade and I moved it to a sunnier spot where it seems much happier.  It is supposed to repeat flower although it has yet to do that for me.  

Comte de Chambord

So far, no David Austin roses, and I know they rather dominated the last two weeks posts.  'Scepter'd Isle' is a David Austin one though. The flowers have that traditional David Austin cabbage rose look with a spicy scent (described as myrrh on their website).  It's a medium sized shrub, later into flower than Oliver Rose Austin, which I have already reviewed, and a slightly warmer pink.

Rosa 'Scepter'd Isle'

Growing next to 'Scepter'd Isle' is 'Reine des Violettes', another rose that I confess I grow for the beauty of its name as much as its flowers.  It's supposed to be 4ft high bush, but I'm growing it over a rose frame as it put on much more growth than that.  It flowers just once but is covered in deep magenta blooms.  It is quite healthy and strong growing.

Reine des Violettes

Two more to go and then that's it for this week.  Here is 'Tuscany Superb' a rose which dates from 1837. It's a wonderful deep colour which contrasts beautifully with the golden stamens.  It was a favourite of Vita Sackville West, who grew many of the old roses at Sissinghurst.  Once flowering sadly, but healthy and not too unruly, so worth a space in the garden.

Tuscany Superb

It's been a bit of a marathon writing this weeks post but the finishing line is in sight.  The last one for this week is Rosa 'Raubritter' , which is what is called a procumbent rose, that is one whose habit is to grow wider than it is tall.  It is ideally suited to this position atop a low wall, where it can tumble gracefully forward.  The flowers are medium pink and they are perfect miniature cabbage roses.  It dates from 1936, flowers once and has some black spot at the moment.  If you have the right situation for it, it makes a lovely display.  At Mottisfont, where I first saw it, it tumbles around the pool in the centre of the famous rose garden there.

Rosa Macrantha Raubritter

A gold star  for you if you made it to the end.  Still to come are some Alba roses (very healthy), some favourite floribundas and climbers too.  Perhaps you have had enough of roses for now though and fancy a change of subject?  You'll have to let me know.  Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and I hope to see you next week.