My favourite Roses and why

As the name of my business suggests, I love Roses. They have the most gorgeous blooms, scent and I love the amount of different varieties to choose from. The phrase 'a kid in a sweet shop' springs to mind when those gorgeous catalogues come through my letterbox. Last year for my birthday my friends all bought me Rose vouchers and it was such a wonderful gift- I got to choose my favourites and then when they bloom it reminds me of each of them.

I'm a big fan of David Austin Roses, but also of Peter Beales roses, who are based in Norfolk and have the most amazing Rose garden open day in June each year. (If you haven't been yet- then add this event to your diary!)

Every garden should have a rose! Sometimes perceived as tricky to maintain, but I find them pretty hard to kill!

 

Here are some of my favourite roses:

 

Eustacia Vye

https://www.davidaustinroses.co.uk/products/eustacia-vye

"An exceedingly pretty rose of soft, glowing apricot-pink, each bloom packed with numerous delicately ruffled petals. Held on red-tinged stems, the blooms begin as shallow cups, opening to full rosettes, revealing petals of a richer hue, which gradually pale over time. They have a delicious strong fruity fragrance. A very healthy variety; it makes a strong, vigorous shrub with bushy, upright growth. Named after the flawed heroine of Thomas Hardy’s, The Return of the Native. David Austin, 2019."

I have one of these roses planted in my cutting garden border, but I loved it so much I couldn't bare to cut any of them. I planted mine as a bare root in January and had gorgeous blooms all summer long!

 

The Lady Gardener

https://www.davidaustinroses.co.uk/products/the-lady-gardener

"Bears large, quartered rosettes, each about 4” across, packed with loosely arranged petals. They are a beautiful shade of pure apricot, paling towards the edges. There is a lovely Tea fragrance, with hints of cedar wood and vanilla. Named for Plant Heritage, who do so much to protect Britain’s garden plant diversity. David Austin, 2013."

A gorgeous apricot coloured rose that matches perfectly in bouquets with pinks and peach coloured flowers. It has had a mass of blooms and I even have one still in bloom (and it's the 20th December!)

 

Boscobel

https://www.davidaustinroses.co.uk/products/boscobel

"Red buds open to beautifully formed, upwardfacing, coral-pink rosettes. Small petals of varying shades mingle to provide a most pleasing effect. The myrrh fragrance has delicious hints of hawthorn, elderflower, pear and almond. It forms an upright shrub. Charles II hid in an oak tree at Boscobel House during the English Civil War. David Austin, 2012."

This rose is the best smelling rose... ever! If scent is what you're after, I couldn't recommend this one more.

 

Novalis

 

https://www.classicroses.co.uk/roses/novalis-bush-rose.html

"(Floribunda) ‘Poseidon’. Beautiful clusters of lilac/violet, frilled, cupped rosette flowers with a light scent. Bushy with lovely light green foliage. Tolerates some shade."

This is my favourite coloured rose- it is a beautiful pale lilac- a colour I'd never seen on a rose before. Truly pretty and great vigour with large blooms. It can tolerate shade so I put this in the border next to my house which stops getting the sun in the afternoon, and it's performed so well.

 

Summer Memories

https://www.classicroses.co.uk/roses/summer-memories-shrub-rose.html

"(Floribunda) Clusters of peach buds opening to cupped, large, scented, creamy-white rosette blooms. Very healthy and bushy. Suitable to be grown in a container. Winner of worldwide accolades. Bred by Kordes."

I have this rose growing up one side of my front porch and it smells amazing. It has the best blooms at the beginning of the season. I planted these as container roses as I planted these in May once I had first moved into my house. This rose was actually the first plant I planted in my garden! 

 

Notre Dame

 

https://www.classicroses.co.uk/roses/notre-dame-de-calais-climbing-rose.html

(Modern Climber) Creamy, semi-double scented blooms with a hint of lemon. Versatile and rudely healthy, capable of producing an abundance of flowers each year. Thorny disposition and therefore useful as a burglar deterrent. Suitable for group planting in woodland. This rose was introduced to mark the refurbishment of a church by this name in Calais, France and features in the gardens surrounding the church of the Notre Dame de Calais, Bred by Beales.

Growing up the other side of my porch- and the petals are the purest I have ever seen. If you're looking for a climbing rose- I can't recommend this one enough.

 

I have a long list of roses to grow, and the list keeps getting longer! I'd love to know what your favourite roses are. Send me a message on instagram @therosepressgarden and tell me yours!