@Omori...to be honest, I've never been too concerned about scents when buying roses (although if they have a nice scent that's a huge bonus), I'm more interested in their appearance, colour, disease resistance and rain tolerance etc.
Regarding difficult sites, I will have a difficult (or certainly less than ideal) site to fill in the coming months; a neighbour has cut down most of her huge clematis which had been spilling over my wall, but it's a site that doesn't get any direct sunlight...plenty of reflective light though from windows etc, so it's never in shade as such, and the plan will be to put a couple of roses in pots there just for a couple of years to see how they respond, so Mayflower might be an ideal one to try.
@sarinka, i don't want to put you off any rose because i don't have much experience but out of the three, i would say drop Susan Williams. I have it and it had been underwhelming. If it was me a white/whitish rose in a pink bed Desdemona would be a my choice. I don't have white roses so can't offeralternative. But may be someone else in forum cansiggest a better white.
@sarinka, i don't want to put you off any rose because i don't have much experience but out of the three, i would say drop Susan Williams. I have it and it had been underwhelming. If it was me a white/whitish rose in a pink bed Desdemona would be a my choice. I don't have white roses so can't offeralternative. But may be someone else in forum cansiggest a better white.
Oh no, it took me ages to settle on that one, but thanks, I'll reconsider. I have two days off work to research it. I need a white rose more than any other.
@Marlorena, did you come to any conclusion on the benefits of tea leaves round your roses? I'm still putting them around some of my roses but can't detect much difference.
Hmm, I’m afraid have to agree with @newbie77@Sarinka, I’ve had SWE for 3yrs and it’s leggy, not the healthiest and the fragrance isn’t very notable. The blooms, although very pretty, barely last a day on the bush and there is just not enough of them to compensate for their ephemeral nature. For a compact, free-flowering white how about Little White Pet? or blush white Marie Pavie? Both available from DA. If I wanted a DA-bred rose, it would be Desdemona too. However, so much depends on your location and garden conditions, so just because SWE doesn’t impress me or newbie, doesn’t mean it won’t do well for you.
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
All good points, it really depends how much you want a specific rose. Sometimes a less popular rose could become a favourite, it really is a personal choice. That being said, Desdemona is a lovely rose. I don't have SWE to be able to comment unfortunately.
@Lizzie27 ...re tea leaves... yes I still put them around my roses.. what I have found is that it does no harm, so they don't go to waste.. they do provide some nutrition but whether it makes any difference it's impossible to say as we feed them too.. I feel better for doing it.. I also use chopped banana peels.. I'd like to think it's beneficial and I can't see that it wouldn't be.. that's all I can say really..
@sarinka I have Susan Williams Ellis (three of them). Planted bare root in March this year, so still very young. Absolutely zero black spot (one of my reasons for choosing it), profuse flowers which to me have a lovely strong scent. They are compact, not one of the leggy DA roses. I agree the blooms are short-lasting, but there are so many of them, that is a counter-point. They are in a south-facing garden in the SW of England. I have high hopes for them.
However, these are the very first roses I have ever grown, so I am not an expert, and cannot compare them to the others mentioned.
A relief to hear a positive review, pianoplayers. I'm in a fairly mild area- Bedfordshire. I love the look of Susan W-E, esp the frilliness and femininity.
Thanks all for the feedback- it's appreciated and food for thought. I love the look of DA's Winchester Cathedral andTranquility, too, as well as non-DA roses Iceberg, Boule de Neiges plus half a dozen others.
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Regarding difficult sites, I will have a difficult (or certainly less than ideal) site to fill in the coming months; a neighbour has cut down most of her huge clematis which had been spilling over my wall, but it's a site that doesn't get any direct sunlight...plenty of reflective light though from windows etc, so it's never in shade as such, and the plan will be to put a couple of roses in pots there just for a couple of years to see how they respond, so Mayflower might be an ideal one to try.
...re tea leaves... yes I still put them around my roses.. what I have found is that it does no harm, so they don't go to waste.. they do provide some nutrition but whether it makes any difference it's impossible to say as we feed them too.. I feel better for doing it.. I also use chopped banana peels..
I'd like to think it's beneficial and I can't see that it wouldn't be.. that's all I can say really..
However, these are the very first roses I have ever grown, so I am not an expert, and cannot compare them to the others mentioned.
Thanks all for the feedback- it's appreciated and food for thought. I love the look of DA's Winchester Cathedral andTranquility, too, as well as non-DA roses Iceberg, Boule de Neiges plus half a dozen others.