As there are people on here growing 'Desdemona', I'd love an opinion on a rose that is exceptionally beautiful in a neighbour's garden. They don't know its name, but inherited it. It has scrambled up to fall over a fence, so the flowers are too high up to smell. The height is admittedly larger than the descriptions of 'Desdemona', but Austin roses often do this, seemingly. Could it be 'Desdemona'? It has a very distinctive flower shape, slightly like 'Sombreuil' but less full, and the buds are coral pink. In our neighbourhood, it tends to flower later in the season and it's not yet in flower--these photos are from last year.
@agnasia They are both inherited from the previous owner. I actually have two montanas, one pink, one white. I like them a lot for reliable coverage. They do grow big, so only get one if you really need to cover a large section of a fence or a big structure. Nelly seems to be relatively easy to grow too. But I am not good with group 2 clems, I never know how much to cut back after the first flush. I rarely get a significant second flush, usually only a couple of blooms. Also, group 2 clems at least here flower before roses, which is good if you want continuous interest but I prefer group 3 flowering together with roses.
@Omori how exciting, we’d love to go to Japan one day.
I went out to check on the garden and see if any of the roses were as far along as Desdemona at the front, just in case any had pipped her to first place.
Lady of Shalott showing colour.
Vanessa Bell even more so
Kew Gardens very close
So thinking it would be a race to the finish between Kew Gardens and Desdemona, I turned around to go back in and saw that Malvern Hills was already there!
And one of the wisteria, just because it was looking pretty.
@LateralBreaks I love your roses, and I doubt we'll see many more so unusual as R. villosa... I only know the 'Wolley-Dod's' rose, which is a form of that..
@Marlorena . Thanks. That's a great complement coming from our rose thread's guru. I think that having a few older and more unusual varieties / species adds something to a garden.
Rosa villosa certainly qualifies on that count. It hasn't really been fashionable since the 1830s. The flowers have a light scent but the foliage smells strongly resinous when rubbed. Wolley-Dod is a double form that can still be found in some collections and gardens, including the one at David Austin's I think.
Don't grow up - grow sideways.
Gardening in the West Midlands on a mix of neutral loamy sand & Victorian building rubble.
It’s a slow start here on the rose front. It’s great to see all your blooms and I like hearing about the old roses. I removed Paul Neyron this spring, it was just very prone to black spot.
Looking at the moss roses they are beautiful. Do they tend to be thorny? Some say few thorns and I wondered if the temptation to touch them would result in a sore hand…
Just teasing Ross, I know you are a big DA fan and I look forward to seeing your roses. WAMS is so right there, honest reviews trump paid puffery every time 😊
Alfie my JCs are in threesome, but don’t need to be really, Marlorena had a single specimen that was just as big. Astronomia is a single that would grow twice as wide if I let it, but I like to keep it within bounds.
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
@edhelka@Marlorena, thanks for replying re deadheading. I only asked because I thought it encouraged more buds and your roses always look so beautifully floriferous. I always look forward to seeing your photos.
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Nelly seems to be relatively easy to grow too. But I am not good with group 2 clems, I never know how much to cut back after the first flush. I rarely get a significant second flush, usually only a couple of blooms. Also, group 2 clems at least here flower before roses, which is good if you want continuous interest but I prefer group 3 flowering together with roses.
I went out to check on the garden and see if any of the roses were as far along as Desdemona at the front, just in case any had pipped her to first place.
Lady of Shalott showing colour.
So many roses coming along nicely on here.