 ^ I've nosed out a couple of sexy obscurities like this locally-bred Hybrid Tea, Royden. Notionally, I hate yellow roses but there I was, planting yet another one. You probably won't believe me but it was the scent that made me its bitch; it's stuffed with ripe fruit and pettigrain and attar. Utterly majestic.  ^ The delightful Jacqueline du Pre. > Golden Wings. A very healthy, graceful single. | Last year marked a massive rose-buying spree and the garden is now heaving with them.They're spilling out of every corner, crowding out the silverbeet in the kitchen garden and cage-fighting with the perennials in the raised beds.  ^ Rugosa Kordes Robusta detail.  |
| ^ A massively underrated Austin rose, The Endeavour. Huge cupped pinky golden chalice-like blooms oozing a warm fruit fragrance on a healthy, upright bush. Fuck yeah. Get one today. >  |  |
| ^ A lot of people turn their noses up at Rugosas, but I can't get enough of the spiky little bitches. This is Blanc Double de Coubert; she's posher than you. Deal with it. > This is Glamis Castle. It's a petite, twiggy little thing so far and a tad blackspotty, but to be fair, the weather's been completely shit. If you like myrrh, GC is for you. The blooms are thickly-scented and peony-shaped in a beautiful floaty ivory shade. Probably my favourite white rose. |  |
| BELOW Benjamin Britten: fruity. And rusty this year.  |  ^ Rugosa Roseraie de L'Haÿ. |
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^ Mary Rose, another good Austin and another superstar that seems to be taken for granted. I find her incredibly beguiling; she's one of the first modern roses to go balls-out with the flowers and their musky myrrh scent drifts over half the garden on a still day. There is something very romantic about her blousy, whorish profusion.
 > Rugosa Agnes. She comes but once a year, but she does it in almost 100% shade and never bothers me for anything. You've got to love that. | < Errr... erm... some sort of Bourbon. I bought three or four pinks and lost the freaking tags right off the bat, dammit. Great perfume, though still too small to say much about its constitution.  |
 |  < Sharifa Asma. Groaning with buds this year. Primo scent. ABOVE Summer Song, a newish Austin. A bit fucked up by the constant rain, but it doesn't ball so I forgive. Great exotic fruit scent. |
 ^ Golden Celebration; lives up to the name. > & BELOW: Paul Gaugin, a nice little floribunda. The stripes are a little more tasteful than usual and there really is a modest scent. Wonders will never cease.  |   |
ABOVE RIGHT Ellen, a nice, if slightly gangly, Austin with a rich fruit/soap scent
< Evelyn, another Austin stunner. The scent is definitive expensive rose soap.
And finally bellow, some oldies and goodies.
BELOW LEFT The venerable Bourbon climber Zéphirine Drouhin. Divine perfume, happy in a shitty dry position and yields a nonstop profusion of slightly unsophisticated lolly-coloured blooms. All this rain's given it a bit of black spot, but nothing major and she's chugging along nicely. A quick fix for an ugly corner. Highly recommended for the doofus/novice grower.
BELOW RIGHT The eternal Rose de Rescht. Elegant emerald-green bulletproof bush topped with a frilly float of glowing magenta goodness. Highly scented, another forgiving candidate for the beginner.
And finally bellow, some oldies and goodies.
BELOW LEFT The venerable Bourbon climber Zéphirine Drouhin. Divine perfume, happy in a shitty dry position and yields a nonstop profusion of slightly unsophisticated lolly-coloured blooms. All this rain's given it a bit of black spot, but nothing major and she's chugging along nicely. A quick fix for an ugly corner. Highly recommended for the doofus/novice grower.
BELOW RIGHT The eternal Rose de Rescht. Elegant emerald-green bulletproof bush topped with a frilly float of glowing magenta goodness. Highly scented, another forgiving candidate for the beginner.
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