Reviews

Here's a complete list of roses I have grown in Sydney, together with my ratings on:

 Fragrance  Plant vigour

 Flower form
 Repeat flowering frequency
 Disease resistance

Abraham Darby

Fragrance 9 - fruity and strong

Flower form 8 - old fashioned
Disease Resistance 8 - some rare black spot
9 - very strong and tall,
Plant vigour
needs space
8 - starts early in
Repeat flowering
September
A classic David Austin
rose, vigorous and easy to
Comments grow. Long lasting as a cut
flower, with a strong
fragrance.

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Avon

Fragrance 7 - moderate, musty, fruity

5 - a loose, large flower,
Flower form
lasts best when cut
Disease Resistance 7 - occasional mildew
7 - low growing but not
Plant vigour
weak
6 - a slow but reliable
Repeat flowering
bloomer
Comments A popular but dated red
Hybid Tea. There are
better reds available now,
2
 but it may be worth
growing if you like its
particular fragrance.

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Black Velvet

4 - sweet but not as strong

Fragrance as some catalogues
suggest
8 - wonderful when cut, but
Flower form tends to 'blow' rather
quickly on the bush
Disease Resistance 8 - good for a red, but
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 watch for mildew
Plant vigour 7 - a healthy grower
6 - a bit shy compared to
Repeat flowering
some newer varieties
A 1960s hybrid tea, bred in
the US but no longer
available there. Seems to
perform best in Australian
conditions, where the
warmth brings out dark red
Comments colour with a velvety
texture to the thick petals.
Picking the blooms will
preserve a semi-open
form, which is far more
attractive than the messier
full bloom.

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Blue Moon

10 - in my opinion, the best

fragrance of any rose. A
Fragrance
distinct citrus edge to a
classic scent.
9 - tall buds, lovely until
Flower form
fully blown
Disease Resistance 6 - mildew prone
5
 7 - can grow tall but is not
Plant vigour
particularly strong
Repeat flowering 6 - not very generous
The colour is lilac rather
than blue. It's not
everyone's cup of tea, but
the fragrance alone makes
Comments
it worth growing. Widely
available - one of the most
popular hybrid tea roses in
Australia.

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 Crystalline

2 - fresh but barely

Fragrance
perceptible
6 - nice in bud, but blows
Flower form
quickly
Disease Resistance 9
Plant vigour 8 - tall, narrow
Repeat flowering 6
Multi-headed white Hybrid
Tea. Not a good cut flower
Comments
as the blooms are short
lived.

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Dame Elisabeth Murdoch

Fragrance 8 - a nice old rose scent

8 - creates interest by
Flower form changing colours as it
opens. A good cut flower
7 - mildew prone in spring
Disease Resistance
and autumn
9 - bushy and tall with
Plant vigour strong stems and large
red-green foliage
10 - once started, it's
Repeat flowering
nearly always in bloom
A recent Kordes release
from Germany. The lovely
bloom will help you forget
that it is named after
Rupert Murdoch's mother!
Comments
The outer petals are melon
pink, while the inner ones
eventually turn the flower
yellow overall as the bloom
opens fully.

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Double Delight

10 - a strong, spicy fresh

Fragrance
scent
9 - very large, full blooms
with a colour blend that
Flower form
generates ongoing interest
as the bud opens
7 - can suffer from mildew
Disease Resistance
in autumn

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 6 - gets quite bushy after a
Plant vigour slow start, but never grows
very tall.
Repeat flowering 7 - generous if fed well
One of Australia's favourite
roses, and a quintessential
70s rose too. Needs some
pampering to do its best,
but the look and smell of
the blooms make it all
Comments worthwhile. The proportion
of red increases with the
age of the bloom and the
amount of sun it gets.
Picking the blooms
'freezes' the colour
balance.

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Duchesse de Brabant

Fragrance 8 - strong and pleasing

7 - tulip-like in the bud,
Flower form
opening to a loose bloom.
8 - laughs off occasional
Disease Resistance
mildew quite easily
9 - a very tall grower, even
Plant vigour
if neglected

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 10 - a very regular and
Repeat flowering heavy repeat bloomer.
Flowers in large clusters.
Probably Australia's
favourite old tea rose,
French-bred in 1857. The
bush is as tough as nails,
making its delicate blooms
Comments
an interesting contrast.
Made famous by President
Roosevelt, who wore the
blooms in his coat button-
hole.

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 Evelyn

9 - rosy and very

Fragrance
noticeable
8 - can look loose in full
Flower form bloom, but otherwise really
beautiful and old fashioned
Disease Resistance 6 - prone to mildew
4 - a bit delicate, for keen
Plant vigour
growers only
Repeat flowering 5
Perhaps the most fragrant
of all the Austin roses, so
much so that it's used in
Crabtree & Evelyn's
Comments perfume range. Large,
perfectly formed pink-
apricot blooms. Rewards
the grower willing to feed
and spray it well.

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Ferdinand Pichard

9 - very strong, sharp and

Fragrance
fresh
8 - well formed in bud and
Flower form
full bloom
9 - highly resistant to all
Disease Resistance
diseases
10 - strong almost to a
Plant vigour
fault
4 - two main flushes per
Repeat flowering
year only
Comments One of the last and
definitely the healthiest in
the Hybrid Perpetual class
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 of rose. Bred in France,
1921. Needs a lot of
space, at least a 2 metre
radius. The striped blooms
appear pink at a distance,
revealing their charm when
viewed closely.

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Gertrude Jekyll

Fragrance 8 - strong old rose scent

Flower form 7 - stuffed full of deep pink
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 petals
Disease Resistance 8
7 - a tough bush and it
Plant vigour
shows - thorny too!
4 - some growers report
better results from bushes
Repeat flowering
established in their bed
more than 2 years
An older Austin rose for
those who like darker pink.
Found in tests to have the
strongest scent of all
Comments Austin roses prior to
Evelyn's introduction,
although to my nose even
Abraham Darby was
stronger.

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 Gina Lollobrigida

Fragrance 5 - sweet but not strong

Flower form 5 - messy when open fully
Disease Resistance 8
Plant vigour 8 - tall narrow bush
Repeat flowering 7
Popular in the 90s, and a
rich yellow to the flower,
Comments
but not attractive in full
bloom.

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Graham Thomas
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Fragrance 9 - strong tea scent
6 - beautiful, but shatters
Flower form
quickly after opening
Disease Resistance 7 - some black spot
Plant vigour 10 - healthy, tall bush
5 - flushes of bloom are
Repeat flowering large but they occur only a
few times per year
A rich gold Austin that
looks superb if given space
Comments in the garden. Flowers are
short lived and no good in
the vase.

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 Granada

Fragrance 9 - strong spicy scent

9 - superb classic hybrid
Flower form tea blooms, occasionally
flowering in clusters
Disease Resistance 6 - prone to mildew
8 - a tall grower once it
Plant vigour
gets going
6 - repeats adequately for
me, but it is reportedly not
Repeat flowering
generous in cooler
climates
This rose has earned its
place in history. Released
in 1963, some of its
offspring (eg Double
Delight) are better known
Comments
than the original. Those
who have the patience to
pamper it will be rewarded
with blooms that smell as
good as they look.

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Gruss An Aachen

Fragrance 7 - a sweet scent

8 - lasts well on the bush,
but not really a rose for
Flower form
picking because it usually
flowers in clusters
9 - free of mildew and very
Disease Resistance
resistant to black spot
Plant vigour 7 - a neat, short, well
rounded bush that won't
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 grow out of proportion
easily
8 - a regular succession of
Repeat flowering blooms stretching into
early winter
Experts can't decide if this
is a hybrid tea, a polyantha
or the world's first
floribunda. David Austin
even claims it as an
'English Rose' because it
represents all he wanted in
Comments
his breeding program.
Either way it has stood the
test of time since its
release in 1909. It's a
favourite among experts
but fine for beginners to
grow too.

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Guy de Maupassant

Fragrance 6 - a fresh apple scent

9 - old fashioned when
Flower form open and also beautiful in
the bud stage
Disease Resistance 10 - outstanding!
Plant vigour 9 - very strong and tall
Repeat flowering 8 - starts early in October
with heavy flushes of
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 bloom
The French breeder
Meilland has beat David
Austin at his own game. By
crossing a floribunda, a
hybrid perpetual and a
Comments
modern shrub rose, this
'Romantica' variety is an
outstanding strong
performer. It is sold locally
under the name 'La Rose'.

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Heritage

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 8 - lemon and honey, a
Fragrance
sharp refreshing scent
6 - a beautiful cupped
Flower form shape, but shatters quickly
in full bloom
9 - occasional black spot
trouble is possible but
Disease Resistance
mildew resistance is
excellent
Plant vigour 10 - tall, very strong growth
8 - once started, it usually
Repeat flowering has buds coming on until
winter
Very similar to Graham
Thomas in drawbacks
save for repeat flowering -
this rose loves to flower as
Comments
much as its grandparent,
Iceberg. A lovely clear pink
and a unique scent. Give it
room!

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Honor

Fragrance 6 - delicate but lovely

9 - a famous exhibition
Flower form
rose breed
Disease Resistance 8 - some rare mildew
Plant vigour 9 - tall, narrow growth
Repeat flowering 7
Comments No longer widely available,
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 this was an award winning
white rose in the 80s. The
large white flowers look
beuatiful from bud to open
bloom. Long cutting stems
make this an excellent
picking rose.

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Hot Chocolate

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Fragrance 4 - fresh but faint
5 - a typical floribunda,
Flower form slightly messy once
opened
5 - Susceptible to mildew
Disease Resistance and black spot, especially
in autumn
8 - a nice bushy plant,
Plant vigour
quite tall and strong
4 - it seems to provide a
slow stream of blooms
Repeat flowering
rather than 'flood then
drought'.
The colour is everything on
this one. It caused a stir in
the 80s when an amateur
New Zealand breeder
released it. The bloom
starts a terracotta orange.
Comments
With age the outer petals
add shades of crimson,
leading to an almost
brown, russet colour. The
photo represents the lattter
stage.

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Ingrid Bergman

6 - sweet but weaker than

Fragrance
some reds
9 - perfect classic Hybrid
Flower form
Tea
9 - much better than most
Disease Resistance
reds
Plant vigour 7 - low growing but strong

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Repeat flowering 7
One of the better reds - it
holds its colour well both
on the bush and in the
Comments vase. Would be perfect
with a stronger fragrance,
but well worth growing if
scent isn't the first priority.

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 Kardinal

Fragrance 8 - sweet, rich

8 - good in the vase and
Flower form
on the bush
7 - prone to mildew in
Disease Resistance
autumn
9 - excellent with good
Plant vigour
feeding
10 - very regular from
Repeat flowering
September to June
If each decade had a rose,
this would be the 80s' best.
A prolific bloomer,
originally bred in Germany
Comments for the cut flower industry.
Occasionally it will bear
multiple blooms to a stem,
like a floribunda. Rewards
generous feeding.

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Karen Blixen

Fragrance 2 - barely noticeable

8 - beautiful fat buds open
Flower form to very large blooms, nice
for cutting
9 - the best of any white
Disease Resistance
rose I've grown
8 - good strong stems
Plant vigour
make a well shaped bush
Repeat flowering 7 - a good steady stream
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 of blooms lasting until June
One of the best white
roses, this newer hybrid
tea sadly lacks fragrance
Comments (don't believe catalogue
assertions to the contrary).
Choose it if fragrance isn't
important.

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 Kentucky Derby

Fragrance 8 - very sweet, a bit musty

7 - very big flowers -
Flower form superb in bud, a bit messy
when fully blown
Disease Resistance 6 - black spot and mildew
Plant vigour 8 - a very tall, strong bush
9 - a very generous
Repeat flowering
bloomer
Dark red Hybrid Tea,
rewards feeding with huge
blooms that last
reasonably well when cut.
Comments Its lack of disease
resistance is partly
compensated for by the
overall strength of the
bush.

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La Passionata

Fragrance 8 - powerful, rosy

9 - huge flowers that
nevertheless hold their
Flower form
delicate shape well to form
a cupped bloom.
7 - some mildew
Disease Resistance susceptibility, occasional
black spot
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 8 - a healthy plant that
Plant vigour
looks (and is) quite strong
8 - shoots up strong
Repeat flowering flowering stems very
regularly
A rare but captivating
French-bred red rose, said
to have the biggest hybrid
Comments tea flowers of any variety
(up to 20 cm across). The
flowers 'crimson' a little
with age.

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 Legend

Fragrance 4 - pleasant but faint

9 - tight Hybrid Tea classic
Flower form
shape holds well
8 - can get mildew
Disease Resistance sometimes, but usually
shakes it off quickly
9 - very tall bush, strong
Plant vigour
stems
Repeat flowering 6
Released in the 90s, an
American variety ideal for
locations where it has to
Comments climb to reach the sunlight.
Great as a cut flower
because the bud form and
red colour both hold well.

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Madame Alfred Carriere

Fragrance 8 - a lovely fresh scent

7 - old fashioned blooms
Flower form that start cupped, then
open loose
7 - it does get mildew but
Disease Resistance
isn't much troubled by it
9 - a tall climber, but give it
Plant vigour a couple of years to really
get going
Repeat flowering 5 - flowers best in spring,
with sporadic later flowers
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 until mid autumn
I selected this as my only
climbing rose. It's from the
small Noisette family of
roses, bred in France
Comments in1879. Its vigour and its
ability to cover walls,
fences and sheds are
legendary. Likes heavy
feeding, dislikes pruning.

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 Mayor of Casterbridge

7 - a nice old fashioned

Fragrance
rose scent
9 - forms a precise rosette
Flower form that lasts the life of the
bloom
9 - the foliage is light
Disease Resistance green, pleated and very
healthy
8 - throws up very long,
Plant vigour
strong canes
Repeat flowering 7 - regular cycles of bloom
A good choice for a garden
position that can't afford
the sprawling width of
Abraham Darby, but needs
the same height (2 metres
Comments
or so). The fragrance is
less strong than some
Austins but the bloom is
more formal and long
lasting.

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Molineux

8 - strong tea scent, award

Fragrance
winning
8 - delicate flowers hold
Flower form
well on the bush
Disease Resistance 7 - mildew prone
5 - low growing, not very
Plant vigour
strong, thin stems
Repeat flowering 8 - a continuous bloomer
Comments A newer David Austin
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 yellow variety and a better
choice than Graham
Thomas for small gardens
and beds. The thin, lax
stems of the plant
eventually build up to a
well rounded shrub.

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Monsieur Tillier

Fragrance 6 - a typical tea scent

7 - stuffed with coppery
Flower form
pink petals
9 - very resistant in
Disease Resistance
Sydney's climate
Plant vigour 10 - give it room, this shrub
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 can reach 2 x 2 metres
easily
10 - a continuous bloomer,
Repeat flowering and capable of year-round
flowering
A Tea rose from 1891, and
one of the best in this
class. Its large shrub
qualities are good for
hedging or screening. Not
Comments
a good picking rose as the
flowering stems are thin
and held close to the main
stems - a common feature
of old Teas.

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Queen Elizabeth

5 - it's there, but nothing

Fragrance
special
7 - lovely in the early
stages but unwieldy and
loose in full bloom. This
Flower form
and the cluster flowering
habit makes it unsuitable
for picking.
8 - large, attractive dark
Disease Resistance leaves with some very rare
black spot
10 - the gold standard for
tall, strong growth. The
Plant vigour overall health of the bush
makes it attractive to look
at
Repeat flowering 9 - very regular flushes
Comments When released in 1954,
experts in the US couldn't
agree whether this was a
hybrid tea or floribunda.
The confusion inspired

43
 them to invent the
'grandiflora' class. Alas, the
confusion still exists, but
experts agree that Queen
Elizabeth is one of the
most vigorous, easy to
grow roses you can buy.

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Radio Times

10 - an old rose scent that

Fragrance is stronger than any other
rose (to my nose).
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 8 - lovely shallow old
Flower form fashioned rosette that
keeps when when cut.
4 - prone to both mildew
Disease Resistance
and black spot
8 - throws up very long
Plant vigour canes and would be happy
as a climber.
Repeat flowering 8 - early starter, generous
The disease susceptibility
is the only drawback for
this otherwise excellent
Comments
Austin rose. It's well worth
the spraying effort to get
such a perfect fragrance.

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Sexy Rexy

3 - perceptible only if you

Fragrance
bury your nose in it
8 - excellent full flower,
well formed for a
Flower form
floribunda. Similar to a
pompon when fully blown.
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 6 - deflects mildew well,
Disease Resistance but black spot can attack in
autumn
7 - forms a neat rounded
Plant vigour bush - a low grower well
suited to pots
8 - starts early in
September and flushes
Repeat flowering
follow regularly in Sydney's
climate
An awful name for quite a
handsome rose - the New
Zealand breeder, McGredy
named it after a mate's
Comments nickname. Don't shun it for
its name though - this is a
truly 'easy care' rose that
will suit beginners and
landscape gardeners alike.

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A Shropshire Lad

7 - weaker than some

Fragrance
Austins, but still nice
8 - large, well formed and
Flower form
luxurious
9 - seems to laugh off
Disease Resistance
everything
10 - this bush sends up
Plant vigour long canes that want to
visit the neighbours!
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 3 - do not expect
substantial blooms until the
Repeat flowering
bush is established more
than a year
I've had little luck getting
this one to flower at all, but
Comments
others report this bush as
a success.

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Souvenir d'un Ami

7 - a definite 'tea'
Fragrance
fragrance, very fresh
Flower form 7 - big, heavy blooms that
hang down on their stems
like bells. Summer heat
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 darkens the salmon tones
to pink.
6 - can get both mildew
Disease Resistance
and black spot at times.
7 - healthy but slow growth
Plant vigour
up to 2 metres
7 - repeats in big flushes
Repeat flowering
from October to July.
A tea rose bred in France,
1846. Not widely available
in Australia but well worth
Comments hunting for. The 'hanging'
blooms look their best
when the bush is allowed
to grow tall.

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Souvenir de la Malmaison

8 - unique, a mix of rose,

Fragrance
cinnamon and banana
8 - luxurious blooms,
Flower form
spoiled by wet weather
6 - mildew can take hold
Disease Resistance
sometimes
Plant vigour 7 - a medium bush that
seems single-minded
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 about flowering rather than
growing. Makes a rounded
shrub. Ideal for a pot.
9 - one of the most regular
Repeat flowering
bloomers I've seen.
Arguably the most famous
of all old roses, and the
only Bourbon rose I've
Comments been tempted to grow. It
tries very hard to please,
and mine has thrived even
in partial shade.

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The Squire

8 - a lovely classic
Fragrance
fragrance
10 - superb Austin
Flower form
formation
Disease Resistance 6 - mildew prone
5 - thorny stems, sparse
Plant vigour
foliage
6 - OK if pampered, stingy
Repeat flowering
otherwise
Scorned even by its
creator, this early Austin
rose is still available from
some growers. Will reward
Comments
good Sydney gardeners
with a few superb blooms
of the darkest red. For the
true believers only!

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St Swithun

8 - a rich old fashioned

Fragrance
rose scent
7 - heavy, very large,
crowded old fashioned
Flower form
blooms with muddled inner
petals
9 - well above most other
Disease Resistance
Austin roses
8 - bushy, sprawling growth
with plentiful foliage.
Plant vigour Requires more than
average width in a garden
bed.
Repeat flowering 8 - a steady stream of
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 cluster blooms rather than
distinct heavy flushes
In 1993 David Austin
successfully used an 1899
Hybrid Rugosa rose to
breed superior disease
resistance into this light
Comments
pink rose. A good choice
for beginners and experts
alike. The blooms are best
for garden display rather
than cutting.

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 Touch of Class

Fragrance 3 - barely noticeable

7 - tall buds, lovely until
Flower form
fully blown
Disease Resistance 7 - mildew prone
Plant vigour 8 - a tall grower
7 - not overly generous but
Repeat flowering
repeats well
Large blooming Hybrid Tea
which works well as a cut
Comments rose in bud. For growers
who value flower form over
fragrance.

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Triomphe du Luxembourg

5 - a sweet fragrance but

Fragrance
not strong
7 - lovely buds open to a
Flower form
muddled, large full bloom
8 - mildew prone in late
Disease Resistance autumn, but very resistant
to black spot
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 8 - a tall grower with thick
Plant vigour branches that hold the
blooms upright
8 - gives a steady stream
of bloom clusters
Repeat flowering
extending from late spring
to mid winter
An early tea rose from
1835, much sought after in
its time and still rare today.
Bred in France and named
Comments after the Luxembourg
gardens in Paris. Its
fragrance and bloom size
are not typical for tea
roses.

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Valencia

Fragrance 7 - fruity
8 - large, very full blooms
open slowly over a long
Flower form
time, looking old fashioned
when fully open
9 - very resilient even
Disease Resistance
under bad conditions
Plant vigour 8 - the growth is strong but
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 not fast
7 - average repeating, can
Repeat flowering
flower in winter
The German breeder
Kordes introduces varieties
known for long vase life
and good bush health.
Comments
Valencia shares these
virtues, making it one of
the best apricot-coloured
roses.

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 Voodoo

Fragrance 7 - sugary sweet

9 - huge blooms, and the
Flower form colour complements the
bloom shape
7 - Nicknamed 'Mr Clean'
in trial gardens, but watch
Disease Resistance
for mildew in spring and
black spot in autumn
Plant vigour 9 - strong, tall thorny stems
8 - an early starter each
Repeat flowering
season
A unique melon, salmon
and coral blend. It makes a
wonderful conversation
Comments piece as a cut flower and it
lasts well in the vase. No
longer widely available, but
it's worth looking for.

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White Lightnin'

Fragrance 8 - sweet, strong perfume

7 - large and well shaped
for a cluster-flowering rose.
Flower form
Occasional single blooms
are ideal for picking.
7 - some mildew in spring
Disease Resistance
and autumn
Plant vigour 7 - does have some

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 dieback but the plant is a
fairly strong grower.
8 - starts in late August
Repeat flowering and hardly stops for breath
after that!
Better than the popular
Iceberg, this rose looks
Comments
wonderful from bud to its
fully double open bloom.

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Best Perfumed Roses

Best perfume
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1. ‘Double Delight’ (two tone cream and crimson)
2. ‘Friesia’ (yellow)
3. ‘Rod Stillman’ (violet-pink)
4. ‘Papa Meilland’ (dark red)
5. ‘Fragrant Cloud’ (brick red)
6. ‘Jardins de Bagatelle’ (pale cream)
7. ‘Queen Adelaide’ (deep mid-pink)
8. ‘The Children’s Rose’ (soft mid-pink)
9. ‘Sharifa Asma’ (pale peach/apricot)
The following three are climbers and are not quite as fragrant as the others but are very useful when looking for a perfumed
rose to grace a pergola or trellis.
10. ‘Westerland’ (golden orange)
11. ‘Étoile de Hollande’ (red)
12. ‘Twilight Glow’ (buff apricot)

Top five
Don has chosen his best five roses from this list. They are:
‘Double Delight’ - a very fragrant rose with attractive olive green foliage and nicely shaped two-tone flowers. The petals are
ivory towards the centre but the major part of the fower is crimson. A medium sized rose to 1m (3′) with a bushy habit.

‘Papa Meilland’ – a dark, velvety red flower with a deep, heavy fragrance. The flowers are high centred with pointed buds.
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The leaves are matt and mid-green in colour. The upright and vigorous bush grows to 1m (3′) and can be used as a mass
planting, as a climber on a trellis, or as a standard.

‘Fragrant Cloud’ - a very fragrant rose with brick-red flowers and dark olive-green foliage which has a reddish tinge when
young. A medium sized rose (75cm/2.5′) which can be used as a hedging plant, for cut flowers or as a standard rose.
‘Jardins de Bagatelle’ - large flowers with a sweet fragrance, the pale cream flowers have washes of palest pink and yellow
through the petals. This rose has glossy green foliage.

‘Sharifa Asma’ – these blush pink blooms fade away to a pale pink, almost white colour. They are a heavily perfumed rose
and the vigorous bush grows 1m tall and 75cm wide (3×2.5′).

Availability

Roses can be purchased nearly all year round but in winter they are sold as bare rooted plants. Prices range between $12 and
$18 depending on the type of rose.
These best scented roses were filmed at:
Ross Roses
St Andrews Terrace
Willunga SA 5172
Phone: (08) 8556 2555
This nursery, which has a large display garden, offers retail sales and mail order.
Contact your local rose specialist for the varieties mentioned. Roses can also be obtained by mail order from nurseries and
specialist rose growers including:
Bleak House Rose Nursery
Calder Highway (PO Box 43)
Malmsbury Vic 3446
Phone: (03) 5423 2427 Fax: (03) 5423 2738

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Brundrett’s
Brundrett Road
Narre Warren North Vic 3804
Phone: (03) 9796 8305
Swane’s Nursery
490 Galston Road
Dural NSW 2156
Phone: (02) 9651 1322 Fax: (02) 9651 2146
Contact these nurseries for a copy of their 1998 catalogue.

Further reading

For more information on rose care consult:

Growing Roses by Valerie Swane (Kangaroo Press, 1992)
The Ross Guide to Rose Growing by Deane Ross (Lothian Publishing, 1990)

FIREfighter redhot
[winter tree]

$49.95

available for despatch from 1 June 2014

1 winter nude tree rose

66
shipping Australia wide or Swane's garden centre pickup available from 1 June 2015

This rose honours those men and women who risk their lives daily to protect ours

Bronze Medal National Rose Trials 2008

ORAadal HT

Colour : Rich, rich red, velvet overtones

Fragrance : Intense and sensational old rose
Foliage : Rich clean green
Height : Upright to 160cm
Disease Resistance : excellent
Petal Count : 40-45
Flower size : 110mm - very full/double
Breeder : Orard
Awards : Bronze Medal 2008 National Rose Trial Awards
Passed Swanes arduous evaluation trials 2007
Parentage : Lasting Love x Hidalgo
Patent : TM

Catalogue description
Oh my!! This is what we have been waiting forever for, a new and improved red rose saturated with the perfume that
only red roses give. Superbly fragrant long stemmed blooms endure as a cut and vased rose for longer than most
roses, grow Firefighter for those you love or if you love the showbench.
If you like Oklahoma or Papa Meilland you will love Firefighter.

Growers Notes :
_ Best flower colour and size in cooler temperatures
_ This is a plant you should not just have one of.
_ Continuous cutting means continuous bloom production
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_ A red rose that delivers what is expected
_ Professional quality 60cm stems
_ Long lasting cut blooms
_ For lovers of the showbench, this is a real winner

FIREfighter redhot
[winter nude]

available for despatch from 1 June 2015

1 winter nude rose

68
shipping Australia wide or Swane's garden centre pickup available from 1 June 2015

This rose honours those men and women who risk their lives daily to protect ours

ORAadal HT

Colour : Rich, rich red, velvet overtones

Fragrance : Intense and sensational old rose
Foliage : Rich clean green
Height : Upright to 160cm
Disease Resistance : excellent
Petal Count : 40-45
Flower size : 110mm - very full/double
Breeder : Orard
Awards : Bronze Medal 2008 National Rose Trial Awards
Passed Swanes arduous evaluation trials 2007
Parentage : Lasting Love x Hidalgo
Patent : TM

Catalogue description
Oh my!! This is what we have been waiting forever for, a new and improved red rose saturated with the perfume that only red
roses give. Superbly fragrant long stemmed blooms endure as a cut and vased rose for longer than most roses, grow
Firefighter for those you love or if you love the showbench.
If you like Oklahoma or Papa Meilland you will love Firefighter.

Growers Notes :
_ Best flower colour and size in cooler temperatures
_ This is a plant you should not just have one of.
_ Continuous cutting means continuous bloom production
_ A red rose that delivers what is expected
69
_ Professional quality 60cm stems
_ Long lasting cut blooms
_ For lovers of the showbench, this is a real winner

Add to Cart Reviews

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Social Climber a beauty City of Goulburn toughest we know Iceberg the world's favourite rose

the Golden Child all golden Blaze of Glory blossom dynamo Alfred Sisley

70
C Darcey Bussel
[winter nude]

Darcy Bussel (AUSdecorum) Hardiness Hardy

Repeating Excellent

Good red roses are never easy to breed, so we are particularly pleased to introduce Darcey Bussell as we believe it is one of
the best and most healthy red roses we have bred to date.
Its beautiful flowers are produced freely and with excellent continuity. When young, their outer petals form a perfect ring around
an inner cup; gradually opening out to form a perfect rosette. The colour is a deep rich crimson that takes on a tinge of mauve
just before the petals drop.
It has a pleasing, fruity fragrance with hints of green.
This rose, with its short, bushy growth, is an excellent shrub for the front of the border or for planting in formal rose beds. It will
make an excellent plant for a large pot. It is our first fully double crimson to be released since the best selling William
Shakespeare 2000 and is perfect for gardeners who would prefer a more compact shrub.
Darcey Bussell is the highly acclaimed ballerina. She was appointed principal at the Royal Ballet at the age of 20 and has
danced in the title role of many ballets around the world. She has been honoured with many awards including the OBE in

71
A

tegories Honey Perfume plush apricot yellow

[winter nude]

available for despatch from 1 June 2015

1 winter nude rose

shipping Australia wide or Swane's garden centre pickup available from 1 June 2015

72
(HT) 2004 JACarque

Colour Plush apricot

Fragrance Strong and spicy
Foliage Glossy dark green
Height 125cm
Disease resistance Great
Petal count 30
Flower size 100mm
Breeder Zary
Awards Bronze Medal 2004 Australian Rose Trials
Passed Swanes arduous evaluations Growers Notes Winner of Gold Medals in Europe
Parentage AROfres x Amber Queen

Here is a real prize winner; Barcelona, Geneva, USA and Australia. Plush apricot yellow flowers with an intriguing
spicy scent soften in tone to near white as they age. All this set on an upright, well branched bush with rapid fire
reblooming and excellent disease resistance. A real garden treasure.

Sweet Intoxication the ultimate garden vixen

[winter nude]

73
 available for despatch from 1 June 2015
1 winter nude rose

shipping Australia wide or Swane's garden centre pickup available from 1 June 2015

Rose class : floribunda

Colour : rich magenta buds opening amethyst
Fragrance : strong to intense
Foliage : apple green
Height : upright 160cm
Disease resistance : excellent
Petal count : 20 - 25
74
Flower size : 90mm
Awards : Silver Medal 2009 Australian Rose Trials, Most Fragrant in trial, Best Floribunda in trial
Passed Swanes arduous evaluations

Growers Notes : fine in the heat. as with most roses colour is more reliable when formed in cooler weather. plenty of opportunity for fast
repeat blooming if continuously deadheaded.

seductive fountains of rich magenta blooms permeate a garden with an alluring clove fragrance - an aroma powerful enough to make you
feel light headed. sparkling amethyst flower clusters beguile even the most precocious rose lover with colour and fragrance, month after
month. Sweet Intoxication is the ultimate garden vixen, spellbinding the senses and captivating the soul

Barbra Streisand famous perfume

[winter nude]

75
<big><b>Barbra Streisand</big> famous perfume</b>

available for despatch from 1 June 2015

1 winter nude rose

shipping Australia wide or Swane's garden centre pickup available from 1 June 2015

pbr applied (HT) 2003

Colour : Rich lavender

Fragrance: Intense rose and citrus blossom

Foliage : Deep dark glossy green

Height : 135cm

Disease resistance : Good

Petal count : 25 - 30
76
Flower size 100mm

Breeder : Carruth

Growers Notes : Flower colour and size are heightened when produced in mild temperatures. Bloom quantity improves as
bush ages

Parentage : [Blue Nile x (Ivory Tower x Angel Face)] x Aotearoa

An avid rose lover, Barbra was very choosy when it came to picking a rose that would bear her name. It had to have large
flowers with an attractive colour, but most of all it had to have fragrance....and here it is. Just one blossom will overpower you
with sweet scent. The clean lavender colours show off strikingly against deep glossy green leaves. This rose bears lots of long
stemmed beauties. Great for cutting or just for whiffing!

Scentimental perfect for potpourri

[winter nude]

available for despatch from 1 June 2015

1 winter nude rose

shipping Australia wide or Swane's garden centre pickup available from 1 June 2015

77
(WEKplapep) [F] 1998.
Colour Burgundy red, swirled with creamy white
Fragrance Intense sweet spice
FoliageDeep green, clean and quilted
Height 135cm
Disease resistance Great
Petal count 25 - 30
Flower size 90 - 105mm
Breeder Carruth
Awards All America Rose Society Award 1997
Passed Swanes arduous evaluations Growers Notes Best colour and size in cooler temperatures. Perfect for potpourri
Parentage : Playboy x Peppermint Twist

You might think striped roses are a new thing but it is the old style rose genetics that bring the striping to this spicy new comer. each petal is as unique as a
snow flake, some more burgundy splashed, some more cram swirled red, all on the same vigorous plant. The old fashioned form and fragrance may remind
you of its stingy blooming ancestors yet the nearly continuous number of blossoms lets you know that this has a modern approach to life too. Foliage has a
distinctive quilt.

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