Classic Tea Roses .. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

The classic elegance of the Tea roses from the Victorian and Edwardian eras has largely been dismissed by modern florists.  A number of the classic Tea roses in the late Victorian and early Edwardian eras were once prized cut flowers.  And they look superb in classic arrangements!  

Unfortunately these elegant ladies and gents of the 19th and early 20th Centuries have  been replaced by mass produced roses that reflect the artificial environment they're grown in.  However, after a resurgence of interest in heritage roses in Australia (HRiA) from the 1970's, many of these treasures of the past have been rescued. 

Mrs B R Cant 1901

 Rosarians like Heather and Roy Rumsey of NSW found and re-distributed a number of lost heritage roses.  I remember visiting the Rumsey's nursery in Glenorie when both Heather and Roy were in their nineties!  How I wish I had realised what a treasure-trove their nursery was then.  I still treasure Heather's little booklet from that time listing the heritage roses they stocked and how to care for them.  

Here is Mrs B R Cant in bloom, with hundreds of roses covering a large rose bush. 

As well as being classic and elegant in the vase, Tea roses grow well in our Australian climate. They're so generous in the number of blooms at any one time on each bush, and they generally flower all year round!  A point of envy by many a northern hemisphere rose grower!  

Monsieur Tillier 1891
Some Tea roses grow very large, such as this Victorian gent, Monsieur Tillier.   A strong grower, he has grown into the size of a small tree.  As most Tea roses resent heavy pruning, I may need a step ladder to reach the bounty of blooms that cover him!  Regardless, he is a stand-out in our gardens!

Comtesse Riza du Parc (thought not to be the original rose of this name) 1876

Another Victorian Tea rose that does well as a cut flower is the elegant, pale peach/pink Comtesse Riza du Parc.  She  has blooms with very long stems that are perfect for arrangements in classic vases and urns.  

After carefully choosing and cutting the blooms from each of the Tea roses, it is time to leave them to condition in a very clean bucket of water.  Herbs have also been picked from the garden to add to the arrangement.  After a rest in a dark, cool place these lovelies are ready to be shown off in a classic arrangement!

Oooops!!  Someone has decided to hijack this shoot of the Tea roses in a classic urn!!

Tea roses come in a range of lovely colours, often muted blends of the same colour in the one rose!  Perfect for a classic arrangement where colour combinations are an important feature!  And the fragrance!!  Tea roses have an array of fragrances, from subtle hints of citrus mixed with dry Tea through to strong and sweet!  Fragrance combinations you won't find in standard cut roses!  

And yet their colours are strong enough to work well outdoors as in this urn of heritage Tea roses against a rather undistinguished backdrop!  The colours punctuate the natural setting in the background.  A scattering of these classic urns filled with Tea roses would work well as wedding flowers!!

Again, the colours of Tea roses work well indoors in a softer light!  And they fragrance a whole room!  What could be lovelier!!  

Even though this arrangement is classic in style, I couldn't resist adding a rustic backdrop just to show how well Tea roses fit in a less formal setting!  

So there you have it!  

My little rave about the classic elegance of the almost lost heritage Tea roses!!