Give Me Old-Fashioned Roses .. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

I love the old fashioned roses.  It's not just their history that I find fascinating. It's their elegance, their fragrance, the beauty of their buds and blooms that cannot be replicated by the stiff, upright mass produced roses so readily available these days.  The fragrance of the old fashioned roses is rarely brash and harsh, unlike some later creations bred to imitate the earlier roses.  Old fashioned roses have an infinite range of perfume, from the expected old rose scent through to 'dry tea with a hint of apricot' (Graham StuartThomas, 'Climbing roses old and new', 1965)!

Above and below is the lovely Tea rose, Anna Olivier (1872) bred in France.

Of course, among my favourites are the Tea roses.  These are the predecessors of today's Hybrid Tea roses.  Unfortunately, later versions of Hybrid Teas became stiff, non-perfumed blooms bred for longevity in the vase rather than their garden worthiness and beauty; a far cry from the loveliness of the Teas and some of the very early Hybrid Teas.  While recent rose breeders have created roses that combine the qualities of old fashioned roses with vase qualities of later roses, I still prefer the beauty of the earlier Teas.  And in our warm climate they grow well, and flower generously and recurrently.  

Above and below is the bloom and bud of Tea rose, Mrs Herbert Stevens (1910) bred in Ireland.

There is something ethereal and lovely in the way the Teas hold their buds and then open into gorgeous blooms.  And their petals are often reminiscent of the finest silk spun into soft colours.  None of these qualities are evident in mass produced cut roses that are often laden with toxic chemicals and bred to last forever in a vase.  Some lament the tendency of Teas to have weak 'necks' that cause their blooms to droop on the stem.  Yet, I find this quirk charming and lovely; easily incorporated into a bouquet, posy or vase arrangement by a skilled artisan.    

The elegant Tea, Comtesse Riza du Parc (as sold in Australia)

And I love how brides of  the 19th and early 20th Centuries sought out some of these lovely Tea roses for their bridal bouquets.  The silky petals and soft colours were beautiful without detracting from the bride herself.   In our rose gardens at Edgeworth Lley, I grow one of the most popular roses for brides in the late Victorian era; Tea rose, The Bride.  She has the most elegant buds that open out into large, many petalled, sweetly perfumed blooms.  Perfect for a bridal bouquet or posy.  

The full bloom of The Bride (1885) USA

Teas also grow well without the need for sprays and artificial fertilisers.   They are tough, vigorous roses that once established are drought tolerant, perfect for our dryer climate.  Part of the joy of growing these heirlooms is being able to feature them to teach others about the benefits of preserving heirloom flowers and food producing plants.  Growing heritage flowers that have proven over the generations they are tough, means that we don't need to rely on toxic pesticides and sprays, nor artificial fertilisers.  

So, I am proud to grow these lovely heirlooms from the past and help preserve them for future generations.