Leander

Leander, Austin 1982

English rose 

Charles Austin X unknown seedling 

Leander is a child of Charles Austin and a brother of a Shropshire Lad and it definitely shows. Clusters of magnificent rosette shaped old fashioned blooms in the good old Austin style. Big and in cream/orange /peach and apricot. There's a strong fruity fragrance present, much like Charles Austin. 

Leander is a slender upright going rose and if you let it go or give some support she will reach 300 cm or 9 feet. If you prefer her as a shrub then prune her back by half in spring. Right after the first flush you can deadhead quite deep, let's say at least 30 cm or 1 foot. If you want her to climb then you prune very light in spring. Remember to grow her as horizontally as possible when bred as a climber.

Zone 5b, heat and rain tolerant.

Leander was one of the first DA roses to get canceled and again this was a big mistake as it has good sturdy canes which can uphold the flowers very good. Beautiful flowers and a good fragrance. 

Recommended rose 

Mademoiselle de Sombreuil

Mademoiselle de Sombreuil, Robert 1851

George Washington Richardson 

La biche 

Sombreuil 

Tea 

Seedling of Gigantesque 

When we think of Sombreuil we immediately think of that vigorous climber with big, very flat rosettes but this rose isn't the real Sombreuil and she's certainly not a Tea. Research showed that the rose in commerce known as Sombreuil (Colonial white) is a Wichuraiana hybrid and of much more recent origin... 

The real Mademoiselle de Sombreuil is an elegant Tea with a moderate growth up to 120 cm or 4 feet. With some support she can make a nice pillar rose. Flowers are medium to big, very double or full, cream with pink shading in the center. They stand mostly in small clusters. Fragrance can vary from mild Tea to strong Tea. She blooms all summer and autumn long. 

This is a rather tender Tea that needs zone 7b to 10b. Some winterprotection in winter is advised in colder regions. Loves full sun. 

Mademoiselle de Sombreuil was an 18th century aristocrat. Her father got captured by the revolutionaries in 1792 and would face the guillotine. His daughter begged the men to release her father. "We will do that if you drink a glass filled with fresh blood from a decapitated prisoner" they replied. She immediately agreed and she saw how they filled a glass with blood gushing out of a decapitated man. She drank it all and they promised to release her father but a few days later he still died from the guillotine. 

Mademoiselle de Sombreuil became a symbol of the cruelty of the French revolutionairies.