The Hybrid Multiflora's

Because the designation "Hybrid Musk" is rather incorrect I will use the designation "Hybrid Multiflora's". Trier was a Hybrid Multiflora rose, not a Hybrid Musk and all his ancestors six generations back were Multiflora too so calling him and his offspring Hybrid Musks is incorrect. On my rose blog it is Hybrid Multiflora's. 

Hybrid Multiflora's  are an increasingly favored class. Reverend Joseph Pemberton of England, and his successors Anne and Jack Bentall, using ‘Trier’ and Teas in the breeding, largely developed the Hybrid Multiflora's (Trier (1904) is a descendant from ‘Aglaia’ (multiflora x ‘Rêve d’Or’) (Noisette). 

In the 20th century especially Flemish rose breeder Louis Lens took over the role as Godfather of the Hybrid Multiflora's and today Lens Roses is the most renowned Hybrid Multiflora breeder. Rush, Alden Biesen, Flash, Guirlande d'amour, Jet spray, Bouquet Parfait and dozens more made sure that this rose family will have a bright future. 

I'm going to discuss the in my opinion most beautiful Hybrid Multiflora's. Many will be from Lens Roses as they are the nr one worldwide in creating them. I can't discuss them all but you can always visit their website and take a look at their dozens of Multiflora varieties. 

Hybrid Multiflora roses combine exquisite fragrance, outstanding vigor, and beautiful, soft colored flowers with reliable repeat blooming, even in partial shade. They do well as gracefully spreading shrubs or low climbers, and are some of the best roses for north facing walls and fences. As a class the Hybrid Multiflora's have almost everything to commend them . 

The Flower: Hybrid Multiflora's repeat well, many are remarkably floriferous. They bloom in large clusters. Individual blooms are rather small.  

Colors: Normally they are pink, white, yellow, peach, or apricot but also very bright red is possible 

Growth Habit : Hybrid Multiflora's display a nice shrubby habit. Long graceful canes. Some varieties are nearly thornless. Foliage is leathery, dark green. They are tough roses that can withstand a wide range of soil conditions, temperatures and sun.  

Size: From 120 X 90 cm or 4X3 feet to climbing size. Can be trained as climbers, or pillars or cascading shrubs.  

Disease Resistance: Excellent. The plants are tough, disease resistant, and tolerate some shade.  

Cold Tolerance: Most are hardy to Zones 5 through 10.  

Scent: Moderate, but some are quite fragrant. Scent is sweet and lingering, strongest in the evening. Most often it's the scent of Rosa Multiflora 

Examples: Felicia, Buff Beauty, Flash, Alden Biesen, Rush, Bouquet Parfait, Kathleen, Prosperity etc... 

Noisette roses

Noisette roses: What are they?

The first Noisette rose was raised as a hybrid seedling by a South Carolina rice planter named John Champneys. Its parents were the China rose 'Parson's Pink' and the autumn-flowering musk rose (Rosa moschata), resulting in a vigorous climbing rose producing huge clusters of small pink flowers from spring to fall. Champneys sent seedlings of his rose (called 'Champneys' Pink Cluster') to his gardening friend, Philippe Noisette, who in turn sent plants to his brother Louis in Paris, who then introduced 'Blush Noisette' in 1817. The first Noisettes were small-blossomed, fairly winter-hardy climbers, but later infusions of Tea rose genes created a Tea-Noisette subclass with larger flowers, smaller clusters, and considerably reduced winter hardiness. Examples: 'Blush Noisette', 'Lamarque' (Noisette); 'Mme. Alfred Carriere', 'Marechal Niel' (Tea-Noisette), Gloire de Dijon, Bouquet d'or etc..

Paul's lemon pillar is also part Noisette and fully Hardy

The Tea and climbing Teas

The original Tea-scented Chinas (Rosa × odorata) were Oriental cultivars thought to represent hybrids of R. chinensis with R. gigantea, a large Asian climbing rose with pale-yellow blossoms. Immediately upon their introduction to the Western World from Canton, China in the early 19th-century, breeders went to work with them, especially in France, crossing them first with China roses and then with Bourbons and Noisettes.The Tea roses are repeat-flowering roses, named for their fragrance being reminiscent of Chinese black tea (although this is not always the case). The colour range includes pastel shades of white, pink and (a novelty at the time) yellow to apricot. The individual flowers of many cultivars are semi-pendent and nodding, due to weak flower stalks. In a "typical" Tea, pointed buds produce high-centred blooms which unfold in a spiral fashion, and the petals tend to roll back at the edges, producing a petal with a pointed tip; the Teas are thus the originators of today's "classic" florists' rose form. According to rose historian Brent Dickerson, the Tea classification owes as much to marketing as to botany; 19th-century nurserymen would label their Asian-based cultivars as "Teas" if they possessed the desirable Tea flower form, and "Chinas" if they did not. Like the Chinas, the Teas are not very hardy in colder climates. Examples: 'Lady Hillingdon', 'Maman Cochet', Triomphe de Luxembourg, Safrano etc...

Due to their rather weak hardiness, although not all, they prefer a warm and sunny spot in Western European gardens. Always take the most sunny wall to grow climbing China's. When frost lower than minus ten Celsius is predicted its best to protect the base of the rose with leafs or other insulation. The branches can get damaged but they will recover. Another point of attention is pruning: The best advice is DON'T PRUNE. Teas are very closely related to the China's and we know they hate pruning. So only remove dead or weak wood. Deadheading is always allowed. For Southern Europe, Southern USA and California or Australia Teas can be grown freely without problems. For northern regions in the USA or Europe it is adviced to grow them in greenhouses or conservatories. They are all magnificent roses. 

The China roses

The China roses 

We now come at a very important group of roses. Why? Because the China roses would change the rose world forever. It's these roses which gave us good reblooming hybrids when crossed with the European roses.

Rosa Chinensis is native to current China and was first discovered by Nicholas Joseph Von Jacquin in 1768. It is a shrub of 1 to 2 metres high with slender but strong stems. They have five petals which are red. Other varieties of rosa Chinensis were discovered too such as varieties with double petals. It's difficult to say which forms are truly wild because the Chinese people have been cultivating China roses for centuries. When Rosa Chinensis was crossed with Rosa Gigantea we got Rosa Odorata and by further hybridization the Tea roses appeared from which eventually our Hybrid Teas appeared. So the discovery of Rosa Chinensis was a turning point in rose history. 

China roses are wonderful plants and bloom all year round in mild climates. They love warm, dry weather and are easily propagated from cuttings. They only have a mild fragrance but this changed when crossed with the European roses.

Good examples are Cramoisi supérieur and Cramoisi supérieur climbing, Old Blush, Hermosa, Mutabilis etc...

Portland roses

Although many of the Portland roses were probably grown at Malmaison in France, they got their name from the English Duchess of Portland. She sent a plant to the château at Malmaison and the gardener there, Andre Dupont, called the first rose of the group after her. The origin of Portland roses is debatable but they were probably bred form a China x Damask cross. They repeat flower, although less reliably than the modern Hybrid Teas, and grow to around 120 cm (4 ft). The flowers, which retain a strong Damask scent, are on short stems so that, when open, they tend to be closely surrounded by the leaves.

Portlands hate too hot weather and love rather cool summer climate. In southern Sweden they are magnificent to grow and because they are very hardy they can survive the coldest winters there. 

All make a rounded shrub of 120X100 cm or 4 X3 feet. Partial shade is tolerated. Deadheading after flowering will ensure next flushes. We prune them only lightly. Always remove dead and weak wood. Portlands are very suitable for growing into pots and as a short hedge. In the center of the border they combine beautifully with perennials. Great garden plants! 

Hybrid Perpetuals

Hybrid Perpetuals were the result of an attempt to combine the large flowers and rich scent of the Gallica Roses and their great cold resistance with the perpetual flowering of the Chinas. The forerunner of this class was 'Rose du Roi', a seedling of the Portland rose raised in France in 1815. The true, large-flowered Hybrid Perpetuals, or Hybrides Remontant as they were called in France, were first raised by Laffay at Auteuil, starting with 'Princesse Hélène' in 1837. He crossed Hybrid Chinas with Portlands and Bourbons and produced a proportion of repeat-flowering roses; the recessive, repeat-flowering genes were present in both parents. The Hybrid Perpetuals are a parent of the modern Hybrid Teas while the Teas are the other parent. So hence the name Hybrid (Perpetual) Tea. 

Hybrid Perpetual are nearly all very upright, vigorous shrubs and best suited as small climbers or for obelisks, piramides, fences, trellis etc. Give them support and try to grow them as horizontally as possible. Pegging down is also a great way to grow them. It will increase the amount of blooms enormously. 

These roses are very very hungry and need lots of organic material and organic fertilizer. A monthly organic based granulated fertilizer is definitely the minimum. In Autumn and spring you add lots of composted manure or compost so a thick mulch layer will keep the ground moist in dry summers. Don't prune the first three years and after that you just prune to keep the rose in a nice shape so don't prune like if you prune a Hybrid Tea. Deadheading is always a must and also removing dead and weak wood.

Hybrid Perpetuals love space so don't plant them right next to other roses or plants. The best way to enjoy them is as a solitary without competition. Dark red Hybrid Perpetuals like Souvenir du Docteur Jamain or Empereur du Maroc will get their blooms burned in full sun. Give them a spot with morning sun and afternoon shade. 

If you keep this advice in mind you're Hybrid Perpetuals will get a real good start. Good luck! 

The Hybrid Tea family

What are Hybrid Teas? 

Hybrid tea is an informal horticultural classification for a group of garden roses. The first hybrid tea roses were created in France in the mid-1800s, by cross-breeding the large, floriferous Hybrid Perpetuals with the tall, elegant Tea roses. The Hybrid tea is the oldest class of Modern garden roses. Hybrid teas exhibit traits midway between their parents, being hardier than the often delicate Tea roses, and with a better ability for repeat-flowering than the more robust Hybrid Perpetuals.

Hybrid tea flowers are well-formed with large, high-centred buds, supported by long, straight and upright stems. Each flower can grow to 8–12.5 cm wide. Hybrid teas are the largest and most popular group of rose, due to their elegant form and large variety of colours. Their flowers are usually borne singly at the end of long stems which also makes them very popular as cut flowers

Hybrid teas became a new class of roses in 1879, when British rose breeder, Henry Bennett, introduced ten "Pedigree Hybrids of the Tea Rose" in Stapleford, Wiltshire. Bennett's first attempts at rose breeding on his Wiltshire farm in 1868 were unsuccessful. He visited prominent rose breeders in France from 1870 to 1872 to further his knowledge of rose breeding. Returning home, he constructed heated greenhouses on his farm and expanded his rose breeding program. When he introduced his ten new hybrid tea roses in 1879, they were an immediate success.

La France', bred by Jean-Baptiste André Guillot and introduced in France in 1867, has been acknowledged by several rose historians as the first hybrid tea rose. Other rose historians have suggested that the earliest hybrid tea roses were developed a decade earlier. These early roses are: 'Elise Masson', 'Léonore d'Este' and 'Gigantique' in 1849 as well as 'Adèle Bougere' in 1852. 'Victor Verdier', bred by Frenchman François Lacharme and introduced in 1859, is a strong candidate for being the first hybrid tea. 'Victor Verdier' was the successful result of a cross between a Hybrid Perpetual and a Tea rose, and was classified as a Hybrid Perpetual when it was first introduced. According to British horticulturalist and rose expert, Graham Stuart Thomas, "In 1859 'Victor Verdier' appeared, and this has sometimes been called the first Hybrid Tea. From this and 'La France', raised in 1867, a small group of varieties were raised, carrying strong Tea influence into the Hybrid Perpetuals.

Hybrid tea roses did not become popular until the beginning of the 20th century, when French rose breeder, Joseph Pernet-Ducher, introduced the cultivar 'Soleil d'Or' in 1900. 'Soleil d'Or' is the first yellow rose introduced and the ancestor of the modern hybrid tea rose. Some of Pernet-Ducher's early successes are considered to be two of the most popular of all the 19th century Hybrid tea roses: 'Madame Caroline Testout' (1890) and 'Mme Abel Chatenay' (1895).The city of Lyons in France became at the time an epicenter of hybrid tea cultivation with rose growers such as Joseph Bonnaire, Alexandre and Pierre Bernaix, Jean-Baptiste André Guillot or Joseph Schwartz.The rose that made hybrid teas the most popular class of garden rose of the 20th century was the rose Peace, introduced by Francis Meilland at the end of World War II, and is considered to be the most popular rose cultivar of the 20th century.

The most important modern hybrid tea rose breeders of the 20th century are: William Warriner, the Sam McGredy family, Tom Carruth, the Meilland family, Mathias Tantau, Wilhelm Kordes, Harkness Roses, Cants of Colchester, and Dickson Roses. Among the most popular of the 20th century hybrid teas include: 'George Dickson' (1912), 'Étoile de Hollande' (1919), 'Dainty Bess' (1925)', Crimson Glory (1935), 'Ena Harkness' (1946), 'Just Joey' (1972) 'Double Delight' (1977), 'Brigadoon' (1991) and 'Francis Meilland' (2006).

La France, the first Hybrid Tea 

Prince Jardinier, currently very popular cultivar 

Peace, one of the most popular roses of the 20th century

Tropicana, another popular Hybrid Tea nowadays 

The Bourbon family

The origin of Bourbon roses has always triggered discussion and even today there is no consensus on how they came to be. 

I'll give you the traditional version of their origin which is still the prevalent today 

On the tropical island of Isle de Bourbon (current Réunion) the inhabitants generally enclosed their land with hedges made of two rows of roses, one row of the common China "Parson's pink China" and the other of the Red Four-Seasons rose (Quatre saisons). Monsieur Perichon, a proprietor at Saint Benoist (a village on the island) found among his young plants one very different from the others in its shoots and foliage. This induced him to plant it in his garden. It flowered the following year; and, as he anticipated, proved to be quite a new race, and differing much from the above two roses, which, at the time, were the only two roses growing on the island. Monsieur Breon arrived at Bourbon in 1817, as botanical traveller for the government of France, and curator of the Botanical and Naturalization Garden there. He propagated this rose in huge quantities  and sent plants and seeds of it in 1822 to Monsieur Jacques, gardener at the Chateau de Neuilly, near Paris. He distributed them among the rose cultivators of France. Soon after the first varieties appeared on the market. 

So that's the traditional story. Is it true? Probably yes but it's not proven history. 

Bourbons have the reblooming skills of the China parent and the hardiness and fragrance of the other parent, the Damask rose. Nearly all are big shrubs which are better as small climbers. They bloom the most abundant in late spring and once again in August or September. They are always very fragrant with big, opulent, showy flowers. They are susceptible to Blackspot. 

Hundreds were created in the 19th century but halfway the 20th century a fraction of that number survived. The past decade some French rosarians are searching for lost Bourbon roses, only known from literature. They did a remarkable job because today more than 80 Bourbons can be purchased again. Twenty years ago that was very different because you could buy maybe 20? 

The best and most beautiful Bourbons used in gardens today are Mme Isaac Pereire, Louise Odier, Reine Victoria, Souvenir de la Malmaison (shrub and climber), Zepherine Drouhin, Honorine de Brabant and Madame Lauriol de Barny. They can be purchased fairly easily. Try them and smell their astonishing fragrance! 

Centifolia's and their sports the Mosses and Miniature Mosses

Centifolia's and their sports the Moss roses and Miniature Mosses 

Rosa Centifolia or the Cabbage rose or Provence rose is the famous rose seen in Flemish and Dutch paintings.

The Centifolia rose was created in Holland between 1600 and 1800 and is closely related to Rosa Damascena. In the 19th century most varieties were created.

Centifolia roses are known for their nonchalant growth with long slender canes. Especially Centifolia Major has this growth but others make rather rounded shrubs and are quite neat. They flower in early summer and some can rebloom in good summers.

Rosa Centifolia is known for its ability to mutate and make sports easily. Two new classes of roses started as a sport of rosa Centifolia: The Mosses and the Miniature roses.

Moss roses have this moss like growth covering the buds and bloom stems. When rubbed they give this rather wonderful smell and in combination with the strong Damask fragrance of the bloom itself its pure magic.

Miniature roses are smaller versions of centifolias and are excellent as standard roses or for pots!

Examples of rosa Centifolia are Fantin Latour, Centifolia Major, Mme Hardy and Village maid. 

Examples of Mosses are Cristata, Mme Louis L'évêque. Miniatures: Petit de Hollande and De Meaux.

Damask roses

Damask roses

An important rose group with lots of history and cultural heritage. That's why I chose this extended description of this rose family. 

ROSA DAMASCENA:

Rosa damascena, more commonly known as the Damask rose, or sometimes as Bulgarian rose, Turkish rose, Taif rose, Arab rose, Ispahan rose and Castile rose, is a rose hybrid, derived from Rosa gallica and Rosa moschata. DNA analysis has shown that a third species, Rosa fedtschenkoana, has made some genetic contributions to the Damask rose.

The flowers are renowned for their fine fragrance, and are commercially harvested for rose oil (either "rose otto" or "rose absolute") used in perfumery and to make rose water and "rose concrete". The flower petals are also edible. They may be used to flavor food, as a garnish, as an herbal tea, and preserved in sugar as gulkand.

The Damask rose is a deciduous shrub growing to 2.2 metres (7 ft 3 in) tall, the stems densely armed with stout, curved prickles and stiff bristles. The leaves are pinnate, with five (rarely seven) leaflets. The roses are a light to moderate pink to light red. The relatively small flowers grow in groups. The bush has an informal shape. It is considered an important type of Old Rose, and also important for its prominent place in the pedigree of many other types.

The hybrid is divided in two varieties:

Summer Damasks (R. × damascena nothovar. damascena) have a short flowering season, only in the summer.

Autumn Damasks (R. × damascena nothovar. semperflorens (Duhamel) Rowley) have a longer flowering season, extending into the autumn; they are otherwise not distinguishable from the summer damasks.

The hybrid Rosa × centifolia is derived in part from Rosa × damascena, as are Bourbon, Portland and hybrid perpetual roses.

The cultivar known as Rosa gallica forma trigintipetala or Rosa damascena 'Trigintipetala' is considered to be a synonym of Rosa × damascena.

HISTORY:

Rosa × damascena is a cultivated flower that is not found growing wild. Recent genetic tests indicate that it is a hybrid of R. moschata x R. gallica crossed with the pollen of Rosa fedtschenkoana, which indicates a probable origin in the foothills of central Asia or Iran 

The French Crusader Robert de Brie, who took part in the Siege of Damascus in 1148 at the second crusade, is sometimes credited for bringing the Damask rose from Syria to Europe. The name of the rose refers to the city of Damascus in Syria, known for its steel (Damask steel), fabrics (Damask) and roses.

Other accounts state that the ancient Romans brought it to their colonies in England, and a third account is that the physician of King Henry VIII gifted him one circa 1540.

There is a history of fragrance production in Kabul Province of Afghanistan from the Damask rose. An attempt has been made to restore this industry as an alternative for farmers who produce opium.

The flower, known in Hawaiian as Lokelani, is the official flower of the Island of Maui

CULTIVATION:

Rosa × damascena is optimally cultivated in hedge rows to help protect the blooms from wind damage and to facilitate harvesting them. Gathering the flowers is intense manual labor. There are about 20–40 days per year when harvesting occurs, depending on the cultivar grown. The roses are gathered by hand and brought to a central location for steam distillation.

Bulgaria and Turkey are the most prolific producers of rose oil from the different cultivars of Rosa × damascena. France and India also contribute significantly to the world market. Morocco, Tunisia, and some other Middle Eastern nations also historically produced it, but their modern contribution is negligible. Other producers are Afghanistan and Chile.

The towns of Kazanlak and Karlovo, Bulgaria has been inhabited for thousands of years. Most historians assume that the cultivation of the "Bulgarian rose", as Rosa × damascena is denominated in that region. It is reported that roses have been cultivated in the area since Roman times. It is cultivated for commercial use in an area in the vicinity of Kazanlak and Karlovo called the "Valley of Roses". The distillate from these roses is called "Bulgarian Rose Oil" and "Bulgarian Rose Otto".

Turkish rose oil is sold as "Rose Oil", "Turkish Rose Otto", and "Rosa Damascena Attar", or "Ittar" in similar languages. While families still operate their own small distilleries and produce what is denominated "village oil", the commercialization of rose oil as a high quality product is carefully regulated by a state cooperative in the Isparta region of Turkey. The roses are still grown by the small family farms but the flowers are brought to stills established and regulated by the cooperative for distillation and quality control.

India has also developed an industry producing rose oil, both "Rose Attar" and "Rose Absolutes", as well as "Rose Concrete". Perhaps due to the low labor cost, these products from India are less expensive than those from Bulgaria and Turkey.

CULINARY USES:

Damask roses are used in cooking as a flavouring ingredient or spice. They are an ingredient in the Moroccan spice mixture denominated "ras el hanout". Rose water and powdered roses are used in Middle Eastern & Indian cuisine. Rose water is often sprinkled on meat dishes, while rose powder is added to sauces. Chicken with rose is a popular dish in Middle Eastern cuisine. Whole flowers, or petals, are also used in the herbal tea "zuhurat". The most popular use, however, is in the flavoring of desserts such as ice cream, jam, Turkish delights, rice pudding, yogurt, etc.

For centuries, the Damask rose has symbolized beauty and love. The fragrance of the rose has been captured and preserved in the form of rose water by a method that can be traced to ancient times in the Middle East and later to the Indian subcontinent.

Modern Western cookery does not use roses or rose water much. However, it was a popular ingredient in ancient times and continued to be popular well into the Renaissance. It was most commonly used in desserts, and still is a flavour in traditional desserts such as marzipan or turrón. It has seen some revival in television cooking in the twenty-first century.

(Source: Wikipedia) 

In the 19th century the most Damask hybrids were created and they are among the most magnificent of roses. Good examples are La Ville de Bruxelles, Isfahan, Gloire de France. 

They make excellent garden shrubs and can reach 150 X 150 cm. They only flower once and all have a delicious damask old rose fragrance.

Nobody should have a garden without one of these gems.

What you need to remember:

Once flowering for up to 5 weeks

Large, bushy shrubs (150X150)

Quartered or rosette shaped flowers 

Strong old rose, damask, fragrance 

Mostly pink colors 

Very healthy 

Don't prune the first 3 years

Prune immediately after flowering 

Hardy 5b and warmer

For larger gardens 

Wild roses (Denominated species)

 Wild roses, also denominated "species roses", include the natural species and some of their immediate hybrid descendants. The wild roses commonly grown in gardens include Rosa moschata ("musk rose"), Rosa banksiae ("Lady Banks' rose"), Rosa pimpinellifolia ("Scots rose" or "burnet rose"), Rosa rubiginosa ("sweetbriar" or "eglantine"), and Rosa foetida in varieties 'Austrian Copper', 'Persian Double', and 'Harison's Yellow'. For most of these, the plants found in cultivation are often selected clones that are propagated vegetatively. Wild roses are low-maintenance shrubs in comparison to other garden roses, and they usually tolerate poor soil and some shade. They generally have only one flush of blooms per year, described as being "non-remontant", unlike remontant, modern roses. Some species have colorful hips in autumn, e. g. Rosa moyesii, or have colourful autumnal foliage, e. g. Rosa virginiana.

What you need to remember:

Wild roses found in nature 

Most flower once 

Can get really big 

Many can climb 

Very healthy 

Lots of hips in autumn 

Mostly single blooms 

For big gardens 

Gallica roses

Gallica Roses are the most ancient rose group comprising big, bushy shrubs with bristly stems and excellent foliage. The flowers range in colour from pink through to the darkest maroon and can be single or most often double. They are prized for their wonderful scent as well as their medicinal properties.

Important Gallicas include the Apothecary’s Rose or Officinalis, which can be traced back to Medieval times and is known as red rose of Lancaster. Rosa Mundi or Rosa gallica ‘Versicolor’ is a classic old rose often seen in Tudor styled gardens, it is a mutation of Officinalis which has distinctive white splashing and striping to the petals. Duchesse de Montebello, to me the most beautiful Gallica with stunning light pink quartered blooms. Charles de Mills, the most beautiful purple Gallica with red turning to purple rosettes.

What you need to remember:

Big shrubs (150X150)

Can create suckers 

Once flowering for 5 weeks

Only prune after three years 

Prune directly after flowering 

Strong fragrance 

Very healthy 

Shade tolerant 

Very hardy zone 4b

Alba roses

Alba roses are an ancient group that dates back to Roman times and include historic gems such as The White Rose of York and The Jacobite rose. Analysis has shown them to be hybrids of  Rosa canina and Rosa gallica. 

They are the most easy roses to grow making good large, rounded shrubs and can take a good amount of shade. They have greyish green foliage and are very Hardy.

Alba's only bloom once, in late spring to early summer. Some of the most beautiful roses are Alba's. Examples are Félicité Parmentier, Mme Plantier, Königin von Danemark, Alba Semi-plena, Alba Maxima etc

So what you need to remember:

Bloom once but for 4 to 5 weeks

Make beautiful rounded shrubs (120X150)

First pruning after three years 

Prune immediately after flowering 

Come in white and shades of light pink 

Very hardy zone 4b

Shade tolerant 

Tolerant to poor soil 

Little diseases 

Strong fragrance