Bengali

Bengali, Kordes 2011

Floribunda 

ADR rose

Bengali must be one of the most beautiful recent floribundas. It's a rather short but wide shrub of 100X100 cm or 3X3 feet. The flowers stand in clusters and are double. They start orange to yellow but evolve into this magnificent apricot splendor. The most beautiful is that the shrub will get flowers in the different color stages so you have orange, yellow and apricot at the same time and this creates a gorgeous display. Reblooming is rapid and the Zone is 5b to 9b. The flowers have a good fragrance.

When we look at health we immediately look at its ADR label. The ADR label (Allgemeine Deutsche Rosenneuheitprüfungen) (General German new rose variety Tests) means that this rose was planted in 12 official rose gardens in Germany and was grown without fungicides and pesticides for two years without getting sick. In essence it means you buy a very disease resistant rose.

Bengali is very suited for planting in borders and in pots. 

A healthy, reliable and most beautiful rose 

Giardina

Giardina, Tantau 2008

Modern Climber 

Giardina has enchanted many gardeners with its very full, puffy, often quartered, pink to light pink flowers. The buds appear in clusters. Foliage is dark green and very healthy. As a climber Giardina will reach 300/400 cm or 9 to 12 feet. Can be used on trellis, pergola, arch, obelisk, fence etc..

Zone 6b to 9b 

This rose has a lot in common with Pierre de Ronsard alias Eden rose. The flowers and the big dense buds are almost identical. Giardina however has much more fragrance: A good fruity sweet fragrance. Repeats well and is almost immune to diseases. The only critique I could find is that the petals spoil rather soon in damp, wet weather. Otherwise this is a magnificent climber. Recommended!

Parade

Parade, Boerner 1953

Modern Climber 

Seedling of New Dawn X World's fair cl.

Parade is a very reliable reblooming climber with deep pink, cupped, very full blooms in clusters. As a seedling of New Dawn it inherited the Wichuraiana genes so we see the dark green Glossy healthy foliage. The rose has a very good disease resistance and is quite Hardy zone 5b to 9b. The wood is a bit less stiff than it's seed parent so Parade can be trained more easily than New Dawn. The rose can be used as a pergola rose, trellis, tall obelisk, Arch etc... Mild to moderate fragrance. 

Reblooming is very good and more regularly and more reliable than New Dawn. After some years Parade can reach 350 cm or 11 feet.

The color is striking and some would argue it's too harsh but it definitely stands out. 

Blind shoots: What are they and what to do

In spring our roses start to grow and we expect that every shoot results in one or more beautiful flowers but sometimes this isn't the case. Sometimes the new shoot doesn't end in a flower, it just ends... It's this we call a blind shoot. How they occur isn't yet entirely clear but there seems to be a link with mild winters. In very mild winters with little frost there seem to be more blind shoots the following spring. More research has to be done but there are strong indications in this direction. We all know that after severe, harsh winters our roses are more beautiful and abundant, this also counts for other flowers.

What do we do with the blind shoots? It's best to prune them back a bit so new side shoots can grow and flower. So just treat the blind shoots as if you're deadheading them. We do this the moment we see that the shoots won't develop a flower. The earlier we do it the sooner we will get new flowers. So take a good look at your new growth in April and act if needed.

A typical blind shoot that won't develop a flower. It's best to deadhead the shoot so new side shoots can emerge and flower 

Golden Zest

Golden Zest, Zary 2000

Golden Zest has that typical look and feel of English roses. She reminds us of Charles Darwin and Crown Princess Margareta. The blooms are very full, almost quartered in a warm yellow or golden color. They stand in clusters. It's a vigorous shrub and will reach 120X100 cm or 4X3 feet. Perpetual blooming throughout summer and autumn. Very healthy and reliable. Zone 6b to 9b. It's a magnificent shrub and it's most special feature is the fragrance. Just like Pope John Paul II this Golden Zest has an extremely strong smell of fresh lemon 🍋 juice. Very refreshing!

Available in the USA and at Guillot 

Fragrant Apricot

Fragrant Apricot, Zary 1998

USA rose wizard Keith Zary gave us Pope John Paul II but he made many more masterpieces and especially for us in Europe. Slowly they are getting introduced in the EU and with our non EU brothers in the UK. Fragrant Apricot is such another marvel created by Zary. It's available at some nurseries in France and Germany.

This Modern Hybrid has exceptionally beautiful apricot, very full blooms. They get lighter towards the edges and stand in clusters. They are big, at least 4 inch or 13 cm in diameter. They exude a very strong Damask fragrance. Overall these blooms look puffy and baroque. Perpetual blooming throughout summer and autumn. Zone 6b to 9b. Very healthy

120X100 cm or 4X3 feet

This rose is right up my street 

Rose Pompadour

Rose Pompadour was created by Arnaud Delbard in 2009. This stunning Hybrid Tea with very strong Damask, lemon fragrance surely will get everybody's attention.

Almost quartered, deep violet pink blooms appear in great abundance all summer long. Vigorous growth up to 120 cm or 4 feet. Zone 6b to 9b. Exceptionally healthy and reliable. A stunning rose

Clos Vougeot

Clos Vougeot from Delbard is a recent floribunda and received many awards. The vigorous plant 120X100 cm is covered in large, very full vibrant red blooms and they have a very strong raspberry fragrance. Blooms freely all summer and autumn long. Health is good, zone 6b to 9b.

Iceberg Was a parent of this rose. 

Vibrant red floribundas are always welcome and Clos Vougeot does a wonderful job!