Old Rose
My mother had a very vigorous rose in the front garden, but due to attack by passers-by it died after a traumatic transplant (some ten years ago). It was quite old (some thirty years), and unfortunately I have no picture of it (at least none I can remember).
Browsing the web I came upon this picture:
http://ts4.mm.bing.net/th?id=I.4729412593845551&pid=15.1
which looks very much like it, though I remember the blossoms to be upright (facing upwards) and having a very strong musky scent. The leaves semeed to be
darker too. In its heyday it soared (the crown was quite tall) and the first blooms huge (5, 6 inches, or more). The colour was deep red. There were many large petals, but when the blossom was fully open it revealed its stamens
(as in the picture). Can anyone help name it? Thanks
Posts
My first guess would be Ena Harkness, but the blooms tend to droop - have a look on this site http://www.classicroses.co.uk/products/roses/ - you can do a detailed search on the left-hand side of the page.
Good luck
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I inherited a gorgeous red rose with my allotment. I was always a bit stuck up about hybrid teas before I met this one. Mine is 'Alec's Red' - dark green leaves, vigourous and upright with fantastically scented large blooms (more turkish delight than musk though). It's one of my favourites for cutting. Can't currently upload a pic but will try to add one later.
Could it be "Tuscany"? It's an old rose, dark crimson, semi-double with a yellow centre, vigourous and strongly scented. David Austin sells it.
Thats what I thought Lizzie, 'Tuscany' or 'Tuscany Superb'.
Thanks for all. I think it must have been a cultivar of Gallica. I remember the buds had some dark patches, but the mature bloom had nothing of maroon (on the contrary, the petals faded to pink towards the centre).