Roses I have known (N to Z)

Paul's Himalyan Musk

I have planted this vigorous rambler on an east-facing wall and it seems very happy despite getting a lot of sun. It is already about 3m tall in its second year and this summer was absolutely covered in clusters of pale pink flowers. The objective is to have it cover the roof of an ugly building but also, if possible, keep it flowering at lower levels. Some careful pruning is going to be required.

Paul Ricard

A very nice warm yellow flowered rose but not very vigorous. I have it planted in the vineyard and I think it is just a bit too tough an environment. I would still like to try it somewhere less challenging.
Paul Transom

A very pretty Wichurana Rambler which is less rampant than most and has flexible stems, hence my choice for a pergola. The flowers are a complex old fashioned shape and a warm pink. It does not seem all that happy though with prolonged drought conditions and this summer (its second) a number of stems died back. I will persevere with it though and see if a bit of TLC helps it thrive next summer.

Pierre de Ronsard

Even though this is a rose you see everywhere in central Italy it is really a great addition to any garden so I reluctantly award it my first prize. Mine is on the corner of a north facing wall so it gets to keep its feet in shade whilst the branches flop outwards to catch both morning and evening sun. I have seen it doing very well in all sorts of different locations. It will grow to about 3m but does not get out of control. The flowers are unusual in that they are pale - almost white - outside and a strong pink towards the centre. It is good for cutting and this year flowered continuously all summer (provided that I remembered to remove the dead heads) and had a small flush in September despite the drought. The only short-coming is that there is not much scent. Can't have everything though. PS Sad to report that the builders dug up my plant and moved it - with devastating results. I hope to replace it this autumn with a new one.

Seven Sisters (Rosa multiflora platyphylla)

Seven Sisters is called that because of the seven different shades the roses fade out to. The rose needs a warm location but planting in full sun makes the flowers fade quickly to off white so you tend not get the full effect. You will get all seven shades if you plant the rose where is doesn't get full afternoon sun. It is a vigorous once-blooming climbing rose that is frequently found in old gardens and homesteads throughout the southern United States, particularly Texas. Tradition has it that early French settlers took to rose with them - it is supposed to propagate easily from cuttings. I was rather drawn to the idea of Seven Sisters in Texas because of the original oil companies. Anyway it seems quite happy here tucked in a south-east facing corner away from the wind, and has put on a lot of growth in its first year.

Susan Daniel

Susan Daniel is an opera singer and had this rose named after her as a thank you for all the work she has done for charity. The rose is just like her: pretty and elegant but actually quite tough. The bushes are about 1m tall and do well with a little shade from midday sun. She also seems to appreciate not having to wake up too early - so she is in a south-west facing location. She flowers almost continuously through the summer and autumn.
Sutter's Gold

This rose is successful in the vineyard in as much as it keeps producing foliage and flowers. However the hot dry location seems to affect yellow roses worse than pink or red (maybe because the vines are for red wine?). The rose does not have many petals and once cut and brought indoors tends to drop quite soon. I probably wouldn't bother with this one in future.
Traviata

A tall sturdy bush with thick stems and vicious thorns which stands up to all sorts of rough treatment in the vineyard. The flowers are also strong with deep red petals in a complex form. It flowers strongly in May then repeats a little in autumn. Highly recommended for a difficult spot.
Treasure Trove

I have heard that Treasure Trove ought to do well climbing into trees so I am trying it out against a pine tree where it gets afternoon sun. So far it has withstood a lot of abuse during building works but only a few flowers. Let's see next year.
White Meilland

The rather bland name should not put you off: this is a very useful low-growing rose with a long flowering season and good resistance to drought. The compact white flowers are very attractive and the dark glossy foliage is nice when there are no blooms. Good for ground cover and edging. I pruned it too much last year and rather spoilt the spreading shape - better to leave it alone.
Winchester Cathedral

Quite a delicate-looking rose, not too tall, with very attractive pale pink (almost white) old fashioned blooms. I have managed to keep it going during droughts because it has dappled shade from an olive tree. Lovely fresh 'lemony' fragrance. Probably ought to be planted in groups of the same type to get a full effect.
Zephirine Drouhin

A fantastic Bourbon climber which has virtually no thorns and is lovely on a terrace. The perfume can be so strong as to be over-powering at times. It is meant to be continuous flowering but I find that it rarely repeats here in autumn. The summer show alone is worth it though. It is described as being shade tolerant and I have found that when the sun gets very intense the plant drops its leaves even though there is dappled shade. It is also extremely susceptible to mildew - or other moulds - which it catches from the vineyard.

Y