Rose Society of South Australia
To encourage, improve, foster and extend the cultivation
and appreciation of the Rose
and appreciation of the Rose
Floribunda Rose
‘Lacy Parasol’ is a soft pink with cream base coloured, semi-double Floribunda bred in South Australia’s Barossa Valley by Mary Frick and released to the market in 2012.
Blooms are cupped shape with red stamens which adds to the charm of this rose; flowering in both small and large clusters it repeats well if regularly deadheaded.
Fragrance is sweet with overtones of fruit and honey.
With a spreading habit, the plant grows to 1.2m tall and as wide. Foliage is attractive and light green. It has good disease resistance and is easy to grow.
Lacy Parasol is highly recommended in our climate for exhibitors and the home gardener alike.
Available from Knight’s Roses either as a bare root plant or potted, this rose makes a great addition to any garden. Knight’s Roses website: https://knightsroses.com.au
Text: Gavin Woods
Large flowered Climber
‘Blushing Pierre de Ronsard’ is an attractive climbing rose bred by Meilland in France in 1999. It has old fashioned creamy white double blooms with a light pink centre. The rose is perfect for covering structures and can reach up to 3 metres in height.
‘Blushing Pierre de Ronsard’ has large fully double blooms and a mild classic fragrance. The abundant foliage is plentiful, glossy deep green and healthy, with minimal thorns. Regular deadheading will ensure the rose repeats well throughout the season. It is rarely without blooms and is a proven performer in South Australia. The blooms are also good for picking and have a relatively long vase life. Blushing Pierre de Ronsard is suitable for planting on an arch, trellis or pillar easily covering withing 3 to 4 years.
‘Blushing Pierre de Ronsard’ is a sport of the ever popular Pierre de Ronsard.
Due to its popularity, Climbing Pierre de Ronsard is readily available, from specialist rose nurseries: Knight’s Roses, Wagner’s Rose Nursery and Treloar Roses.
Text and Photos: Diane vom Berg
Shrub Rose
After more than 55 years of collecting and planting roses, I have to admit to being late to adding a Persica rose to my garden, my choice being ‘Bright as a Button’. That said, the Persica collection of roses has its own interesting history. Firstly, recognising the origins of the name, Persica, a rose from Persia, today’s Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Afghanistan. It is also noteworthy that despite this ancient history the original rose, still growing on the arid steppes, in dry harsh conditions, is considered a weed and an impairment to 21st century agriculture, consequently being ploughed-in or used for firewood.
So how did this rose find its way into our gardens albeit only readily available in the last 20 years?
The lineage of Rosa Persica is an anomalous species that at one time placed it in a separate genus- Hulthemia.
The development of the modern hybrid was initiated by Jack Harkness (England) and Alex Cocker (Scotland); however, it was British breeder Chris Warner who continued their work to bring this variety of hybrids to market. Warner is an award-winning breeder renowned for healthy no-spray garden roses and Bright as a Button is categorised as a “novel” Persica. It meets the criteria of a specialty rose that requires little care to maintain its shape, foliage and constant blooming.
Recorded as symbolising perfection, beauty and elegance the 5 petalled flowers, borne in clusters of up to 10 blooms on longish canes, lives up to this reputation.
Bright as a Button, bred in 2002, is considered probably the best of the Persica varieties winning European trial awards in the 2000s. It is the distinctive eye at the base of the flower surrounded by prominent bee attracting stamens that is the unique definer.
This shrub rose is highly disease resistant, growing approximately 1x1metre and is rarely without flowers from spring to autumn. It has fragrant, single, medium-sized blooms of deep pink to pale pink which retain their colour.
It is indeed a worthy addition to a rose bed, offering easy care, fragrance, attracting bees and contrast.
Available in 2024 from Wagner’s Rose Nursery and Silkies Rose Farm rosesalesonline.com.au
Text: Bev Scott
English Shrub Rose
(Ausprior)
‘Claire Austin’ is described as one of David Austin's best white roses to date, bred in 1999, it was released in Australia in 2010 and named to honour David’s daughter, Claire. Another good performing white recently released is ‘Desdemona’.
‘Claire Austin’ is a moderate, upright, repeat flowering climber which features cupped buds of pale yellow that open to creamy white. The rose produces elegant arched canes of mid-green, healthy foliage and is ideal to train onto a pillar or structure. The blooms have up to 120 petals and a strong fragrance of myrrh and vanilla.
This rose grows to approx. 1.8m to 2.5m tall when trained as a small climber or pillar rose and blooms in flushes throughout the season. It is a hardy plant suitable for our climatic conditions.
Beautiful perfume is a well-known feature of David Austin English Shrub Roses. Claire Austin impressed the judges and was named the Most Fragrant Rose in the two-year Trial held in Adelaide and announced in 2011.
Available from Wagner’s Rose Nursery and Treloar Roses.
Awards:
TROPHY - Most Fragrant Rose in Trial - National Rose Trial Garden of Australia 2011
SILVER MEDAL - National Rose Trial Garden of Australia 2011
Text: Melanie Trimper
Hybrid Tea Rose
(Tan96191)
‘Enchanting’ was bred by Hans Jurgen Evers at Tantau Roses in Germany in 2002 and was released in Australia in 2014 by Knight’s Roses.
This award-winning Hybrid Tea rose grows into a well-shaped upright bush growing 1m to 1.4m and produces many quality flowers throughout the entire season. It is reliable and well suited to our Australian climate.
Enchanting has a unique colour blend of pink with a yellow reverse, sometimes showing colours of peach and raspberry. This classic rose has proven to be a great performer. It has attractive blooms produced in small clusters, a light fragrance and healthy glossy green foliage making this variety ideal for garden beds or as a cut flower with a good vase life. This bush produces a good number of blooms in flushes throughout the growing season.
Enchanting is available from Knight’s Roses, Gawler, knightsroses.com.au, Wagner’s Rose Nursery wagnersrosenursery.com.au in South Australia and rosesalesonline.com.au in Victoria.
Awards:
Trophy for Best Hybrid Tea in Trial - National Rose Trial Garden of Australia 2011
Bronze Medal - National Rose Trial Garden of Australia 2011
Text: Melanie Trimper
(Tea Rose)
‘General Gallieni’ (pronounced gaal-lee-eh-nee) is a Tea rose bred by Gilbert Nobonnand in France in 1899. It was introduced in Australia in 1903 by St Kilda Nurseries.
Tea roses are classified as “Old Garden Roses” being the predecessors of our wonderful Hybrid Tea Roses, the preeminent garden roses of today.
A large double bloom (17 to 25 petals) of cupped form, colour varies from a dark red to yellow and all shades in-between. This rose blooms in flushes throughout the season. Hardly resembling a rose, blooms often are misshapen and muddled. Growth is up to 200cm high and 180cm in width producing a wonderful feature plant in any garden. Foliage graduates from light olive-green to dull blue-green with minimal hooked prickles on the branches. Like all roses in this category, fragrance is of a tea nature with faint overtones of carnation and disinfectant.
A wonderful 2 page expose of the variety features in the Australian authored “Tea Roses, Old Roses for Warm Climates” and is in part detailed as follows; “General Gallieni is almost always in bloom, even in the depths of winter and at the height of summer. Plump buds are guarded by well foliated sepals, which reflex fully when the flower opens. The flowers are usually solitary but can come in small inflorescences and are held upright on kinked, glandular pedicels, standing out against the dark foliage.”
The variety was named after Joseph Simon Galliéni, Marshal of France, born at Saint-Réat in Haute-Garonne 24 April 1849. Died at Versailles 27 March 1916. Created a Marshal of France posthumously 21 April 1921.
Tea roses perform very well in South Australia, preferring warm, dry climates. A large collection can be seen at Adelaide Botanical Gardens and usually feature prominently in the gardens of growers who favour the “heritage” style roses.
This rose is available for purchase in South Australia from Wagner’s Rose Nursery.
Text: Gavin Woods
‘Valencia’ is still popular today after nearly 40 years. This is a very satisfying rose to grow in your home garden. You will be completely captivated by the large, fragrant blooms which are produced month after month throughout the season. The tall upright growth habit and strong stems, classic exhibition style form and long lasting blooms make Valencia a great cut flower. It has a sweet rose fragrance for which Valencia won the “Henry Edland Gold Medal for Fragrance” in UK trials. Valencia was bred by Kordes in Germany prior to 1987 and is well known worldwide.
One of the most popular Hybrid Tea roses in this colour, flowers are a rich amber yellow produced on a strong, vigorous bush with tough, large, dark green leathery foliage showing good disease tolerance. The large blooms have 35-40 petals and are borne mostly solitary on strong straight stems.
This rose blooms in flushes throughout the season. Remove old spent blooms to encourage the next flush. The bush grows to 1.8m tall and 1.5m wide and creates a lovely display in the garden and as a cut flower.
This rose is available for purchase in South Australia from Wagner’s Rose Nursery, and Treloar Roses, Garden Express and rosesalesonline in Victoria.
Text: Melanie Trimper
Floribunda / Shrub Rose
(MACORANLEM)
The striking colourful rose ‘Oranges ‘n’ Lemons’ was bred by Sam McGredy IV, in New Zealand, in 1985.
It is often said you either like striped coloured roses or you don’t! Striped roses are eye-catching and make an excellent feature plant, whether they have bold splashes of colour, streaks or flecks, the striped rose is a real novelty. Not only is every flower different, but every petal is unique. The “hand painted roses” are a special strain developed by renowned rose breeder the late Sam McGredy IV who bred some great roses in his 50-year career. With a talent for innovation, his priorities were colour and plant health but he was also looking for novelty in his roses. The roses ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll’ (1983), ‘Tropical Sunset’ (1988) and ‘Oranges ‘n’ Lemons’ (introduced in 1994) are regarded as some of his best achievements.
Oranges ‘n’ Lemons features striped bright orange and yellow fully double blooms (40 petals) with a mild fruity fragrance, produced in small clusters, in flushes throughout the season. The brightly coloured petals slowly fade to a peach colour. This variety can be used as a cut flower.
The bush is strong and vigorous reaching 1.5m to 2m, with slightly arching canes and leathery glossy foliage. This variety is a strong performer year after year, and our bush was still looking good after 28 years.
This rose is available from Garden Express and Silkies Rose Farm - rosesalesonline.com.au
Text: Melanie Trimper
English Shrub Rose
(AUSlot)
‘Sophy’s Rose’ was bred by David Austin Snr. in the UK and was introduced in 1997.
Sophy’s Rose is a proven performer with several great attributes to recommend it. This is a free flowering, strong and vigorous plant which excels in both hot and cold climates, producing a prolific number of rich cerise coloured blooms.
This rose has large (12cm), flat rosette-shaped blooms with up to 80 petals complemented by a light tea rose fragrance and excellent repeat flowering ability. It can be adapted to many garden uses, such as a mass planting, hedge or as a container or feature plant. In our sunny climate, this rose grows to 1.5m tall x 1.2m wide, with an upright and bushy growth habit. It is a great choice for a mixed border with blue and purple flowering plants, like salvia, tall bearded iris or lavender as these colours harmonise well.
This rose is highly recommended as a graceful and romantic looking English Shrub Rose with reliable performance, good disease resistance and flowering all season long. It was named for Sophy, daughter of Wendy Fisher the Founder of the charity Dyslexia Institute in 1972.
Sophy’s Rose is available from Knight’s Roses, Gawler, knightsroses.com.au; Wagner’s Rose Nursery wagnersrosenursery.com.au in South Australia and Silkies Rose Farm rosesalesonline.com.au in Victoria.
Awards:
TROPHY BEST SHRUB ROSE IN TRIAL National Rose Trial Garden of Australia - Adelaide 2002
SILVER MEDAL National Rose Trial Garden of Australia - Adelaide 2002
Text and Photos: Melanie Trimper
Floribunda
(KORfriedhar)
Another great Kordes’ rose, Novalis exudes old world charm with its fully double, large, cupped blooms of lavender/mauve.
Bred by the famous German rose breeders in 2004 and released in Australia a decade later, this highly fragrant rose blooms in clusters with good repeat flowering. A vigorous plant, growth is upright to 1m x 0.4m with light green foliage. Disease resistance is good.
Novalis is a wonderful rose in this very attractive colour. Mauve roses are often highly fragrant which adds to their appeal.
The Kordes nursery is currently led by the fifth generation of this prodigious rose breeding family, with many of the world’s most famous roses bred by Kordes, including Friesia and Kardinal, well known to Australian gardeners.
This rose is named after the pseudonym of a famous French poet. Novalis has received awards at trials for new roses internationally.
Novalis is available from top South Australian rose producers Knight’s Roses and Wagner’s Rose Nursery.
AWARDS:
ADR Award ADR Rose Trials Germany 2013
SNHF Premier Prix Grand Prix de la Rose France 2014
SILVER MEDAL La Tacita International Trial Italy 2015
Text by Gavin Woods
(Shrub Rose)
(TAN97150)
When ‘Black Caviar’ was released in Australia it achieved unprecedented sales at Knight’s Roses, such was the huge interest in this extraordinary modern shrub rose. The rose was named to honour the Australian champion Thoroughbred racehorse hailed the ‘world’s greatest sprinter’ of the day who won 25 races, including 15 Group One, an Australian record. She was unique achieving 25 wins from 25 starts. She died one day before her 18th birthday in 2024.
Black Caviar was bred in Germany in 1997 by Tantau, a well-known company which has been breeding roses for over a century. It was introduced in Australia by Knight’s Roses in 2012.
This rose features a rich purple lighter centre with a deep burgundy red velvety edge. It is a highly fragrant rose with a beautiful perfume, reminiscent of sweet damask old fashioned roses showing fruit and spice with notes of vanilla and honey jasmine. The fully double, large blooms (10cm) have 40+ petals in a classic, quartered, cupped form and are produced in small clusters.
The bush has arching canes, dark green foliage and repeat flowers in flushes throughout the season. This rose grows well in our climatic conditions, typical growth can reach 1.5m tall and it is suitable for cutting and flower arrangements.
Black Caviar is available in South Australia from Knight’s Roses as both a bush and a 90cm standard and Treloar Roses in Victoria.
Awards:
TROPHY & GOLD Medal – Best Fragrance – Concorso Int’l Rose Trial Italy 2002
TROPHY – Best Scent – New Zealand
ADR – Rose Award – Germany
Text: Melanie Trimper
Miniature Rose
(BENfig)
‘Figurine’ is a miniature rose which was bred in 1991 by American breeder, Frank Benardella (1932-2010) and introduced in 1992. Frank was a prolific breeder of miniature roses, making the transition from exhibitor to rose breeding in the 1980s. His meticulous breeding resulted in 20 of his roses receiving the Award of Excellence in the USA and many of his roses were internationally successful and a small collection was imported into Australia.
Figurine’s long stems are the hallmark of this rose and represent Frank Benardella’s achievement in producing a miniature hybridized for the cut flower florist trade. It is mostly grown in glasshouses in South Africa from where it is transported around the world.
This rose is described as being pure white with a pink tinge to having light pink blooms. It depends on the environment in which it is grown. A temperate environment produces light pink blooms and drier climates produce white.
The flowers are long lasting and either borne singly or in small clusters. It is free flowering and resistant to fungus. It has elegant, pointed buds and high-centred classic bloom form.
The bush has an upright, bushy habit and tends to spread somewhat, growing to 45 – 50 cms high and 45 cms wide. It has dark matte green foliage and only a few prickles.
Figurine is available from Treloar Roses in Victoria.
Awards:
“Basket Class” All Miniature Show The Royal National Rose Society UK
Award of Excellence American Rose Society USA 1992
Text: John Bradshaw
Lacy Parasol
Blushing Pierre de Ronsard
Bright as a Button
Claire Austin
Enchanting
General Gallieni
Valencia
Oranges n Lemons
Sophy's Rose
Novalis
Black Caviar
Figurine