Portland Roses
Historically important as they were the first shrub roses to offer a guarantee of repeat flowering. Many of the characteristics come from the Damask roses they evolved from so they are all scented.
Colours range from white to almost red. Sadly they were bred for this purpose with little attention to the heal of the cultivars. They flower in flushes with a quit period of about four to six week. They were superseded by the Hybrid Perpetuals. They numbered over a hundred at their peak but today they number under thirty with perhaps ten or so available in the UK that are both tough and reliable.
Hybrid Perpetual Roses
The precursor to the modern Hybrid Tea roses. Most offer a reliable repeat flowering inherited from the crossing of Portland and China roses, as well as a slightly wider colour palette. They are generally vigorous shrubs with large scented blooms.
At the first flush in June, each of the ‘Reine des Violettes’ roses here bears two hundred to three hundred blooms each. It is also virtually thornless.
Other varieties of old roses for Scotland
Gallica
- Charles de Mills
- President de Seze
- Gallica officinalis (Red rose of LAncaster)
- Cardinal de Richelieu
Portland
- Jacque Cartier
- Comte de Chambord
- Indigo
- Sidone
- Rose de Rescht
- Portland rose
Damask
- Ispahan
- Kazanilik
Alba
- Great Maiden’s Blush
- Alba Maxima (Jacobite Rose)
Hybrid Perpetual
- Reine des Violettes
- Ferbinand Pichard
- Vick’s Caprice
Moss
- William Lobb
- Henry Martin
Hybrid Mush
- Daybreak
- Felicia
- Cornelia