Thursday 17 June 2010

Roses: Gertrude Jekyll

Could there be a Modern Country garden without roses? I think not. And, more specifically, without David Austen roses? The epitome of Modern Country gardening! The best of old (fragrance to die for) and the best of new (long flowering times) and all combined with stunning looks.

When I was young, I remember gardeners telling me that you could either have beauty or fragrance in a rose (and, no doubt, women!!). That the fragrance had been bred out in the process of trying to achieve visual perfection. No longer do we have to stand for this travesty! Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you David Austen's Gertrude Jekyll, a Modern Country rose at its best!


Obviously, I can't transmit it's scent to you (though I wish I could) but please believe me when I say it is divine. The kind of smell that makes you want to bury your face in the soft petals and inhale forever. Mmmmm.


This year, my Gertrude Jekyll rose is smothered with flowers. We've had a lot of rain over the past month and they seem not to have spoiled, as some roses do.

My one slight sadness is that their heads do droop somewhat. In fact, the whole plant is a little bit floppy (some might say 'delicate'!) and needs a helping hand supporting. With firm scaffolding in place, though, it is a sight to behold.


Gertrude Jekyll grows to about 6-8ft left unchecked (virtually a mini climber) or can be maintained as a shrub, flowering repeatedly throughout the summer. It has dark green foliage, which is a sumptuous bronzed red when young. The buds are beautiful and the open rosettes ( a medium pink) exquisite.


Don't you agree (how can you say no?!) that David Austen's Gertrude Jekyll rose definitely deserves its place in any Modern Country garden?

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4 comments :

Sweet Libertine said...

I love DA roses! These are such a beautiful colour, I actually think my neighbours have this climbing on their front fence, thick and fragrant, heavy double heads and rampant with buds!
Its a really pretty musky pink rather than the stock standard pink in my garden and is the source of much lust every morning!

Greetings from Melbourne AU!

Leticia.

Anne said...

Just found this post, Sarah, I adore David Austen roses! You must try Golden Celebration -- it blooms all summer and smells like honey, its truly divine!

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