Ranging from the Meilland and Kordes HT's to Tantau, Austin and Delbard. They don't include much old heritage roses but there are big exceptions; Lens in Belgium has a vast array of heritage roses next to their very good Hybrid Musks and also France and Germany but also Italy have rose nurseries specialized in old roses. Tea roses however are rather rare to find as they still have this reputation for not being hardy at all. Luckily there are nurseries which do offer a big collection of Teas. Loubert in France, Vivaio Fiori di rosa and Vivaio antiche Tiziano in Italy are probably the best Tea suppliers in whole Europe.
So when I decided to start with Teas, China's and Tea Noisettes I had to turn in first place to Loubert roses in France as they have an incredible Tea collection. But which ones should I choose? Here, personal preferences in color and shape, good reblooming and cold hardiness would decide.
On internet you can find general Tea information and the online pictures always look very beautiful but how would they perform in my garden? There was only one way to find out: By trying them! I wanted to grow many against obelisks and walls so most of them had to be quite tall but I also took shorter ones for in the front of the borders. Here is a summary of the roses I choose and a little description. (for a more extensive description of all the roses in my garden you can always find these roses under the label "Tea rose varieties" on this Blog)
* Devoniensis climbing: The climbing sport of probably my most beloved Tea can reach 5 meters or 15 feet. One of the most Hardy Teas that will do good in zones 7b to 10b. But always remember that Teas need full sun and a warm spot. Many nurseries give you Malmaison climbing instead of the real Devoniensis climbing. Yes they look a bit alike but Devoniensis has less petals and gets a yellow shading when aging. Quartered and rather big the flowers have a good strong Tea fragrance. They are also remarkably rain resistant. Drought and heat are no problem for her. Reblooms like the best and is a strong grower. Already in her first year she needed to move from her pot to her definitive spot in the ground, wrapping around an old willow tree. Can get some mildew but nothing that a simple Neem or milk treatment can't solve. Don't prune, she hates it. Very recommended rose!
Devoniensis bears gorgeous, quartered blooms
The yellow shading of Devoniensis appears one to two days after opening
* Rêve d'or: A monument for sure. Today this rose is at the front of breeding programs to create new, heat resistant roses. She's especially used in crossings with R. Gigantea by Viru Viraraghavan. Rêve d'or (Golden dream) has medium sized, buff, coppery to apricot double to full blooms with silky, shiny petals. They have a distinct Tea fragrance. She's often called climbing Safrano but although they look very similar they aren't directly related. Rêve d'or gets 4 meters or 12 feet. Growth is strong with many small shoots coming from every leaf axle. It can take two years before she really starts blooming but once she does she'll keep blooming all summer and autumn. Ideal for walls, fences, trellis, arches, tall Obelisks or pillars, piramides. Zone 7b to 10b. Rain, drought and heat resistant. Don't prune, she hates it! Recommended rose
Rêve d'or, a jewel in any garden
Rêve d'or keeps going all summer and autumn long
* Maman Cochet: Regarded as one of the most beautiful Teas ever and in Australia she's a real treasure. Quintessential Tea buds unfolding into light pink with white and carmine shading. She can vary greatly in color as I found out during her first summer. Blooms are full with scrolled back petals and a mild to moderate tea fragrance. They stand in clusters of two/three or as solitaires. The flowers keep good for days despite hot temperatures. Maman can't take rain for days as the outer petals of the buds start to turn brown. Reblooming is good as I had four flushes this summer. She starts to grow very early and today, it's 14 September 2024, she's about to unfold her last flush. The shrub version which I have can reach 170 X 170 cm or 5X5 feet. She has a climbing version that gets four meters or 12 feet. A white climbing sport is also available and I also have this one. Same bloom but white with carmine and light yellow shine. Very beautiful too. Zone 7b to 10b, drought and heat resistant. Needs full sun and NO PRUNING!
Maman Cochet, rose of great beauty
White Maman Cochet, maybe even more beautiful
No comments:
Post a Comment