Jack Holloway
Passionate Gardener
SEQUOIA FARM Haenertsburg South Africa
Old fashioned roses
9 Apr '06 7:16 am Can anyone help to identify two of my favourite old-fashioned roses. Ironically I got them from two aunts (so they are known as Aunty Corrie and Aunty May) who live 1400km apart. Aunty May claims it is a cutting from her mother’s rose, Aunty Corry found hers growing on a farm she bought in 1980. They are close enough that only when one cuts and compares blooms are they clearly different. Both tend to sucker (but not much), both are leggy to the point of being climbers, both flower once only with the other old roses. I would describe them as gallica-like centifolias. Both are rich pink, wonderfully scented and both tend to form purplish-grey hues as they age, typical of some of the gallicas, but the flowers are larger and more globular than most gallicas. Both have white to pale pink bases to the petals, not noticeable till the flower shatters. Aunty May’s petals are narrower and Aunty Corry has a silvery sheen to the back of the petals.
Jack Holloway
Passionate Gardener
SEQUOIA FARM Haenertsburg South Africa
Shelley's Pink
1 Oct '07 11:50 pm Yesterday I photographed an exciting new discovery in a garden where Shelley holidayed as a child. Despite its soft pink colouring, it is so similar to Aunty Corry and Aunty May that there must be a link! Why am I finding roses of similar growth that I can't place into any category with certainty?
Here are the main similarities: 1) lanky, almost creeper-like growth with some suckering. 2) non-remontant 3)very strong,sweet, typical rose scent 4)very rounded buds opening to what I think of as typical centifolia blooms.
Well, I have already replied to your Southern Spring post/Shelley's Pink.
Well, this Rose is definitely NOT Manou Meilland. Not only the form of the blooms is completely different, but also the stems/foliage -- Manou has strong upright stems with shining dark-green leaves. And she is a twice blooming scented Floribunda, not an ancient variety. But this lovely pink is also SUCH an elegant and lovely plant! Your Auntie Corrie Rose resembles a lot my Shakespeare 2000 Rose.
jack two
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The new improved Jack Holloway v.2
Still looking for information on these roses
26 Oct '08 7:28 pm Here are this year's pics. I am trying to get to the bottom of this dilemma.
Both roses grow tall and whippy and tend to sucker, but aren't really climbers. They flower at the end of branches with 1 to 5 small, round buds opening to large flowers 12-15cm across. They have many soft petals and have the look of centifolia roses. The many small prickles could indicate gallica or even rugosa blood. The leaves are similar to stock standard modern HT or floribunda roses. Both are pink, with one (Aunty May) somewhat closer to 'rose pink' while the other is darker and richer. Both develop a smoky bloom and even the shimmering highlights of some gallicas. Both are magnificently scented, and neither repeat-flowers. I am quite certain that they are not unusual - the fact that I found a pale pink with similar qualities makes this clear to me. What I do find odd is that I can't even categorise them, never mind put a name to them. Any suggestions would be welcome!
31 Jul '09 5:45 pm All are excellent and lovely roses. I like to keep the rose in my head but someone won't pick the roses from plants. It will dead in the plants itself. At that time I think the rose asks "Why you didn't pick me" and I feel very sad for that.
