Sunil At the end of November last year, I wrote about the first Garden Arch and how I had just planted a bare root rose on either side,
- Rosa “Gertrude Jekyll”
- Rosa “Graham Thomas”
Earlier this year, the Rosa Gertrude Jekyll flowered abundantly. I took great pleasure in cutting the roses to bring inside. I had hoped the rose would spend more time making leafy growth but the buds kept on coming and opening into the most beautiful and gorgeously scented blooms.ÂÂ
The Gertrude Jekyll has long since finished and now it’s the turn of the Rosa Graham Thomas:
It has a uniquely rich honey-yellow colour. The flower isn’t as double as Gertrude Jekyll and the scent actually seems quite weak. I really have to bury my nose into the flower and sniff in order to smell a fresh tea-rose, almost fruity fragrance, but it is there – just. I was hoping I’d be able to smell it in the air as it is advertised to be a medium-strong scented plant.
Despite that, I can’t not-like this rose, it’s so alluringly sumptuous it puts the oriental lilies growing around  it to shame.
7 comments
The Gertrude Jekyll sounds wonderful. I find it hard to get excited about a rose that is not fragrant. Beautiful picture, though.
Sunil, I love the color of this; it will look wonderful growing up that arch in a few years.
I do a monthly feature on my blog where I review and recommend newly discovered garden blogs that I think my readers would enjoy. I just wanted to let you know that your blog is one of three I am highlighting this month. My post reviewing the blogs just went up, and your blog will be featured on my sidebar throughout the month.
Hi Jean,
Yes, I’m looking forward to my rose arches filling out, hopefully the Graham Thomas and Gertrude Jekyll will meet at the top. The colours and scent will be gorgeous, but it’s going to take a couple of years. Also, thank you for reviewing my blog on your site, I’m glad you found it an enjoyable read, your comments are very encouraging. I hope my posts continue to draw you and others back here.
Sunil
I found you via Jean’s blog (see above comment). She never steers us wrong. Beautiful and pithy work here.
Hi Ricki,
Thank you for your kind comments. I hope you find lots of enjoyment reading my posts and looking through the pictures and hope you keep returning for more.
Sunil
Amazing photo of one of my favorite Roses. We have a row standard Graham Thomas in the garden which always display well.
Hello Iris Hunter,
Thank you, I’m glad you like the photo. Incidentally, I’m a great fan of the Siberian Iris also and we have one flowering-sized stand of them at the moment. I took a great picture of it in this post. Please take a look and I’d be really grateful if know what variety it is.
Sunil