It seems there may be an imposter afoot, masquerading as Tea rose Etoile de Lyon. From reading various rose forums and listening to some of the mad rose gardeners I occasionally find myself mixed up with, there seems to be some confusion, dare I say argument, about the identification of the rose Etoile de Lyon. All manner of hilarity ensues when rose gardeners get together to discuss whether ‘their’ Etoile de Lyon is the actual cultivar. Much of the debate seems to be due to a general variability in Etoile de Lyon’s blooms, which can range from yellow to pale cream. I really don’t care to add my own two cents to the case. So here’s some basics for ya…

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Floribunda rose Betty Prior was introduced in 1935 and is still one of the best after more than seventy years. Reputed to be Queen Elizabeth’s favorite, Betty Prior grows quite tall for a Floribunda, to four or five feet. Combine this height with continuous bloom and you have a rose ideally suited for the back of the perennial or mixed border. Medium pink with five petals, the flowers are reminiscent of dogwood blooms (although dogwood flowers have four bracts instead of five petals).  Betty Prior is an excellent rose for beginners, and I can also recommend Knockout roses and Pink Knockout roses.

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Rain Lily, Zephyranthes candida, is so-named because it blooms heavily after rain. However, unlike that mopey bunch Garbage (pour your misery down, pour your misery down on me), Rain Lily is actually quite happy when it doesn’t rain. Drought resistant and willing to flower at the smallest provocation, Rain Lily is pure class.

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Rose Clotilde Soupert produces clusters of flowers in the manner of typical of the Polyantha class, and more, each flower is outstanding when considered alone. Soft blush or light pink flowers are fully double and cupped. Fragrance is excellent, unusual for most Polyantha roses. Flowering profusely over a long season, one can forgive Clotilde Soupert occasional balling in wet weather. Clotilde Soupert would be a good choice as a container rose or for the middle of the mixed border. There is a climbing sport of Clotilde Soupert that grows to fifteen feet and retains the good qualities of its parent.

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Sometimes, one should just hush, and sit with things. Click here or here for simple goodness. Barrie.

Tea rose Duchesse de Brabant offers up large, luxurious flowers, intense fragrance, healthy foliage, and graceful habit. According to a letter from his wife printed in an American Rose Society publication (see: Axis of Evil and ARS Smackdown), Duchesse de Brabant was Teddy Roosevelt’s favorite rose; he often wore it as a boutonniere. A hundred and fifty years after its introduction and decades after it graced the lapel of President Roosevelt, Duchesse de Brabant is still a winner. Large, lovely pink flowers bloom continuously.

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Zéphirine Drouhin is one of the most popular Bourbon roses, and with good reason. Major flushes of intensely pink blooms occur in spring and fall, with lesser flowering occurring intermittently during summer. The flowers are gorgeous high-centered cerise-pink affairs, and they are borne on canes which are nearly thornless. This rose would be a good choice for high-traffic areas or those places where children play. Fragrance, typical of Bourbon roses, is outstanding.

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With rounded, somewhat grayish-green leaves and an upright habit of growth, rose Basye’s Blueberry is reminiscent of a blueberry shrub; further, its leaves age to an attractive red fall color which is similar to the spectacular fall display blueberry shrubs put on. Dr. Robert Basye, a retired mathematics professor at Texas A and M University, has bred roses for over sixty years; his endeavor has been to breed thornless roses of great disease resistance, especially to blackspot. His efforts have paid off with some wonderful roses, including Belinda’s Dream and Basye’s Purple Rose.

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Named for the daughter of one of Dr. Robert Basye’s friends, Belinda’s Dream is a lovely rose which is tough and durable. A shrub rose, Belinda’s Dream is an outstanding choice for those who wish to grow beautiful roses without the need for constant spraying and coddling (which should include all of the rose gardening population). Fat, clear pink buds open to fully double flowers. Fragrance is excellent, and blooms are produced throughout the entire growing season.

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There must be some reason that the China rose Ducher is the only white China rose on the market today, most probably because first of all, white China roses are virtually non-existent, and second, because Ducher is a great rose. Cool, ivory flowers grace a plant of good health and form. Flowers are double in form and pure ivory in color, although reflected light may give them a glow of the softest lemon. Many white roses hold onto their petals with a death-grip while they age to a spattered brown; we are fortunate with Ducher because petals drop cleanly when spent.

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