More blooms and fewer thorns from David Austin
One of the things that puts people off growing roses is their thorns. However, these beauties bred by David Austin must rank as the best thornless roses, so no problem planting them near paths or driveways.
Kew Gardens
An award-winning English shrub rose that flowers almost continuously. It’s bushy, upright, healthy and completely thornless. It will cope with poor soil and is ideal for hedging. Small, single flowers are held in very large heads and produced from early summer into autumn. Soft apricot buds open to pure white, with a hint of soft lemon behind the stamens.
The best thornless roses – Mortimer Sackler
Climbing rose, with a lovely Old Rose fragrance with hints of fruit. Very healthy and repeat flowers well, good disease resistance. An unusual climber, bearing pretty, pointed buds which open to medium-sized, loosely double, light pink flowers. The large open sprays are produced over a very long season. Flowers are held on slender dark stems and gradually open to expose golden stamens.
Lichfield Angel
An English shrub rose with large, creamy-white dome-shaped rosettes produced very freely. Good for disease resistance and poor soil. The pale peachy pink buds gradually open to form neatly cupped, cream rosettes. Each bloom has a ring of waxy petals enclosing numerous smaller petals. Eventually, the petals turn back to form a large, domed flower.
The best thornless roses – Bathsheba
A short climbing rose bearing large blooms. Superb myrrh fragrance with floral and honey character. The apricot-yellow buds open to shallowly cupped, many-petalled rosettes. They are a beautiful blend of subtle apricot pink and soft yellow, giving the overall impression of apricot, with creamy outer petals. Repeat-flowering too.
Tranquillity
This vigorous English shrub rose is almost thornless with very healthy, vigorous growth. A light apple fragrance is ideal for poor soil. Beautifully rounded flowers, with neatly placed petals, make up perfect rosettes. The buds are lightly tinged with yellow, but as the flowers open, they become pure white. Its growth is bushy and upright, with light green foliage, curving outwards.
Here’s a selection of the best late-flowering roses. For current prices and more information, visit www.davidaustinroses.co.uk.
