Mary Rose
Origin
- Austin,
1983
Parentage - 'Wife of Bath' x 'The Miller'
Color - Pink
Foliage - Medium green
Thorns - Moderate
Size - 3'-4' x 3'-4' (shrub)
Fragrance - Strong, old rose
Repeat bloom - Yes
Disease resistance - Fair
Hardiness - Zone 5
The
Name of the Rose - Named after Henry VIII’s flagship
which was recovered in 1982 after more than 400 years in the mud of
the Solent.
Most
rose lovers agree that this is one of David Austin's greatest successes.
Bred from two other Austin roses ('Wife of Bath' and 'The
Miller'), Mary Rose looks and smells like a true old
fashioned rose yet has the reblooming ability of modern roses. The
flowers are about 3 inches in size, medium pink and cupped. As they
age the outer petals become looser and paler in color while the center
of the rose retains its original color. The fragrance is an old rose
smell - I find that it smells like the strong perfumes that my grandmother
wore. A friend tells me that it smells like Maybelline make-up.
Moderate
in size (less than 3' in my garden) and loose in habit, she makes
a good choice for the middle of a flower or shrub border. This would
also be a good rose to flank a doorway, stair-steps or entrance to
a path or gazebo.
If Mary
Rose were disease resistant, it would be a "10" rose.
Unfortunately, blackspot is a problem and spraying may be needed to
keep the rose healthy throughout the summer months.
Winchester
Cathedral is a white flowered sport of Mary Rose. Austin
also introduced a softer pink sport called Redoute in 1992.
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English Roses
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