Rose LADY OF SHALOTT (Ausnyson)

This rose promises to be one of the most robust and hardy roses in the English Roses collection. It is also highly resistant to disease and it will bloom with unusual continuity throughout the season. Indeed, it is an ideal rose for the inexperienced gardener.

The young buds are a rich orange-red. These open to form chalice-shaped blooms, filled with loosely-arranged petals. Each petal has a salmon pink upper side which contrasts beautifully with the attractive golden-yellow reverse. The chalice shape means that the undersides of the petals are clearly seen, revealing glimpses of the deeper colour in the heart of the bloom. There is a pleasant, warm, tea fragrance, with hints of spiced apple and cloves. Lady Of Shalott quickly forms a large, bushy shrub with slightly arching stems. The mid-green leaves have attractive, slightly bronzed tones when young.

Named for the Tennyson Society. The name is taken from one of Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s favourite poems of the same name; it is the 200th anniversary of his birth this year. In the poem, The Lady of Shalott lived in a castle close to King Arthur’s Camelot and was held in a spell until she saw the reflection of Sir Lancelot in a mirror.

4 x 3.5ft.