Queensland

Posted: 25.08.2009

Barbara Beerling, the National President of the Heritage Rose Society gave an inspirational talk at the networking meeting at Mt Coot-tha in August.

 

Sprays of magnificent and fragrant blooms filled the auditorium with wafts of glorious scent.

Even some of our most convincing native plant enthusiasts were tempted to find a small space for a heritage rose that was resistant to black spot and typical rose problems that we encounter in the sub-tropics. Members had plenty of tricky questions that Barb was able to respond to with years of wisdom and knowledge.

Barb left each of the members with a current copy of the Journal of Heritage Roses. It’s an excellent publication that I would recommend reading for horticulturists interested in long lost varieties, pruning and ideas for roses for special spots.

Barbs shared her three favourite roses fro our website news:

Comtesse de Labarthe Commonly known as Duchess de Brabant or the Montville Rose, this shell pink tea rose grows as a large rounded shrub to 1.5m x 1.5 m. It is easily grown in Brisbane, it is seen quite commonly in cottage gardens hanging its tulip like flowers in profusion all over the bush.

 

Monsieur Tillier This large bush can grow to 2 metres without much effort. Every 6 to 8 weeks you will enjoy plump buds which will open to coral pink shading to brick red flowers. A very reliable tea rose.

 

R. chinensis mutabilis  Looking like butterflies, the clusters of single flowers change from yellow, pink, carmine and then to crimson as they age, giving this large bush its individual appearance in any garden.  There is not other rose quite like it.

I think you will agree the photos show quite stunning roses. Nice to know we can grow them here without constant sprays and chemicals.

Thanks Barb for a terrific talk.

 

 

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