Chapter 14 - Hybrid Tea Roses

The development and perfecting of the form of the Rose is a comparatively modern occurrence. The change that has been effected is from a small, flat-topped flower with numerous petals, but a confused centre, to a flower of important size with a high centre formed of petals symmetrically curving to the point.

H. R. DARLINGTON in The Rose Annual, 1934

The twenty-four Hybrid Tea roses mentioned in this chapter have proved their reliability over the years and are among the best for general garden cultivation. Those varieties marked (T) are particularly suitable for growing under adverse conditions such as are found in town gardens.

Ena Harkness (T)

I hope that I may be forgiven for putting a rose of my own raising at the top of the list. I think, however, that few would begrudge such a position to Ena Harkness. Here is a rose that has to a greater or lesser degree all those qualities which a popular rose must possess. It is of a very bright crimson, not losing its color until the petals drop and showing no trace of blue, a common fault of the red roses. The growth of the plant is excellent and, what is more, it is one of the first to come into bloom. It is sometimes shown in the specimen classes at the Rose Shows, but it is the decorative rose classes for which it is best suited. Very few roses produce so many perfect blooms as Ena Harkness, and it simply revels in dull, rainy weather. It was a result of a cross between Crimson Glory and Southport, and its scent is similar to that of the former parent.

Crimson Glory (T)

This is an extremely valuable rose which has lost a little of its popularity to the previous variety. It seems that a hot dry season is necessary for the blooms to be at their best, and friends who grow roses in the west country tell me that it is unsatisfactory there. The blooms are rather larger than Ena Harkness, and are a much darker crimson. In dull weather they are inclined to take on a drab appearance as the blooms age. Growth of the plant is very vigorous and branching, and it is a very easy variety to grow. It is particularly good when grown as a standard, and, if lightly pruned, will produce a large head.

Peace (T)

One can have almost nothing but praise for a rose such as this. It was introduced first in America under the name of Madame A. Meilland, and renamed Peace by a Quaker who was not, I am afraid, possessed of a great amount of prophetic vision. In spite of its unfortunate name, in the present state of world tension, it is by far the best yellow rose ever raised. The blooms are inclined to be variable in color, but at their best are a deep yellow with the petals edged with deep carmine. Sometimes the yellow in the bloom is more of a deep cream and the carmine absent. As far as I have noticed, this is not due to soil conditions, for one can see pale ones and those of a deep tone on the same plant. It is one of the few roses that are as beautiful just before the petals fall as in the young state. Indeed, many say it is more so, for, as the yellow in the bloom fades, so the carmine pervades the whole flower, and when seen on a summer evening it is something to be remembered. Peace has a perfume which, I think, can best be described as exotic, not strong, but very pleasing. The growth of the plant is vigorous, and it has large, handsome leaves, and very few prickles. It can be confidently recommended for almost every garden where roses can be grown.

Picture

This is a rose that has retained its popularity ever since its introduction. Strange as it may seem, good pink roses are not common. The blooms are on the small side, but of the most perfect formation and are very freely produced. It is lacking a little in vigor perhaps, but the plants are fairly long-lived, provided attention is paid to details. From my observations it would seem that this rose has a decided preference for strong soil. Scent, not one of its strong points, is pleasing though faint.

President Herbert Hoover (T)

This rose came to this country from America and is one of the best of what the Americans call the two-toned roses, apricot heavily overlaid with crimson. It is very beautiful in the half-opened state when the colors are most brilliant. There are not very many petals and so it is inclined to open widely in warm weather, but, on the other hand, this can be an advantage in the long wet periods which we are so apt to get in this country, since the petals do not stick together and fail to open as some of the fuller-petalled roses do. It is highly fragrant, scenting the air for a considerable distance from the plant, especially when the days are warm and moist. The plant is inclined to be tall and leggy and has rather sparse foliage, but apart from this it is very satisfactory as a garden subject, and can be regarded as a good 'doer'. There is a sport called Texas Centennial which is very popular in the U.S.A. where it originated, but for some reason it has never become so here. In my experience the growth of the plant is not as strong as that of President Hoover. The crimson is more dominant in the sport, and to my mind the colour is not nearly as pleasing. It so happens that I have a considerable knowledge of this rose, because about the same time that President Hoover gave this sport in America, it did the same thing in my garden. I propagated it and gave it the name of Tilford, and asked a commercial friend to list it in his catalogue, but very few were sold, and, as far as I know, it has ceased to exist.

Monique

For those who have a fondness for scented roses, here is one that should easily satisfy their taste. The blooms are silvery pink, fairly large, of a perfect formation and, having a large number of petals, are long lasting. Unfortunately, like so many other roses of this colour the blooms do not care for wet weather and show their displeasure by failing to open. Still it is so good as a rule that one can forgive any shortcomings in this respect. The growth of the plant leaves nothing to be desired, and the blooms are produced most freely.

Phyllis Gold and McGredy's Yellow

Now we have two roses—Phyllis Gold and McGredy's Yellow. The former has the deeper color and inclines more to golden. Both varieties are very free-flowering and when doing well the growth of the plants is good, but like nearly all roses of this color they are very prone to the disease known as black spot. Fortunately for those who have their gardens situated near large towns, black spot is not likely to give trouble as impure air is inimical to its development. Phyllis Gold is the more scented of the two and can be classed among the fragrant roses. Both varieties do well in standard form, especially when budded on rugosa stock.

Lady Sylvia (T), Madame Butterfly (T), Ophelia (T)

These three roses are very similar, and naturally so, since the two former are sports of the latter. In the early part of the summer the difference is not so apparent, but later on in the season Lady Sylvia has the greater amount of pink in the bloom, while Madame Butterfly is intermediate between the pale color of Ophelia and the more intense pink of Lady Sylvia. The trio has been very popular for many years. Ophelia is reputed to have arrived in this country from the Continent in a parcel of mixed seedlings, and was named and put into commerce by Messrs Paul. It was soon discovered by those who force roses under glass for the cut flower trade, and in a short time it had displaced Madame Abel Chatenay which, up to that time, was the principal rose grown for that purpose. Ophelia was no longer grown when Madame Butterfly was introduced from the U.S.A., because the brighter colors of the latter added to its selling qualities. Then, soon after, came the deeper pink form, Lady Sylvia, and it is quite probable that more than half the roses grown under glass are of these two varieties. As garden roses they have a certain drawback; all of them are very subject to attacks by thrips, and in consequence many of the blooms are malformed. These pests enter the buds just at the time the sepals divide. Whether they prefer to suck the juices from these particular varieties or whether it is because of the peculiar formation of the unopened flower that makes it easier for them to enter, it would be hard to say.

Étoile de Hollande (T)

Until the introduction of Crimson Glory and Ena Harkness, this crimson rose held the field as the best rose of its color for ordinary garden cultivation. Not that it is altogether displaced, for a rose that has been a general favorite for so long is not likely to fall into oblivion without a struggle, especially a rose like Etoile de Hollande which has so many good qualities to recommend it. There are only two faults which make it less desirable than the newer varieties. The color of the blooms changes to an unpleasant purple and ninety-nine per cent of them have a split centre which detracts a great deal from the beauty of the flower. Apart from these failures it is a good rose for anyone who is not fussy in matters of this kind, and who is more concerned with the real performance of the plant. In this respect it has everything one could wish for, good healthy growth, fine foliage, and a delicious perfume. Nor is it niggardly in the number of blooms it produces.

Golden Dawn (T)

This was raised in Australia, and it has been popular since it was first introduced. However, the rose hardly does justice to the name bestowed upon it, for it could be more aptly described as pale yellow rather than golden. Still I suppose we must allow the raisers a little license in the naming of their seedlings and forgive them, if in their eyes the colors appear to be brighter than they really are. Apart from that it is a very satisfactory rose for almost anyone to grow. A friend who resides in the west country rates it very highly indeed, and goes so far as to say that it is the best rose he grows. Good as it is, I cannot agree to that extent. The growth of the plant is vigorous and branching, which makes it a good subject for a bed, as the ample foliage covers the soil and gives the bed a well-furnished appearance. The blooms have a large number of petals and so last a good while, both on the plant and when cut. Like most roses which have a large number of petals, there is a tendency for the blooms to have split centres. There is a certain amount of scent of the tea character.

The Doctor

Here is a rose to which I wish I could give more praise. I am afraid that I have to record that it is among the more difficult ones to grow in a satisfactory manner. This is a great pity as the flowers are a most lovely shade of pink and the perfume is glorious. What success I have had with this rose has been when grown as a standard and very lightly pruned. All the dwarf plants have been decidedly 'miffy' in growth. It is also one of the most prone to black spot, which is rather surprising for a rose of this color. It will, however, continue to be grown by many, because of its value for exhibiting, but as a garden rose I fear it can only be tolerated until a rose of similar color and scent and better constitution is raised.

Dame Edith Helen

What I have said about The Doctor applies, more or less, to this rose, but not perhaps to the same extent, for Dame Edith is by no means unsatisfactory in all gardens. Personally, I always consider it a rose that gives me very little trouble, but that is not always true in the gardens of many of my friends, quite a number of whom condemn it in no uncertain terms. Here again, treatment may have some bearing on the result, as I believe it is a variety which resents being cut about, and it is quite possible that if the plants were very lightly pruned, which I firmly believe is the correct treatment for it, there would be less cause for condemnation. The colour is very similar to that of The Doctor, as also is the scent. The blooms are held very erect on the plant and have a great number of petals. The best blooms do not come until after the first flush is over, but the midsummer and autumn blooms are usually perfect. There is no other rose of its color quite as good when it is at its best, so that every effort should be made to give it the conditions suitable for its well-being. I am not generally in favor of growing varieties which do not appreciate one's loving care, but I do make an exception with Dame Edith Helen.

Betty Uprichard

This rose is always recommended for beginners and with every good reason, for it is one with which very few can go wrong. The color is a deep pink on the inside of the petals while the outside is almost red, altogether a very pleasing combination. There is only one serious fault I have to find, and that is that the petals are too few, which tends to make the blooms rather fleeting in hot, sunny weather, although of course this lack of fullness has its compensations in dull, wet periods. This variety grows rather tall and makes a good bush. It has a very pronounced fragrance, and, to my nose, little like that of any other rose, but very pleasing none the less.

Mrs. Sam McGredy

I feel that I must mention this rose because of its great beauty. In all the years I have grown it, something like twenty, I have had to renew my stock more times than in the case of any other variety, and so I cannot recommend it as one to be planted in any quantity. For those who have a warm wall or even a fence, the climbing form of it should be tried, for I have seen it doing remarkably well in such positions, making tremendous growth and giving a wealth of the most glorious blooms. Unfortunately, my own plant is facing east, and therefore suffers in the early spring from the cold east winds which often cripple the growth, and reduce the number of blooms. There are quite a number of varieties of this color—salmon orange —but none to my mind is capable of giving blooms of such excellence as Mrs. Sam McGredy.

Shot Silk

This is a rose that sprang into popularity as soon as it was first introduced, which is quite understandable, as the blending of its colors of pink and yellow is, in a way, like that of no other rose. It has also a pleasing and curious perfume, which I have seen described as being similar to that of honey. In growth it is fairly satisfactory in most situations, and where the soil is good it grows with vigor. It is also very free-flowering and the blooms persist until late in the autumn. There is a climbing form which is one of the most satisfactory of all the climbing roses.

Lady Belper

I have nothing but praise for this buff-orange rose, and for many years I had a bed of it which was a continual joy. The growth of the plant is rather dwarf, but spreading and branching, and one crop of blooms is soon followed by another. The blooms themselves are of medium size and shapely. The half-opened buds are a sheer delight, and have always found great favor among ladies for their colour. The blooms are fragrant.

Red Ensign (T)

A rose of my own raising of the same parentage as Ena Harkness. The blooms are of the largest size, crimson in color, and possess a very powerful scent of the kind that is often said to be lacking in modern roses. The growth of the plant is vigorous, and it is very free-flowering for a variety with such large blooms. It could be very well described as anyone's rose.

Golden Melody

I think the most apt title would be 'Heart of Gold', as the gold is so often only seen in the centre of this rose. Apart from this slight failing, it is a rose which I never cease to recommend. The plant is vigorous and the very shapely blooms are borne on long stems which makes it a very valuable rose for cutting. It is also very good when grown as a standard, in which form it makes a handsome plant. This rose should not be confused with the much older rose called Melody, a not very satisfactory rose for the garden but more suited for greenhouse culture, for which purpose it was used a good deal commercially some years ago.

Talisman (T)

A rose that came to us from America and which has enjoyed quite a lot of popularity. It is a fairly easy rose to grow, and it is more a matter of whether one likes the color or not. The blooms are yellow suffused with red, and like so many others of this type of rose the red is variable. The half-opened buds are very pretty, and I think it is in this state that the whole charm of the bloom lies. The growth of the plant is upright and it has a very neat habit; it should be planted fairly closely in a bed, otherwise the effect would look skimpy.

Violinista Costa (T)

A rose suitable for massing in beds, and one which I think would be very hard to beat. It has a dwarf, spreading habit of growth which makes it ideal for the purpose. The very full blooms are of a salmon pink color and are very decorative when full-blown, the state in which they look best. The large, glossy leaves are very beautiful indeed. Altogether it is a rose one can confidently recommend.

Clarice Goodacre (T)

The only white rose in this list of the best twenty-four. Quite an old variety but to my mind still about the best of its color, having regard to its qualities as a satisfactory garden subject. The blooms are not quite white, having just a suspicion of yellow at the bases of the petals. The growth of the plant is very strong and healthy.

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