All Our Yesterdays: expert’s choice of the best cluster-flowered roses
Arthur Hellyer, MBE, VMH, describes his choice of the finest cluster-flowered (floribunda) rose varieties. All those listed are still available today
THE cluster-flowered roses are also called floribundas. Their main characteristics are that they produce their flowers in clusters and flower again very quickly. From June to October they are rarely without blooms, and at the height of each successive flush they are capable of producing a mass of colour. The shape and size of the flowers varies greatly, including singles, semi-doubles and full doubles, quartered blooms, rosette shapes and high-centred flowers like those of the old hybrid tea roses, but usually smaller in size. They are the finest roses for making a continuous display in the garden and some make excellent cut flowers.
‘Dorothy Wheatcroft’
‘Dorothy Wheatcroft’ has enormous trusses of small light-crimson flowers. It was raised by Mathias Tantau and introduced in 1961. It is a tall rose, 6ft (1.8m) or more, with upstanding stems. This makes it better for group plantings rather than individual plants.
‘Escapade’
This is a highly distinctive rose, variously described as rosy violet, lilac-rose and rosy-magenta. It has big clusters of widely opened, semi-double flowers, each of which is lit up by a white and gold centre. ‘Escapade’ is a very bushy rose, 2½-3ft (75-91cm) high, free blooming from early summer to autumn, and not the least exacting to grow. It was raised by R. Harkness & Co from ‘Pink Parfait’ and ‘Baby Faurax’, which is where its ‘blue’ ingredient comes from. It was introduced in 1967.
‘City of Leeds’
‘City of Leeds’ was bred by Sam McGredy. The flowers are described as rich salmon, but to me they seem more orange. Introduced in 1966, ‘City of Leeds’ grows to 2½-3ft (75-91cm) high, and is well branched with glossy, deep-green leaves.
‘Dearest’
This is not for every garden as in cold, damp places its rosypink flowers suffer from grey mould after midsummer. But under better conditions it is one of the most beautiful of all cluster-flowered roses, with big, full-petalled, flat flowers, rather old-fashioned in appearance and nicely scented. Height is about 21∕2ft (75cm) and the bush is well branched. The foliage is dark green, though a little susceptible to black spot. It was raised by Alexander Dickson & Sons and was introduced in 1960.
This is the fifth of a 10-part series on roses written by AG’s former Editor Arthur Hellyer (MBE, VMH), originally published in Amateur Gardening in 1973. In this part, and in part 6 next week, he looks at cluster-flowered roses. The following articles in the series will focus on climbing roses and shrub roses.
‘Allgold’
This is one of Mr E.B. le Grice’s finest achievements, which, after 17 years, remains the most popular yellow clusterflowered rose. Its yellow is pure, bright and unfading; blooms are produced over a long season, though it seldom makes the solid display at any one time of other colours. The bright-green glossy foliage is healthy and shows off the blooms; the plant branches freely and grows to 2-21/2ft
(60-75cm) high. Introduced in
1956, ‘Allgold’ does well in all weathers and many growers report that it shows resistance to black spot.
‘Arthur Bell’
‘Arthur Bell’ is a gold-yellow cluster rose that has fairly large flowers. At first the flowers have the high-centre look, characteristic of old hybrid teas, but they open into big goblet-shaped blooms. The flowers have a pleasant perfume that cover the whole bush at peak seasons. Height is 31/2ft (1m), with branching not quite as good as could be wished. The green leaves are handsome and healthy. Introduced in 1965, ‘Arthur Bell’ was raised by Sam McGredy from the little-known rose ‘Cläre Grammerstorf ’ crossed with ‘Piccadilly’.
‘Elizabeth of Glamis’
In good soil, well fed and regularly sprayed against disease, ‘Elizabeth of Glamis’ can be a joy, but in poor or wet, cold soil it can be a disaster. There is nothing to compare with its shades of glowing salmon and pink. This rose grows to 21/2ft (75cm) high. It was bred by Sam McGredy and introduced in 1964.
‘Frensham’
In some places this rose gets mildew badly, while in others it is so vigorous that it makes a useful hedge. It may be that there are different strains, some superior to others. ‘Frensham’ was raised by Albert Norman, and introduced in 1946. Its seed parent was an unnamed seedling, its pollen parent ‘Crimson Glory’, from which, no doubt, it inherited its fine crimson colour. The flowers are of a medium size, loosely formed, carried in good trusses, and freely produced in summer and early autumn. It can easily reach 4ft (1.2m) high.
‘Evelyn Fison’
The bright-red colour of this fine rose is close to that of ‘City of Belfast’, of which it was the seed parent. ‘Evelyn Fison’ was bred by Sam McGredy and is a cross between ‘Moulin Rouge’ and ‘Korona’. Introduced in 1962, it grows to about 21/2ft (75cm) high, branches freely, has green foliage and flowers all summer.