A list of the best Old Garden Roses

Chapter 2 (extract 8) of "Roses for English Gardens" by Jekyll and Mawley (1902), in which Miss Jekyll lists her favourites among the old garden roses (old by 1902 standards!).

Miss Jekyll concentrates on the wild or near wild roses which have country charm rather than the large numbers of named centifolia and gallica varieties from France which would also qualify as old roses. This is in accordance with her aesthetic of simplicity.

-------

See also:

Old Garden Roses - The cabbage or Provence Rose (Rosa centifolia) and the Provins rose (Rosa gallica)

Old Garden Roses - The damask rose

Old Garden Roses - Rosa cinnamomea (the Whitsuntide rose) and Rosa rubiginosa (the old sweet brier)

Old Garden Roses - Rosa alba

Old Garden Roses - Rosa alpina and Rosa arvensis

Old Garden Roses - the Banksian Roses and the China Roses

Old Garden Roses - Fortune's Yellow and certain other old roses

SOME OF THE BEST OLD GARDEN ROSES

Cabbage or Provence Roses (R. centifolia).

• Other varieties.

Moss Roses (R. centifolia muscosa)—

• Common Pink.
• Other varieties.

Pompons of the centifolia class—

• De Meaux; pink, and white variety.
• Moss de Meaux; pink.
• Spong; pink.
• Burgundy; pink, and white variety.

Provins Roses (R. gallica)—

• Mecene; white and rose striped.
• Perle des Panaches; white, striped lilac-rose.
• Gros Provins Panache; red and white striped.
• Other varieties.

Damask (R. damascena)—

• Common Red.
• Cottage Maid, Rosa Mundi, or York and Lancaster; red and white.
• One or two other varieties.

Cinnamon Rose (R. cinnamomea); pink.

R. lucida; rose.

• Rose d'Amour, its double variety.

Scotch Briers, including the type Burnet Rose (R. spinosissima), and the double kinds in several colourings.

Sweet-brier, the old single pink.

The White Rose (R. alba)—

• Double White.
• Maiden's Blush; blush.
• Celeste; blush.

Boursault (R. alpina)—

• Several varieties, the best being—
• Morletti; rose.
• Blush Boursault; blush white, clear rose to centre.

Field Rose (R. arvensis); white.

• Single and half-double garden kinds.

Banksian Rose (R. Banksii)—

• Double Yellow ; the best, nankeen yellow.

China Rose (R. indica)—

• Common Pink.
• Cramoisi Superieur and its climbing variety; deep crimson.
• Other varieties.

Fortune's Yellow (R. Fortunei); tender, orange and copper.

Miscellaneous—

• Coupe d'Hebe; pink pillar rose.
• Madame Plantier; white, large bush or pillar.
• Emilie Plantier; free, pink white.
• Lady Emily Peel; free, warm white.
• There are other varieties in this class.

Portland Roses—

• Rose du Roi and others; rose and red.

Climbing Cluster Roses; known as Ayrshire, Hybrids of sempervirens, Musk, &c.

• Dundee Rambler; warm white.
• Garland; warm white.
• Bennett's Seedling; white.
• Ruga; flesh.
• Felicite-Perpetue; cream white.
• Flora; pink.
• Splendens; warm white.
• Queen of the Belgians; white.
• Some others.