Old Garden roses - the Banksian Roses and the China Roses

Chapter 2 (extract 6) of "Roses for English Gardens" by Jekyll and Mawley (1902), in which Miss Jekyll discusses the Banksian and other China roses.

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The Banksian Roses (natives of China) are a little tender in England, and are thankful for a place on a warm wall; just such a place as also suits the Persian Briers. The double yellow is the best for growing in England, and lovely it is, with its rich clusters of tiny butter-coloured bloom. In many gardens it is a failure, absolutely refusing to flower, but often does well on chalk soils.

The old Pink China Rose is always welcome, with its pretty clear pink colouring, its dainty scent and neat foliage. It makes compact, low hedges, but I like it best grown with Rosemary bushes. They look just right together and seem to enjoy each other's company. I like to plant them in some place at the foot of a rather warm wall and to train some of the Rosemary to run right up the wall, with other Rosemary bushes free of it in front, and to have it in plenty, and the China Roses sometimes in groups of three or four, sometimes singly and some also trained up the wall among and between the Rosemary bushes.

The crimson China, Cramoisi Superieur, has long been with us, and also the climbing variety; both capital Roses in their places. There are one or two others of intermediate colouring. But of the old Chinas (garden varieties, not hybrids) the pink and the Cramoisi are the best.

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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 - Fortune's Yellow and certain other old roses

A list of the best Old Garden Roses