When I was growing up in England we had a large double yellow Lady Banks' Rose (LBR) on the north side of our house. It is said to be a very tender rose and only to thrive on south facing walls, but this rose flowered prolifically on its north wall which must have been sheltered enough for its liking.
Perhaps because of this I have always had a soft spot for the LBR. However I rather prefer the double white and the single yellow to the double yellow, which looks a bit too much like the blossoms of the double Kerria for my taste. It is also the cultivar with the least strong scent. All the other varieties have an even stronger scent of violets.
The LBR comes in four varieties - the single white (presumably the original form), the single yellow, the double white and double yellow. Coming from Southern China they are none too hardy. One of the saddest sights is the small straggling LBR plant that grows in one of the hothouses of the Montreal Botanic Garden - it would not last five minutes outside in the winters of Montreal.
Arizona suits it better. Talking to a friend recently I was reminded of the incredible "Tombstone Rose" a double white LBR that was planted over 100 years ago and is now the largest rosebush in the world. An immigrant couple, a Scottish mining engineer and his wife brought material to Arizona from Scotland in the 1880s. The subsequent story of this amazing rose bush is well documented and very touching. Now it covers a whole yard and has an undisputed place in the Guinness Book of Records.
Originally found in Canton, the double white LBR was brought to Britain in 1807 by William Kerr and since then has made its way to many parts of the world.
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