English Roses. Where New Looks Old.
A race of mixed progeny, the phrase ‘English Roses’ was adopted to market roses which are mixture of old and new.
They combine the old fashioned look of roses such as the Gallicas and Bourbons, and are usually perfumed, with modern growth habits and freedom of flower. Most are strong growing with the occasional tendency to be a little lax and willowy. Largely healthy, there are one or two with an annoying proneness to disease, but this is the case with most roses. With careful selection an English Rose makes an attractive specimen plant but it is equally happy used in bedding or the shrubbery. Although there are tall English Roses the majority will reach a height of between three and four feet. In my opinion they benefit from hard pruning to stop them becoming top heavy and as with all continuous flowering cultivars need regular dead-heading to perpetuate blooming.
