Rosa 'ROSE DE RESHT'

Rose de Resht is an old variety of Portland rose discovered by Nancy Lindsay in 1840. Portland roses are garden hybrids of Damask and Chinese roses, and were the important parents of so-called English roses bred by David Austin. You can tell easily by the flower shape: fully double, not so large – only some 6-7 cm across, strongly scented (sweet and spicy Damask perfume). They are bright magenta purple and bloom continuously or in multiple flushes from June until November. Deciduous leaves are medium green, reasonably healthy. The plant forms bushy shrubs about 1-1.2m tall and 0.6-0.7m wide and is very hardy (down to abt. -34 °C – USDA zone 4).

Planting instructions: Prepare a hole of size 30x30 cm. Put your rose in the way that the grafting point is 3 cm deep in the soil. Water well and cover new shoots with soil or bark mulch about 15 cm high. Roses tolerate wide range of soils but thrive in deep, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil, in full sun.

Pruning: Cut the branches in halves in autumn and prune hard to 3-5 live buds in spring after danger of frosts. Spent flowers are best removed as they begin to fade. Cut off spent flowering clusters just above the leaf with 5 leaflets or deeper if rejuvenating is desired during vegetation and follow a regular feeding programme.

Last update: 02-10-2020