Useful Roses Gardening Information

'JACQUES CARTIER'          

PORTLAND ROSE / Synonym: 'Marquise de Boccella'        

FLOWERING: Recurrent;

 densely filled, quartered, large blossoms; 09 cm (31/2 in); pink, fading to the edge; intense fragrance

GROWTH: About 1-1.2 Hi

(3 ft) high; arching. Can be pruned to grow upright and compact

FEATURES: Robust climber; winter hardy; tolerates half shade and poorer soil 

PLANTING: Ideal for town gardens, beds, hedges. Easy to grow in containers 

INTRODUCED: Moreau-Robert, 1868, France

The close relationship between Portland and Damask roses can be clearly seen in the damask bud of the blossoms of 'Jacques Cartier', where the inner petals of the densely filled flowers reflex. 'Jacques Cartier' has other persuasive qualities, though. It has little susceptibility to fungal diseases and flowers twice a year. The first flowering takes place in June, dense clusters emerging from tight, red buds, the second, a little weaker, toward the end of August. Another characteristic of Portland roses is the way the flowers stand on short stems just above the dense foliage. If you want a compact, upright bush, then simply cut the canes back by a third early in the year.

• 'The Portland Rose' (synonyms: 'Duchess of Portland', `Paestana', Portlandica') is the ancestor of all the Portland roses and is also remontant, flowering in the autumn. The bush, only 90 cm (36 in) tall, with its bright red flowers, was first grown in Italy in about 1790.

'MME BOLL'

Synonym: 'Madame Boll' / PORTLAND ROSE

Without doubt the best Portland rose, 'Madame Boll', sometimes wrongly confused with 'Comte de Chambord', can look back on a long, successful story. The flowers, which lie directly above the foliage, bloom in all their glory from June to July. Usually, they have a second flush that lasts from the end of August until first frost. The only problem affecting this easy-to-care-for decorative bush is a tendency for its buds not to open if it rains a lot during first flush, but instead for them to ball. The remedy, however, is easy: all the gardener needs to do is remove the stuck outer petals. Should such obstetric assistance not be forthcoming, the blooms will rot unopened on the bush, giving rise to the so-called mummy formation.

FLOWERING: Recurrent; very densely filled, quartered, flat; 0 8 cm (31/2 in); bright pink, lightening to the edge; intense musky fragrance

GROWTH: About 1.2 m (4 ft) high; strong; upright; compact

FEATURES: Robust climber; very winter hardy; well suited to half shade; tolerates poorer soil

PLANTING: Beds, borders, hedges and containers 

INTRODUCED: First grown 1843 by Daniel Boll in the USA, sold in Europe by Boyau as 'Madame Boll' 

since 1859