Mary Rose
Origin - Austin, 1983
Parentage - 'Wife of Bath' x 'The Miller'
Color - Pink
Foliage - Medium green
Thorns - Moderate
Size - 3'-4' x 3'-4' (shrub)
Fragrance - Strong, old rose
Repeat bloom - Yes
Disease resistance - Fair
Hardiness - Zone 5 The Name of the Rose - Named after Henry VIII’s flagship which was recovered in 1982 after more than 400 years in the mud of the Solent.
Most rose lovers agree that this is one of David Austin's greatest successes. Bred from two other Austin roses ('Wife of Bath' and 'The Miller'), Mary Rose looks and smells like a true old fashioned rose yet has the reblooming ability of modern roses. The flowers are about 3 inches in size, medium pink and cupped. As they age the outer petals become looser and paler in color while the center of the rose retains its original color. The fragrance is an old rose smell - I find that it smells like the strong perfumes that my grandmother wore. A friend tells me that it smells like Maybelline make-up.
Moderate in size (less than 3' in my garden) and loose in habit, she makes a good choice for the middle of a flower or shrub border. This would also be a good rose to flank a doorway, stair-steps or entrance to a path or gazebo.
If Mary Rose were disease resistant, it would be a "10" rose. Unfortunately, blackspot is a problem and spraying may be needed to keep the rose healthy throughout the summer months.
Winchester Cathedral is a white flowered sport of Mary Rose. Austin also introduced a softer pink sport called Redoute in 1992.
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Parentage - 'Wife of Bath' x 'The Miller'
Color - Pink
Foliage - Medium green
Thorns - Moderate
Size - 3'-4' x 3'-4' (shrub)
Fragrance - Strong, old rose
Repeat bloom - Yes
Disease resistance - Fair
Hardiness - Zone 5 The Name of the Rose - Named after Henry VIII’s flagship which was recovered in 1982 after more than 400 years in the mud of the Solent.
Most rose lovers agree that this is one of David Austin's greatest successes. Bred from two other Austin roses ('Wife of Bath' and 'The Miller'), Mary Rose looks and smells like a true old fashioned rose yet has the reblooming ability of modern roses. The flowers are about 3 inches in size, medium pink and cupped. As they age the outer petals become looser and paler in color while the center of the rose retains its original color. The fragrance is an old rose smell - I find that it smells like the strong perfumes that my grandmother wore. A friend tells me that it smells like Maybelline make-up.
Moderate in size (less than 3' in my garden) and loose in habit, she makes a good choice for the middle of a flower or shrub border. This would also be a good rose to flank a doorway, stair-steps or entrance to a path or gazebo.
If Mary Rose were disease resistant, it would be a "10" rose. Unfortunately, blackspot is a problem and spraying may be needed to keep the rose healthy throughout the summer months.
Winchester Cathedral is a white flowered sport of Mary Rose. Austin also introduced a softer pink sport called Redoute in 1992.
More English Roses
Back to Roses Menu