Best red and white roses

[robmarston]

I'd really appreciate some thoughts and ideas on the best red and white roses. I've always loved the idea of a Queen of Hearts from Alice type red and white bed. I really want a deep, true red and a pure white. But being fussy I also want very strong fragrance, repeat flowering and lots of them as sparse flowers in a rose bed look very sad to me. Good disease resistance would be a bonus too. I can't decide whether standard or bush roses would be best either. I'm aware of fragrant cloud but it doesn't seem to have enough flowers and I like iceberg but the fragrance isn't very strong? Do we have any rose experts who could advise on how best I can create my Alice style, fragrant red and white rose bed? Thanks 😀🌹


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[Two_Sheds]

I have climbing Iceberg (pure white, but no scent). I don't have a sense of smell to speak of, so I don't mind


edit: I just remembered I bought Boule de Neige too

[mothhawk]

What about this white rose

My sister bought one last year and says the scent is glorious.

[robmarston]

This is my dilemma. I have iceberg and john Paul ii on my list but I'm trying to narrow it down further 😣 seems john Paul is more available in the U.S whereas iceberg is more British. At the moment I'm leaning toward iceberg and hoping my red choice will provide the scent.


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[robmarston]

Two sheds, which do you prefer?


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[Printemps]

Rather late to this thread but if you are still looking for a strongly scented red rose I can recommend Etoile de Hollande, although it is a climber. That said, my brother-in-law hard prunes his to keep it compact. It also makes a really scrummy rose petal sorbet.

[robmarston]

Thanks for that, still looking and have been thinking if including climbers and standards.


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[Jeanied]

Red roses tend not to have a really good scent - but I have a lovely dark red in my garden that smells lovely - Deep Secret.

[chris]

Rather late to this thread but if you are still looking for a strongly scented red rose I can recommend Etoile de Hollande, although it is a climber. That said, my brother-in-law hard prunes his to keep it compact. It also makes a really scrummy rose petal sorbet.

Argh!!! Could you not have posted that a couple of weeks ago?!?!

I settled for falstaff and a clematis in the end :/ this would have been better!




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[robmarston]

Definitely decided to look out for an etoile de Hollande. I've for a fragrant cloud that I read had the best scent but since then have also read it's an orangey red, which I didn't really want. I'll wait and see though. Anyone have much experience of this one? Love the colour on that deep secret.


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[Kristen]

When we bought our roses we wanted strong scent and a specific colour. We went to our local Rose nursery where they have fields of rows of roses and wandered around until we saw, and sniffed, the ones we wanted. We then bought bare-root from them in the Autumn - the plants were superb, and have been since. Neither are White nor Red so can't help you specifically on that point!

There are probably show-gardens of Roses too (if you wanted to then buy them mailorder). We went to the rosarium "Westbroekpark" in Holland a year or so back. Their website says "From June to November, the 20,000 roses bloom here in 300 varieties"

Wokrestaurant Rosarium Westbroekpark | Rosegarden

maybe something similar near you? You'd have to wait for summer though ...

[bend1pa]

There are 3 fantastic tried and tested blood red roses that I have seen. These are Thinking Of You, Royal William and Ingrid Bergman. The last has little scent but has spectacular crimson blooms as do the first 2 which have a strong scent. Deep Secret is very dark red, almost black and the bloom goes purplish with age.

For pure white roses with scent I'd consider Ice Cream or Silver Anniversary. Two white roses which look good but with little scent are Pascali or Silver Wedding There is also the scentless Iceberg which is a very popular white rose, but it does get tall (5') and grows fairly ramshackled if not regularly pruned, but it blooms prolifically.

[robmarston]

So far I've got iceberg, Margaret merrill, and fragrant cloud. The 'anniversay\celebration types never have much info on them so thanks for that. I still need more so will look out for these 😃


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[bend1pa]

Those you mention are all good roses that I've grown. But bear in mind that Fragrant Cloud is not a blood-red rose. It's described as 'coral-red' or a reddish pink. It's also fairly susceptible to black spot. Margaret Merril is highly scented and is fine as long as it doesn't rain too much. Its blooms tend to 'ball-up' badly when they get wet. Iceberg can cope with wet conditions far better, but is not scented and I find it too tall and ungainly in appearance, maybe good for the back of a border.

Another great white rose which I'm growing for the first time and currently looks very healthy and vigorous is A Whiter Shade Of Pale which like Margaret Merril has a blush in the centre of its bloom. It's foliage is purple while young It's also highly scented but don't know yet if the blooms will withstand rain well.

[robmarston]

Thanks bend1. Let me know how you get on with that one. Do you know much about Winchester cathedral?


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