New Roses at the Chelsea Flower Show

Many new plants are launched at the Chelsea Flower Show and new roses are very much part of the English gardening scene. They may not be as popular as they were in the past, but Robert Harkness of Harkness Roses believes these roses are ideal for the mixed border planted with other shrubs and herbaceous plants.

Harkness are launching five new varieties and the rose growers are concentrating on producing new roses which have stronger perfume, more blooms over a longer period and more disease resistance so there is no need to spend hours spraying for pests and diseases.

Also in the Harkness display will be a feature celebrating the ‘bouquet’ of both roses and Fetzer wines. The new rose called ‘Fetzer Syrah Rosé’ is so incredibly close to the colour and scent of the wine for which it is named that Harkness say ‘ it is a match made in heaven’.

Sales of ‘St Richard of Chichester’ will help raise funds to restore Chichester Cathedral’s Lady Chapel, the cost of which is in the region of £870K. The rose has a cluster of golden-amber flowers and is ideal for planting in the mixed border.

The ‘Helen Robinson’ rose was created for a great gardener who loved roses and, with her husband, created the garden at Hyde Hall in Essex. The sumptuous candy-pink blooms have a rich and fruity perfume and flower almost all summer.