One of the biggest challenges for late twentieth century rose breeders was restoring fragrance while improving vigour of new rose introductions. English roses provide a lush, romantic solution. The flowers are densely filled with petals, much like antique roses, and most possess a strong fragrance that harkens back to old fashioned tea roses. Yet their growth habits, health, and, most of all, their tendency to repeat bloom, are an improvement on their ancestors.
English Roses look like the once-blooming old-fashioned roses while being repeat flowering, they also show good disease resistance. English roses are a good choice for cutting gardens. Their full, intensely perfumed flowers make sumptuous bouquets. Some varieties climb if left unpruned can be trained along a fence or arbour. Each rose has its own particular smell that changes according to the time of day and the age of the flower.
Some suggestions
Remember that Roses like good living, with deep, well-prepared soil and a mulch of compost annually. They also like plenty of water to do well and need regular feeding.
Roses appreciate a spring feed and mulch, but the disease resistance and recurrent blooming of the English roses is enhanced by foliar feeding in the growing season.
