The Festival of Roses Marquee
The Hampton Court Palace Flower Show hosts Britain’s largest annual gathering of roses in full bloom. Classical romance is themed throughout the Marquee, with talks and demonstrations taking place within the 'Amphitheatre'.
The Festival of Roses Marquee features some of the best rose growers in the UK, and offers show visitors the chance to view and buy from an unrivalled collection of roses in all types, shapes, sizes and habits.
New launches
The following roses were launched at the show.
‘Easy to grow’, ‘low care’, ‘amazing disease resistance’ are some of the superlatives being used to describe ‘Lucky!’ Rose of the Year 2009, which makes its public debut at the Festival of Roses. Breeder Gareth Fryer says: "This is a cracking new floribunda that is seriously exciting and quite different from anything previously seen." The lilac-pink blooms are scented and borne in abundance. With strong growth, this rose can be used for specimen planting and is equally impressive for mass bedding and in mixed borders.
With remarkable weather resistance and compact growth ‘Lavender Ice’ is a versatile large-flowered floribunda, suitable for border or container planting. The full lilac blooms are carried in small clusters on strong, short stems offset by dark glossy foliage. Introduced by Pococks Roses and bred by Rosen Tantau.
Another strong growing plant with excellent disease resistance and a pleasant fragrance is the appropriately named ‘Isn’t She Lovely’ - a classic HT, which has superb lasting quality. The pointed buds are creamy gold with a slight pink edge and they open to ivory with a centre showing deep tones of pink and gold. Foliage is dense, medium size, dark green and semi-glossy. Bred by Dickson Nurseries of Northern Ireland and introduced by C&K Jones.
‘Edward’s Rose’ is Style Roses’ first introduction from amateur rose breeder, Edward Smith of Sandiacre, Nottingham. This disease-resistant rose produces masses of exquisitely shaped, lightly fragranced, deep salmon blooms, suffused in the centre with golden yellow. It flowers profusely with large clusters of blooms from early summer to early winter. The plant has a tidy, upright habit with attractive bronzed young foliage that darkens to a glossy deep green. A royalty from the sales of this rose will benefit The Stroke Association.
‘The Wainwright Rose’, bred and introduced by Fryers Nurseries of Knutsford Cheshire, is hybrid tea with long elegantly formed buds that slowly unfurl to form large and flawless high centred blooms of fresh pale lemon. They are carried on strong, stiff stems in the traditional classic HT style, not just singly, but several together too. Growth is robust and vigorous ensuring a plentiful supply of scented flowers on an imposing bush with tough, leathery foliage and very good resistance to diseases. 'The Wainwright Rose' is named after Alfred Wainwright, best known for his famous hand written, hand-drawn pictorial guides to the Lakeland Fells. The Wainwright Shelter will be promoting the rose to raise funds for the Animal Shelter that Alfred Wainwright generously helped establish.
‘Friends Forever’ was bred by Kordes and is introduced by Mattocks Roses. Throughout the summer this floribunda produces an abundance of fragrant, large, fully double flowers that are salmon-red in bud opening to a glorious pure pink. ‘Friends Forever’ has healthy, glossy green foliage and a compact free-flowering habit, which make it an excellent choice for planting in a mixed border or large patio pot.
‘Strikes’ Gold’ was also bred by Kordes and introduced by Mattocks Roses. It commemorates Strikes Garden Centres' bicentenary. This beautiful floribunda produces and abundance of large, lightly fragrant lemon-yellow blooms, which age to a soft creamy yellow. Blooms are produced throughout the year on a compact bush with healthy glossy green foliage. 'Strikes' Gold' is an excellent choice, whether grouped in beds or planted individually in a mixed border.
David and Catherine May have raised the shrub rose ‘Seale Pink Diamond’ to mark the 60 years the May family has been growing roses in Seale. Clusters of sweetly scented, clear pink blooms are carried above exceptionally healthy bronze-tinged foliage on red stems. Each individual bloom is packed with petals, has an attractive green eye and is held in shape by the incurving outer layer of petals. It has a good compact habit and attains a height of approximately 1m (3.3ft). As well as performing beautifully in the border, it makes a very suitable container rose too.
Exhibitors
Apuldram Roses
Bill Le Grice Roses
C & K Jones
David Austin Roses
Fryers Nurseries
Historic Roses Group
Mattocks Roses
Peter Beales Roses
Pococks Roses
R Harkness & Co
Rose UK
Royal National Rose Society
Seale Nurseries
Style Roses
The Real Flower Company
Wessex Nurseries
