Which is your best performing rose?

[VenusClapTrap]

In terms of volume and continuous production of blooms? I have many roses in my garden, and although I love them all, some are divas that throw out three gorgeous blooms over the summer and then rest on their laurels expecting adoration for their limited efforts. Looking at you, Summer Song and Lady Emma Hamilton.

Others, like Lady of Shallot and Jacqueline du Pre, just go on and on and on, a perpetual cloud of colour and perfume.

I intend to plant up a small border along DDad’s new bungalow. It’s a small space and the only place on the tiny plot for any planting, so whatever I plant there has to be good value in terms of repeat flowering. I can fit half a dozen roses, and will underplant with Geranium Rozanne (probably). Before I just order six Ladies of Shallot, I’m interested to see what others have found to be good performers.

I agree about Emma Hamilton - I had the same experience. It's been retired now, I think, so maybe we're not alone!

Old Wollarton Hall is a good performer for me. Lots of long, strong growths. Among the first to start flowering and the last to stop and plenty in between.

Phyllis Bide

I have lots of roses, mostly DA ones. For lots of colour all season long the Flower Carpet in pink is a must have. They can be trimmed however you want, or let to form a large bush/hedge. Mine literally has thousands of blooms right through until late November.

www.davidaustinroses.co.uk/products/flower-carpet?gclid=Cj0KCQiA54KfBhCKARIsAJzSrdqfsqoovtTEi-nuWVJhaKiRUPMVRiG8JEURdECaeYXb2f8tl-j-R70aAgBqEALw_wcB

Sorry, I posted before I read to the end, you can't underplant this one!

Roald Dahl is excellent. Performs better in my garden than the Lady of Shallot, which I also have. Olivia Rose Austin is also very good.

I've had lots of DA roses and the best performer is Kew Gardens, I love it. It's one of the earliest, in bloom by late May/early June and endlessly repeats, it still had frozen blossoms on in January, I usually pick a bunch for the Christmas dinner table. They're big bunches of single flowers that start of peach and fade to white, so the effect is a pretty two-tone. They're scented too. And it's thornless so its perfect to grow where people can brush past and smell them.

Iceberg. Mine is over 30 years old now, and would flower all year round if I let it. There have been one or two occasions when we have had a rose in a vase on the table on Christmas Day.

Ooh following. I've had Lady of Shallot before which has done well.

I was going to suggest Lady of Shalott 😆
Another good one is tottering by gently, that did well in our garden last year and is now covered in lovely rose hips brightening the winter days.

I was also going to say Lady of Shalott 😂Mine is actually still flowering at the moment. Obviously not a big display, but a few lovely roses none the less!

I grow a lot of different roses and the only one that can beat Lady of Shalott (out of my collection) is Olivia Rose Austin. It’s a bit of a different beast, as it flowers in flushes. But it starts earlier than any of my other roses, flowers prolifically and only takes short breaks between the different flushes.

Lady of Shalott is a bit of a late starter for me (probably because it’s still going in February!) so the much earlier Olivia Rose Austin complements it really nicely 😊

I'm finding 'Deep Secret' and 'Champagne Moment' performing extremely well the last few years, with both of them starting early and flowering until the frosts begin. DS needs a lot of feeding, but the reward is worth the effort.

Mai Gold climbs all over our back fence, gorgeous early flowers, with a second flush late summer. Smells wonderful.

A dark red rose called Guinea with a gold centre- again, smells fantastic.
My favourite is Gloire de Dijon.

Thank you for this thread! I've been trying to find flower carpet for a year! My neighbours have it but couldn't remember the name. Ordered it already. So chuffed.
I have both the standard Emma and shrub rose of it. My standard has wonderful glossy leaves but just a handful of blooms. My shrub version has many many blooms but a handful of leaves...!

<<waves>>

Darcey Bussell is probably my best performer for length of flowering, but she’s also the worst for black spot. Reine des Violettes is very floriferous, although sulked in last year’s heat and drought. Last year I planted Absolutely Fabulous on the recommendation of the head gardener at Hever Castle and am hoping it lives up to expectations.

Another thank you PP for mentioning Flower Carpet... was just going to start a thread for suggestions of compact roses for a narrow bed with a very low box hedge at the front .... think I might try flower carpet....

Right, carry on ... As you were....

My mum has a rose called Bonica that is incredible. It flowers all summer long, and was still going right into the autumn. I found one after a long search, I'd be happy if mine performs half as well.

www.classicroses.co.uk/roses/bonica-procumbent-rose.html

DA Generous gardener. Flowers profusely, smells gorgeous and very pretty.

Just an absolute banger.

Thanks all. Great to hear all these recommendations! Of course now I’m having real trouble deciding…

Falstaff is my favourite for fragrance, colour and it’s form.

(Having planted a long row of mixed roses last year, I’m regretting my choices and wished I had simply stuck to entirely white fragrant variations)
Underplanted with nepeta.

Once you have a shortlist, have a look at gardenerben on youtube/facebook/instagram. Lots of individual rose reviews.

@JofraArchersFastestBall so happy to read your post as I have just planted my newly arrived Bonica! They sell it on DA website. Glad to know it’s a good bloomer.

Graham Thomas, I have one that used to be in my late grannie's garden in Kent, I brought it to my garden in Birmingham (which is basically on landfill with a bit of clay) and it flowers pretty much continuously from June to the start of November. I can only imagine it has super powers 😊

I have a Ferdinand Pichard rose which is a pattern I can only describe as raspberry ripple. In the first year it had 3 blooms but grew a lot. In the second year I had two long flushes. It was absolutely covered and could be smelled from a few metres away.

Flower Carpet question. How do they look in the winter?

Need to fill a new and deep border soon so would they look alright at the front of that maybe with some ornamental grasses next to it and verbena bonarensa behind.

Generous Gardener
Olivia Rose Austen I adore
Also have Gertrude Jekyll which is another cracker. I have it growing up a fence.