Good and reliable white roses-with the apparent abundance and variety of the modern assortment-not so much. And if when using hybrid tea roses, your main criterion is a dazzling white color (especially in the stage of a half-open bud), then the search for a variety can be delayed.
One of my friends is a great connoisseur and lover of roses, after 20 years of searching, I have not found my ideal. I hope that not everyone is so demanding and can put up with shades of light blush, cream or pearl pink. If you notice greenish hues in the bud, expect a dazzling white color. In addition, even pure white flowers in another summer (and often in the fall) can be browned-so they react to the lack of sun and heat.
Main selection criteria
If I had to supplement your white gardens with roses, I would accept their health as the main requirement. Many white roses, including the titled ones, are susceptible to fungal diseases, and this is no secret either for rose lovers or for their creators.
The next important requirement should be their optimal match to your subjects. For example, not every variety is suitable for hedges or will be appropriate on a retaining wall. I am sure that you have already thought out the main compositions and only want to complement them with roses. You do not have the opportunity to play on the contrasts and harmony of colors, but your option is successful, because the white color easily harmonizes with the landscape of any garden. Simple flowers (roses) on the background of foliage are incredibly soft and plush-they show the refinement of the form.
With an abundance of terry flowers, you need to consider a few more details. Here, such nuances as the slow opening of the flower and its decorative effect in the final phase of flowering are important. If the flower opens quickly and shows an unsightly center, then instead of the expected cleanliness, there is an impression of untidiness. Of course, this is a garden, not an operating room, but you should know what to expect. Even the most unpretentious and healthy varieties sometimes do not meet this requirement (“Petticoat“, F., W. Kordes ‘ Sohne, 2004).
Reliable varieties of white roses
I want to offer several varieties with which you can solve any problem of landscape design. For vertical gardening, we recommend “Schneewalzer” (Rosen Tantau, 1987) and a climbing mutation (branding) of the famous floribund rose “Schneewittchen” (not to be confused with the original variety!). The first will delight with large flowers of perfect shape and good health, and the second will give a fantastic abundance of fragrant flowers and decorate a gazebo, column or even a fence in any romantic garden.
The following varieties are suitable for single-grade groups and mixed borders: “Gletscherfee” (W. Kordes ‘ Sohne, 1993),” Weisse Wolke “(W. Kordes’ Sohne,1993) and “Clos Fleuri blanc ” (Delbard, 1989). Optimal for hedges is considered ‘Clos Fleuri blanc ‘- a powerful (up to 1.5 m/4.9 ft) plant from the series “roses without worries”, very resistant to diseases and growing well even in partial shade.
Both srabe and the aforementioned Rosa floribunda ‘Schneewittchen‘ can be used, provided the crop is light. This rose is versatile in use; from a group of plantings, you can form pyramids, cascades, applying an individual approach to pruning each plant. In wet or cool summers, fungal diseases are inevitable, but in general they do not have too noticeable consequences. Such beauty deserves careful care.
For borders along paths, mixed groups and arrays, choose roses from the floribund group — such plantings will make even boring gardens shine. The choice is not so great — especially, approach it seriously, so as not to get a lot of problems instead of an array of colors.
For a low border, I would use only two varieties – ” Border blanche “(Delbard, 1997) and “Aspirin – Rose ” (Rosen Tantau, 1997). I do not name the beautiful rose “Carte Blanche ” in this list (Meilland, 1999) only because of its height (1 m/3.2 ft): it is tall for a border, and it has not yet grown to this hedge. You will find a place for it in other landings.
In terms of health, flower quality and abundance of flowering, both recommended varieties are excellent, but in the first case, the border will have clearer borders and reach 80 cm (2.6 ft) in height, and the border of too spreading bushes “Aspirin-Rose” will be slightly lower. But with light pruning, this variety has no equal in arrays and carpet plantings.
In single plantings, a beautiful plot (in my opinion) will give only one variety known to me – this is “Perle Meillandecor ” (Meilland, 1990) with amazing beauty of flowers. It can also be the best decoration of a retaining wall. In the latter case, it is only the competing variety “Alba Meillandecor ” (Meilland, 1989), which has more shoots and leaves, as well as an amazing resistance to flowering.
And finally, I will also put my flowers on public display. I will name only three varieties. “Cosmos” (Meilland, 1994) may not seem terry enough (32 petals), but it has a flower of good shape, a noticeable aroma and beautiful healthy foliage. In search of the ideal, the lovers came to a beautiful rose of dazzling white color – ‘Teneke‘. I do not know the creator of this variety for protected soil, but after many years of introduction, I consider it a garden variety.
Finally, no garden would look complete without the brilliant and incomparable “Margaret Merrill” (Harkness, 1977). This rose has conquered more than one generation of lovers, and you will get a rare pleasure from the exquisite beauty of the flower and the rich pink aroma.