Gertrude Jekyll

The Gertrude Jekyll is easily my favourite of all my roses. The shade of this David Austin rose is a mid-pink which deepens towards the centre. Although it looks delicate it definitely is not. Its very hardy and can stand up to all weather, even the most aggressive of batterings from the wind and rain as we've had the past few weeks.

The rose buds seem tiny in comparison to the size of what bursts out of them. They open very neatly and begin by looking like a Hybrid Tea. They they unfold into what can only be described as a rosette in nature. They are huge heads which can be cupped in the hand and smelt. The scent they produce is exquisite. It really packs a punch with notes of melon and honey.

They make the most amazing display in a vase but to be honest I can't bare to cut them as they just look so grand as they are. They can be grown as a bush or as a short climber. I have mine growing as a bush and they are expected to reach a height of 4ft 5 by 3ft 5 inches. They have a decent foliage but it is not a bountiful as other varieties that I have grown. Some times the bush can look a little sparse so mixing the roses with other plant varieties would help to bolster the greenery.

Now for the review. I have added an extra catagory, Resistance to Disease, since my initial blog as I think thats rather important. Especially if you are looking for something low maintenance.

REVIEW:

Visual Impact - 5

Scent - 5

Growth Rate - 4

Stem Strength - 3

Durability (in poor weather) - 5

 Resistance to Disease - 3

This rose is easily bought online or in garden centres and it is produced by David Austin who has his own website. The rose should cost between £12 - £15 for a bare root rose and £18 - £24 for a potted rose. in regards to maintenance the Gertrude Jekyll is easy. I give them a springle of slow release granula feed three times a year, November, March (pruning time) and after the first flush of flowers (late July early September). I personally use Top Rose feed.

The Gertrude Jekyll can get a few yellow leaves and can be prown to black spot so I make sure that I spray them every other month. A good spray to use is Rose Clear which gets rid of not only black spot but also green fly, rust and mildew. I have also found that my Gertrude Jekylls can get quite a few yellow leaves. I just pick these off and put them in the bin as leaving them will cause it too spred.

SUMMARY:

Overall I would definitely recommend the Gertrude Jekyll for those who are new to gardening and those who are masters of the art. This was the first rose I bought and all of them are still standing and looking better each year. Its not hard to maintain, it just needs the occassional tlc. Growing them in groups of odd numbers produces the most fantastic of displays and I love having my living room window open in the summer with its incredible scent wafting through the window. I grow mine with Lavender Hidcote and Foxgloves Excelsior Mixed Colour.