Lady Emma Hamilton

I took this photo yesterday so you can clearly see exactly how stunning these roses can be. Named after Horation Nelson's lover these roses are very romantic in their shape and colour. They are a lovely soft apricot in colour which lightens towards the centre and they make an unusaul impact on a boarder.

Whilst in its bud form it is encased in orange petals which are flecked with red. What is unsual is that the leaves on the shrub have a definite purplish tinge to them. With the orange colour of the roses this makes a fantastic contrast.

I have mine placed under a Buddleja and inbetween some Shirley Temple peonys. They are very much an old fashioned rose in nature. They have a soft melon like scent which is very pleasent but subtle. It is a fruity scent which reminds me of melon and lemons.

The bush itself has a fantastic growth of foliage. Much more so than the Gertrude Jekyll. It provides a great bush for the board as it provides substance even when it is not in flower.

I like this rose because of the colour its successful roses produce. They are different and very eye catching but it does not come without some significant faults.

The bush is fairly flimsy and I have had to use multiple canes to support its shape. This is problably due to its stems not being extremly strong in comparison to others. Now onto the two big faults that I have found with this rose. Not all of the roses produced will look like the pictures above. Many will look like those in the image below:

This is what half of the roses on the same bush look like. They are still attractive but very different from the perfect examples that can be produced. They also do not stand up to rain very well. It tends to stain the petals which is a shame as, when a good one is produced, it ruins the overall effect. Despite this the disease resistance of this rose is fantastic. I have had many admiring comments about them and I consider them a wonderful addition to my garden that I would not be without.

REVIEW:

Visual Impact - 5

Scent - 3

Growth Rate - 3

Stem Strength - 2

Durability (in poor weather) - 2

Resistance to Disease - 5

SUMMARY:
Again this rose is easily bought online from David Austin's website or from other garden centres at a price of approximately £15. It will grow to a spread of about  4ft x 3ft. It has a fantastic level of disease resistance and lots of foilage. The roses themselves are fantastic if they 'work out'. They are not very weather proof but overall they look fantastic against a purple backdrop of a plant such as Catmint.