The Front Verandah Roses

This rose was planted as a cutting-grown Saffrano- a beautiful tea rose that I had never grown before. Despite the dogs digging down into its poor little root system for two years running, this tough little rose has not only survived but thrived. The blooms are not as deeply coloured as I expected from photographs in books, but that may be because of its position on the east side of the house with only several hours of direct sunshine every morning. The scent, of course, is beautiful.

Above and below: The delicious Mme Gregoire Staechelin. I think an entire generation of rose lovers would have planted this rose at the base of verandah posts in the 1990s after seeing rose guru Susan Irvine's magnificent photographs of her specimens in central Victoria. Also known as "Spanish Beauty" by those who can't get their mouths around the awkward pronunciation of this lady's name, Mme Gregoire is of Spanish origin, and was released as a climber in 1927. She is once-flowering, and her hips are huge and pear-shaped. Her scent is sweet and strong.