The charm of old roses: For fragrance and colour, ancient varieties are in a class of their own

Even though I live in Lewes, East Sussex – the bonfire capital of the world – fireworks are not the only reason I get excited atthe start of November.

For rose lovers like me, this month marks the start of bare-root-planting season, which lasts until the end of March.

While new varieties are launched every year, I urge you to consider old roses. The classic shrubs date to before 1900, with some varieties going back to medieval times and beyond.

In Greek legend, the red rose was created from Aphrodite’s tears and the blood of her lover Adonis. In English history, the Tudor rose symbolised the joining of the White Rose of York and Red Rose of Lancaster.

Old roses are more natural in form than modern cultivars and the colours of their flowers can be muted but just as beautiful.

PETAL POWER

Above all, they are prized for their fragrance. Their petals have traditionally been used to create attar of roses, an essential oil used in scent making.

The main drawback is that, unlike newer types, most heritage varieties flower only once. Some older types are also more susceptible to disease. But the truly ancient have often evolved over centuries to be almost disease free.

Gallicas are the oldest, grown by the Greeks and Romans. In the 19th century, they were bred in France in some scale.

I grow R. gallica ‘Cardinal de Richelieu’, with small, dark purple flowers. ‘Belle de Crecy’ has deep pink blooms fading to lavender. Rosa Mundi (R. gallica versicolor) has unreal pink and crimson stripes.

Damask roses, which are said to have originated in Persia, came to Europe in the Crusades. Last year I planted ‘Ispahan’, one of the first roses of summer, with pink, deeply scented blooms. Mine is still small, yet it can grow to 5ft.

‘Celsiana’ is an award-winning damask rose with pale pink petals, golden stamens and a fine fragrance.

Alba roses were brought to Britain by the Romans and grown in the Middle Ages for medicinal purposes.

This year I want to plant ‘Maiden’s Blush’, a graceful alba with grey-green foliage and delicately scented, palest pink flowers. ‘Queen of Denmark’ was bred from it and has perfect pink blooms.

ASIAN ROOTS

In the 18th century, plant hunters began to bring back roses from China. Many were repeat-flowering and the colour yellow was more common.

Next came Bourbon roses, originating from the Ile de Bourbon near Mauritius, now known as Reunion. Still popular are ‘Madame Isaac Pereire’, a vigorous plant with deep pink flowers, the thornless climber ‘Zephirine Drouhin’ and ‘Souvenir de la Malmaison’.

Neil Miller, head gardener at Hever Castle in Kent, where thousands of varieties are grown, says: ‘If you put your nose in an old rose the scent is off the scale.

‘We never spray the old-fashioned roses, and they are as healthy as anything from June to November.’