Rosa 'Bathsheba' - Climbing Rose

The English rose 'Bathsheba' brings fresh air to climbing English roses. This brand new variety develops stems that can reach 3 metres (10 feet), loaded from June to October with large, very double and bicoloured roses with an original and refined aesthetic. Their shape is that of a classic rosette, with a tone of pink-apricot mixed with soft yellow, but each one seems to rest on a collar of white-cream peripheral petals that form like a halo of light, the whole producing a very bright apricot colour. A highly fragrant rose, gently eccentric, that one can well imagine trained on a small arch near the terrace.

This rose with multiple qualities reaches quite significant dimensions, at least 2.50 metres (8 feet) in height by 1.50 metres (5 feet) in spread. Its habit is climbing, and its sturdy, woody stems adorn medium-green foliage with a satin-like finish. It proves to be quite resistant to diseases. Its elongated, apricot-yellow buds open into classic rosettes, slightly cup-shaped, about 10cm (4in) wide, and filled with numerous tightly packed petals. They offer a delightful mix of colours: the upper surface of the petals is of a delicate pink-apricot hue, and their undersides are a soft yellow. The peripheral petals, in strong contrast, are cream-coloured. Its fragrance evoking myrrh is powerful, balanced, floral and warm, with notes of honey and then Rose Thé. The repeat flowering is almost continuous, in a voluptuous apricot hue with warm nuances, in perfect harmony with the colours of autumn.

Resistant to diseases and cold temperatures (-25 to -30°C), the climbing English rose 'Bathsheba' is an easy plant to cultivate in all deep soils, and its flowers pair well with those of English or old roses in warm or pastel shades of white (Alberic Barbier, Bouquet Parfait), such as Tuscany, Canary Bird, Graham Thomas, Morning Mist or Fighting Temeraire. It forms a beautiful composition with the single and changing flowers of the China rose 'Mutabilis' or with the simple, orange to copper corollas of Rosa foetida bicolour. It contrasts well with purple flowers, such as the rose 'Blue Eyes', Blue Girl, Lady Perfume, or climbing Sissi. Its growth allows it to hide a small structure, bring life back to a dead tree, or even embrace a column or arch near the terrace.

Its name is inspired by the sparkling 'Bathsheba', the heroine of Thomas Hardy's novel "Far from the Madding Crowd".

Obtained by David Austin in 2016.