Rosa 'Wollerton Old Hall' - Climbing Rose

The round, double, evanescent flowers of this 'Wollerton Old Hall' English rose are among the most fragrant of English roses. Its fleshy buds, marked with a red flash, open into buttery yellow, then lighten to a delicate, creamy yellow, washed with pink. This spontaneously climbing rose can also be pruned into a bush. It is particularly healthy, with numerous sparsely thorny stems emerging from the base. This creation will easily harmonise with an extensive colour palette of other roses, perennials, or flowering shrubs.

This Wollerton Old Hall rose can reach up to 3.75 m (12ft) in height. With appropriate pruning, it forms a vigorous bushy shrub 1.50 m (5ft) in height and 1 m (3ft) in width. It produces numerous sparsely thorny stems from the base, strong enough to support the weight of the flowering. The buds, adorned with beautiful red flashes, open to form globe-shaped flowers measuring 8 to 10 cm (3 to 4in) in diameter, gathered in clusters. They retain their magnificent rounded calyx shape even as they begin to fade. From June to October, this flowering exhales a rare and intense myrrh scent. Its foliage, of bright green colour, slightly glossy, is not very susceptible to diseases.

With its delicate nuances, the 'Wollerton Old Hall' rose brings an elegant and refined touch to all the plants it accompanies for a long period and enhances their charm with the power of its fragrance. It can be planted with other roses, lilacs, flowering shrubs, and perennial plants. Its more upright growth makes it suitable for both formal and informal compositions. It should be placed strategically so one can enjoy its divine scent.

Wollerton Old Hall in Shropshire, UK, has one of England's most beautiful private gardens, not far from the David Austin Nursery.

David Austin 2011 creation.