Irish Pride, 1903. Ecru, suffused old rose and gold.

Irish Star, 1903. Rose du Barri, with lemon star centre.

FOOTNOTE:

[4] See Ill.u.s.tration.

CHAPTER VIII

HYBRID PERPETUALS

MR. THOMAS RIVERS, that father of scientific rose culture in England, gives a most interesting account in his famous book, _The Rose Amateur's Guide_, 1840, of the origin of the Hybrid Perpetual rose.

"_The Crimson Perpetual_, _Rose du Roi_, or _Lee's Crimson Perpetual_,[5] ... was raised from seed, in 1812, in the gardens of the Palace of St. Cloud, then under the direction of Le Comte Lelieur, and named by him Rose du Roi.... It is a.s.serted it was raised from the _Rosa Portlandica_, a semi-double bright-coloured rose, much like the rose known in this country as the _Scarlet Four-seasons_ or _Rosa Paestana_.

"Every gentleman's garden ought to have a large bed of Crimson Perpetual Roses, to furnish bouquets during August, September, and October; their fragrance is so delightful, their colour so rich, and their form so perfect."

What would that great pioneer say to our Crimson Perpetuals of to-day?

But though this rose was the first, and probably the parent of many of the earlier Hybrid Perpetuals, the true development of this glorious race took place by other means. The Hybrid Chinas,[6] such as _Blairii No. 2_, _Chenedole_, _Brennus_, and many others, now, as I have said, most unjustly neglected, were the offspring of the China rose, _R.

Indica_, crossed with the Provence and other hardy summer flowering roses. These were not perpetual, with the notable exception of _Gloire de Rosamenes_. But several of them bore seed freely. These fertile varieties were again crossed with different kinds of China and Bourbon roses. And their seed produced the new race of strong, hardy roses, the Hybrid Perpetuals, flowering through the whole summer and autumn.

Of those early parents of this fine race but very few are known now.

_Gloire de Rosamenes_ (Vibert, 1823) is still in cultivation. But in vain I search English and French catalogues for those marked by my father in 1844 in Mr. Rivers' book. Where is _Mme. Laffay_, 1839, with its fine foliage and rosy-crimson, highly fragrant flowers; or _Fulgorie_; or _Rivers_, with its large red flowers "produced in cl.u.s.ters of great beauty"; or _La Reine_, 1843; or _William Jesse_?

Probably they still exist as "old and nameless roses" in my own and many other gardens. Yet one would like to give them back the names and honourable places they possessed in one's childhood, and compare them with their splendid descendants. In fragrance they would certainly hold their own; for the fragrance of their Damask grandparent was stronger in them than in too many of the modern Hybrid Perpetuals.

The great development in the race began in the fifties, and was at its height in the sixties and seventies: but for the last fifteen years and more the tide has turned in favour of the Hybrid Teas; and comparatively few new Hybrid Perpetuals are raised each year. In 1853, Margottin gave the enchanted rose-world _Jules Margottin_, parent of many most excellent roses. And in the same year the delightful _General Jacqueminot_ was raised by Roussel, and became the parent of many of our finest deep reds. Then in 1859 came Lacharme's famous _Victor Verdier_, a rose still in favour, and one to which the cla.s.s owes, perhaps, more than any other as a parent. And in 1861 came _Charles Lefebvre_; also raised by Lacharme.

From that date new and magnificent roses were sent out in numbers every year by the well-known French and Continental houses of Lacharme, Verdier, Pernet, Gautreau, Liabaud, Guillot, Postans, Levet, Margottin, Rambaud, Leveque, Jamain, Schwartz, Soupert et Notting. And in England by Messrs. Wm. Paul & Son, B. R. Cant & Sons, Bennett, Laxton, Paul & Son, c.o.c.ker, Alex. d.i.c.kson & Sons, Turner, Hugh d.i.c.kson, Cooling, Harkness, Ward, etc. While, in 1901, Lambert produced that grandest of white roses, _Frau Karl Druschki_.

[Ill.u.s.tration: HYBRID PERPETUAL.

FRAU KARL DRUSCHKI.]

The pure pinks, and the rich crimsons and scarlets of the Hybrid Perpetuals are of surpa.s.sing beauty. And though there is a craze just now for Hybrid Teas, the Hybrid Perpetual must for ever hold its own in the garden on its own lines. For it will flourish where the more tender race would die; and its magnificent size, colour, strong growth, and rich foliage, must always render it indispensable for decoration and as a cut flower.

As with the Teas and Hybrid Teas, these roses create their finest effect in the garden when grouped together in beds of one colour. And if we wish to specialize yet further in the matter of colours, they may be graduated from dark to light, or light to dark, with admirable success.

A magnificent bed may be filled with such crimsons, scarlets, and cherry reds as the following, beginning with dark and medium crimsons, _A. K.

Williams_, _Duke of Edinburgh_, _Duke of Wellington_, _Dr. Andry_, _Charles Lefebvre_, _Countess of Oxford_, _Fisher Holmes_, _Louis Van Houtte_, _Mrs. Harry Turner_, _Victor Hugo_; and the lighter crimsons, _Alfred Colomb_, _Beauty of Waltham_, _Captain Hayward_, _d.u.c.h.ess of Bedford_, _Duke of Teck_, _Dupuy Jamain_, _General Jacgueminot_, _Gloire de Margottin_, _Hugh d.i.c.kson_, _Marie Baumann_, _Senateur Vaisse_, _Star of Waltham_, _Ulrich Brunner_.

[Ill.u.s.tration: HYBRID PERPETUAL.

ULRICH BRUNNER.]

Other yet darker crimson roses, with maroon or purple shading, are _Abel Carriere_, _Black Prince_, _Prince Camille de Rohan_, _Xavier Olibo_.

For a very effective rose-pink and carmine bed we may use _Francois Michelon_, _Helen Keller_, _John Hopper_, _Jules Margottin_, _Magna Charta_, _Marquise de Castellane_, _Suzanne Marie Rodocanachi_, _Victor Verdier_.

An pure pink bed is most attractive, when filled with such lovely roses as _Baroness Rothschild_, _Mdlle. Eugenie Verdier_, _Mrs. Sharman Crawford_, _Mrs. John Laing_, _Pride of Waltham_. And although _Captain Christy_ is now, wisely, called a Hybrid Tea, it has so much the habit of the Hybrid Perpetuals, that it really goes better in a bed with them than among the more delicate-foliaged Teas.

For a white and pale blush bed we have the pure white _Boule de Neige_, _Coquette des Blanches_ (both Dwarf Hybrid Noisettes), _Frau Karl Druschki_, and _Marchioness of Londonderry_, which is very beautiful when it does well, though this is not always the case.

And for white with a faint blush, _Margaret d.i.c.kson_ and _Merveille de Lyon_, though these are sadly given to mildew. But for sheer effect and ma.s.s of bloom, a bed of _Frau Karl Druschki_ is unequalled. If the long shoots are pegged down every bud upon them will throw a flower-shoot, producing a sheet of blossom throughout the whole season.

Another very effective arrangement may be made by gradating a broad border from a white centre, through clear pinks on either side to bright scarlets, and ending at each extremity with deepest crimsons. This I have seen carried out successfully with a central group of _Frau Karl Druschki_, flanked on either side by the clear pinks of _Mrs. Sharman Crawford_ and _Mrs. John Laing_, and beyond them, right and left, _General Jacqueminot_, _Francois Michelon_, _Prince Camille de Rohan_, _Fisher Holmes_, _Duke of Edinburgh_, _Mrs. Harry Turner_, _Dr. Andry_, _Duke of Wellington_, _Victor Hugo_, _Captain Hayward_, _Duke of Teck_, _Horace Vernet_.

As standards many of the Hybrid Perpetuals make grand heads, their st.u.r.dy const.i.tution being particularly suitable to this form of growth.

Among the best for this purpose are, _Captain Hayward_, _Charles Lefebvre_, _Clio_, _Dr. Andry_, _Duke of Edinburgh_, _Dupuy Jamain_, _Ferdinand de Lesseps_, _Fisher Holmes_, _Frau Karl Druschki_, _General Jacqueminot_, _Gloire de Margottin_, _Heinrich Schultheis_, _Hugh d.i.c.kson_, _Mme. Gabriel Luizet_, _Mme. Victor Verdier_, _Margaret d.i.c.kson_, _Marie Baumann_, _Mrs. c.o.c.ker_, _Mrs. John Laing_, _Mrs. R. G.

Sharman Crawford_, _Paul Jamain_, _Pride of Waltham_, _Prince Arthur_, _Prince Camille de Rohan_, _Senateur Vaisse_, _Suzanne Marie Rodocanachi_, _Ulrich Brunner_.

Besides those dwarfs I have enumerated as particularly good for ma.s.sing in colour, many other excellent roses for general use will be found in the following lists.

HYBRID PERPETUAL ROSES

RED.

Abel Carriere. _E. Verdier_, 1875. Purple crimson, fiery red centre.

Alfred Colomb. _Lacharme_, 1865. Bright carmine red.

Alfred K. Williams. _Schwartz_, 1877. Bright carmine red; an exhibitor's rose.

Baron de Bonstetten. _Liabaud_, 1871. Blackish crimson.

Ben Cant. _B. R. Cant & Sons_, 1902. Deep crimson.

Beauty of Waltham. _Wm. Paul & Son_, 1862. Rosy crimson.

Black Prince. _Wm. Paul & Son_, 1866. Deep blackish crimson.

Camille Bernadin. _Gautreau_, 1865. Light crimson, paler edges.

Captain Hayward. _Bennett_, 1893. Scarlet crimson, sweet scented.

Charles Darwin. _Laxton_, 1879. Brownish crimson.

Charles Lefebvre. _Lacharme_, 1861. Brilliant velvety crimson.

Commandant Felix Faure. _Boutigny_, 1902. Crimson, flushed lake.

Comte de Raimbaud. _Roland_, 1867. Clear crimson.