Rose Austin Wonder

’Ambridge Rose’ makes an excellent choice for lovers of old-fashioned English Roses. Has beautiful very double, medium of average diameter 9cm (3.5"), cupped flowers which open to form a loose rosette. It has quite an interesting coloring of pale apricot which gets darker towards the center of the flower and flower in general has pink undertones. As the flowers age, the colours become paler gradually, turning pale apricot or pink. The fragrance is wonderful and rich, with strong myrrh character.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following is a detailed description of the rose variety ‘Auswonder’ / ‘Ambridge Rose’ with color descriptions using terminology in accordance with the Methuen Handbook of Colour, except where ordinary dictionary significance of color is indicated.

FLOWERING

The variety has a very good repeat flowering habit, blooms in flushes, from early summer until frosts.

Flower bud:

The flower buds are medium sized, about 1.9 to 3.2 cm (0.75-1.25") long when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is globular, pointed ovoid. They are usually borne singly, or several together in clusters of irregular shape, usually from 2 to 12 flowers together.

When sepals first divide, the bud color is brownish red (Group 10D7). When half blown, the upper sides of the petals are pale orange (Group 6A2-3), at the top, changing to pale orange (Group 5A3) closer to the center; and the lower sides of the petals are the same as the upper side.

The colour of the sepals is grayish green (Group 29D7), the surface texture is matt, leathery, tomentose. There are 3 normally appendaged sepals and there are 2 unappendaged sepals with hairy edges.

The receptacle has deep green (Group 29D8) colour; the shape is goblet. They are usually small to medium sized, about 1 cm (3/8") by 0.8 cm (5/16") and have smooth surface.

The peduncle is medium sized, stiff and erect, averaging to about 2.5 to 4.4 cm (1-13/4") in length, the length is very variable in this variety. The surface texture is glandular, sometimes has small prickles, the colour of the peduncle is deep green (Group 29D8).

Bloom:

The flowers of ‘Ambridge Rose’ are medium sized, the average open size is about 6.4 to 8.3 cm (2 ½ - 3 ¼ ") in diameter. When first opened the flower form is cupped. As the flower ages the form flattens, forming a rather loose rosette, the edges of the outer petals curl outwards slightly. The flowers are full, the number of petals under normal conditions is 75 on average.

The colour of the upper side of the petals on the just opened flowers is orange white (Group 5A2) changing to pale orange/yellow (Group 5A3) at the center. The reverse side of the petals have the same colour. The color of the petal’s base is yellow (Group 3A5). The major color on the upper side is pale orange/yellow (Group 4A3-5A3). Under normal growing conditions no variegation is observed on the flowers.

The general tonality of the flowers at the end of the first day is slightly paler. At the end of the third day, the majority of petals are white (Group 8A1), changing to yellowish white (Group 3A2) at the center.

Petals:

The petals of this variety have a rather thick, slightly fleshy texture, a bit unusual for English roses. The shape of the petals is deltoid, often slightly heart-shaped, with retuse apex, and the tips of the petals slightly recurved, while the edges slightly quilled. The petals arrangement is iImbricated, with few petaolids in the center of the flower.

The persistence of the petals on the flowers is intermediate. They last on a plant of about 7 to 10 days under normal weather conditions. As a cut flower they last relatively long, about 5 to 7 days under normal climate conditions.

The petals drop off cleanly before drying.

Fragrance:

Flowers have a wonderful and rich, strong myrrh fragrance, with citrus notes. That is why it is recommended to plant them in opts near the pathway or in groups of several plants to enhance the fragrance which will fill your garden as they bloom.

Reproductive parts:

The anthers are medium-sized, there are many of them on a single flower, about 105 on average. The colour of the anthers is yellow, (Group 3A8-4A8), varies from a vivid to a deep yellow. They are regularly arranged around styles, mixed with petaloids.

The filaments have yellow colour (Group 12C8) with cerise blush at base.

The pollen is golden yellow in colour.

The styles have a pale gray colour (Group 30A3).

The stigmas are yellow (Group 3A5) with cerise (Group 12C8) streaks at base.

PLANT

This rose is classified as a Shrub rose from David Austin’s English Shrub roses collection. The plant has a moderately vigorous growth habit. The plant has very neat, upright, branchy and rounded growth.

The mature and well-established plant can reach the height of about 80 - 120 cm (3 - 4 feet) and the width of about 70 - 100 cm (3 - 3 ½ feet).

This makes this rose a perfect choice for mass planting, containers, and pots.

Foliage:

It has beautiful medium-green large foliage which is held against its tender colored flowers. There is a normal quantity of foliage on the plant. The number of leaflets on normal mid-stem leaves is 5. The new foliage has deep-dark green colour (Group 30E-F8), while the mature foliage has dark green colour (Group 29F8).

Leaflets:

The leaflets have an oval shape with cuspidate apex. The texture of the upper surface is leathery, the general appearance is matt, the edges are serrated, the type of serration is single or double. The leaflets are medium sized, the size of the leaflets varies from about 2.5 to 5 cm (1-2") in length and about 1 to 3.2 cm (3/8 - 1 1/4") in width.

The petiole rachis has brownish or reddish colour (Group 11D7) with parrot green (Group 30E8) tinge. The petiole underside has few prickles, from 1 to 3 per node and glandular hairs.

The stipules are serrated, their length is about 1/4-1", the length is very variable.

Wood:

The new wood has light green or grass green colour (Group 30E7), the bark is smooth. The mature wood has deep-dark green (Group 29E8) to bracken green colour (Group 29E7), the bark is smooth with few rough patches.

Stems:

The flowering stems are medium sized, with an average length of about 76 cm (or 30 inches).

Prickles:

Its stems have fewer prickles compared to many English shrub roses. The quantity of prickles on the main canes from base is many, and on the laterals from main canes is few. They are medium sized, and the form is hooked downward.The colour when young is green and red (Group 9D5, rosewood). The prickles are evenly spread around the stems.

Small prickles:

Small prickles are absent on the main canes as well as on the laterals from the main canes of this variety.

Disease resistance:

The rose variety ‘Ambridge Rose’ is reasonably disease resistant, however somewhat susceptible to mildew. Resistant to rust, botrytis and black spot under normal growing conditions.

Pest resistance has not been tested.

The variety is recommended for growing in climate zones similar to USDA 6 and warmer and require winter protection in more colder climates.

Named for the BBC radio series, The Archers, which is set in the fictional village of Ambridge in the fictional county of Borsetshire, in England.

English Shrub Roses

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

The rose variety ‘Auswonder’ / ‘Ambridge Rose’ of the Rosa hybrida class originated by David Austin by crossing the variety ’Ausfather’ / ‘Charles Austin’ with the unnamed rose seedling.

The parentage of this rose is summarized by the following formula:

• Seed parent - ’Ausfather’ / ‘Charles Austin’ by David Austin, 1973;

• Pollen parent - an unnamed rose seedling.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

The primary objective of the breeding was to produce a new rose variety having apricot, quartered, scented flowers on a bushy plant and which repeat flowers. The objective was substantially achieved along with other desirable improvements as evidenced by the following unique combination of characteristics which are outstanding in this rose variety and which distinguish it from its parents, as well as from all other varieties:

1. Highly scented flowers;

2. Distinctive apricot coloring; and

3. Dwarf bushy plant.

Asexual reproduction of this rose variety by budding, as performed in Albrighton, England, showed that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions came true to form and established and transmitted through succeeding propagations.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTS

‘Auswonder’ / ‘Ambridge Rose’ may be distinguished from its seed parent, by the following combination of characteristics:

whereas the seed parent ’Ausfather’ / ‘Charles Austin’ has rich apricot-yellow fading to blush apricot-peach with strong fruity fragrance, ‘Auswonder’ / ‘Ambridge Rose’ has soft apricot pink flowers and strong myrrh fragrance, with citrus notes.

the seed parent ’Ausfather’ / ‘Charles Austin’ ’ forms very large, vigorous and upright plant, reaching to about 150 - 350 cm in height while ‘Auswonder’ / ‘Ambridge Rose’ has more compact plant, reaching a height of about 90 - 120 cm.

USDA 5