Rose Bishop's Castle

The flowers display a pure, rich rose pink colour that fades only slightly in sunlight. The form is shallowly cupped and densely packed with petals, as it fully opens it flattens slightly, outer petal edges curl slightly, revealing a button-eye in the center. Forms elegant, compact and slightly rounded plants. The aroma is a wonderful example of a classic Old Rose fragrance, with spicy notes.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

Throughout this description of the rose variety "Bishop's Castle" is provided with color descriptions using terminology of the The Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society (2001), except where common terms of color definition are employed. Phenotypic expression may vary with environmental, cultural and climatic conditions, as well as differences in conditions of light and soil.

FLOWERING

This rose variety has a recurrent flowering habit. Blooms in flushes with short breaks from summer until frosts. The number of blooms per plant during the growing season is profuse, but there are too many to count.

Flower bud:

The flower buds of Bishop's Castle rose variety are medium sized, about 1.9 cm long and 1.6 cm in diameter when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is pointed ovoid. When the sepals first divide, the bud color is dark purple (Group 58A). When half open, the upper sides of the petals are medium blue pink (Group 68B) and the lower sides of the petals are medium blue pink (Group 62B).

The sepals have a length of about 1.6 cm and a width of 0.6 - 0.7 cm. The shape of the sepals is subulate, the surface texture is pubescent on the upper surface and smooth on the lower surface. The colour on the upper surface is light brown green (Group 148D) and on the lower surface is dark brown green (Group 146B). There are 3 lightly appendaged sepals and there are 2 unappendaged sepals with canescent edges.

The receptacle is medium green (Group 143C), campanulate shaped and has a smooth surface. The size of the receptacle is medium, about 0.9 cm long and about 0.7 cm in diameter.

The peduncle is long, averaging to about 8 cm in length, strong and has a glandular surface. The colour of the peduncle is dark brown green (Group 146B).

Bloom:

The flowers are medium-sized, the average diameter of the open flower is about 6.3 cm. When first open, the flower form is cupped. As the flower fully opens the form flattens slightly, outer petal edges curl slightly, revealing a button-eye in the center. Flowers are full, the number of petals under normal conditions is 80. They are born in small clusters of 5- 7 blooms having irregular compound corymb shape. The flowering stem has normal strength, long, and has an average length of about 50 cm. The colour of the flower from the upper sides of the petals is medium blue pink (Group 65A). The reverse sides of the petals are medium blue pink (Group N57D). The base of the petals has a large yellow basal spot of light yellow (Group 4D). On the flowers of rose variety "Bishop's Castle" there is no variegation observed under normal growing conditions.

The general tonality at the end of the first day is medium blue pink (Group 68B), at the end of the third day the general tonality becomes more of a dark blue pink (Group 73A).

Petals:

The texture of the petals is smooth and slightly leathery at base, the surface is smooth; the shape of the petals is broad elliptical, the margins are some notched, some entire. The apex is emarginate and the base of the petals is cuneate, and the petals form is incurved. Average length of the petals is about 4.4 cm and the width is about 3.8 cm. The arrangement of the petals is informal.

Normally there are few petaloids present in the center of the flowers, 12 on average, they are tucked together with stamens. Petaloids have medium blue pink colour (Group N66D) and irregular shape, they are about 0.8 mm long and 0.8 mm width. The anthers that are mixer with petaloids have medium orange colour (Group 26B) and 3 mm long; the filaments are light yellow (Group 1D) and about 8 mm long.

The petals of this rose variety have good self-cleaning quality, normally petals drop off cleanly before drying. Under normal climate conditions the petals fade rather quickly, on the plant they last for about 2-3 days, as a cut flower their lastingness is not tested.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of the rose "Bishop's Castle" is strong, spicy, and has an Old Rose character.

Reproductive parts:

The number of stamens is 105 on average per flower, the length is about 9-10 mm, they are regularly arranged around styles, mixed with petaloids.

The anthers have a length of about 2 mm and medium orange colour (Group 26B).

The colour of the filaments is light yellow (Group 1D), their length is 7-8 mm on average.

The pollen is medium orange (Group 26B).

The number of pistils is 75 on average, they are about 8 mm long.

The colour of the styles is light yellow (Group 1D) and they are about 7 mm long.

Stigma are about 1 mm long and are light yellow (Group 12C).

The hips of this rose variety have not been observed yet.

PLANT

The rose variety "Bishop's Castle" is classified as a Shrub rose. The growth character is vigorous and bushy. Forms upright, compact, bushy and attractive rounded plants. Mature and well-established plant has a height of about 125 cm and the width of about 90 - 100 cm.

Foliage:

There is a normal quantity of the foliage on the plants of this rose variety. The number of leaflets on normal mid-stem leaves varies from 5-7, including terminal leaflet. The average flowering stem has about 8 leaves. The foliage is medium sized, about 14.4 cm long and about 10.5 cm wide.

The colour of the juvenile foliage on the upper side is dark brown (Group 187A) while the lower side is dark brown purple (Group 183C). The mature foliage on the upper side is medium brown green (Group 148B) and on the lower side is medium brown green (Group 148B).

Leaflets:

The size of the leaflets is medium, they are about 6 cm long and are about 4.2 cm wide. The shape of the leaflets is pointed oval, the shape of the leaflet tip is acuminate and the base shape is rounded. The surface texture of the leaflets is leathery, semi-glossy. The edges are serrated, the type of serration is single and small.

The petiole has medium green colour (Group 143C), is about 4-5 cm long and 2 mm in diameter, and has a smooth surface texture.

The petiole rachis is dark brown green (Group 146A) on the upper side and medium green (Group 144A) on the lower side; the surface is rough with prickles.

The auricle has subulate shape, has a length of about 5 cm and about 1 mm wide at base, tapering to a fine point. The colour of the auricle is medium green (Group 144A).

The stipules are 1.2 cm long, bearded and have medium green colour (Group 144A).

The veins have medium green (Group 144A), the venation pattern is reticulate.

Wood:

The new wood of this rose variety has dark brown green colour (Group 146A) and rough bark. The mature wood is also dark brown green (Group 146A), the bark remains rough.

Stems:

The mature stem has an average length of about 50 cm and the diameter of 8 mm, the internode distance is 6 cm. The stem pubescence is absent on the stems of this rose variety. The above measurements are all variable, depending on growing conditions in a season.

Prickles:

There are ordinary prickles present on the main canes from base, about 30 per 30 cm of the stem length. On the laterals from main canes there is an ordinary quantity of prickles, 15 per 30 cm of the stem length. The shape of the prickles is hooked downward, the length is about 5 - 7 mm. The colour of the young prickles is medium brown purple (Group 184C) and the mature prickles have grey brown colour (Group 199C).

Small prickles:

There are many small prickles on the main canes of this rose, mainly concentrated at the base and below new shoots, about 10 per 5 cm of the stem length. On the laterals from the main canes of this rose variety there are few prickles, about 10 per 30 cm of the stem length. When they are young the colour is medium brown purple (Group 186A) and the colour of the mature small prickles is grey brown (Group 199C).

Disease resistance:

The rose variety "Bishop's Castle" is resistant to powdery and downy mildew, blackspot and rust in normal growing conditions. The pest resistance has not been tested yet. Resistant

Rose variety is recommended for growing in climate conditions similar to USDA 5 and requires winter protection in more colder climates.

Named after a Bishop's Castle, a small town in the south west of Shropshire, England. A castle was built there in 1087 to protect the English border.

English Shrub Roses

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Ausbecks’ / "Bishop's Castle" originated by David Austin by crossing an unnamed, unpatented seedling with an unnamed, unpatented seedling.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The primary objective of this rose variety breeding was to create a new rose variety which would be very healthy and had a repeat flowering with deep rose-pink blooms and with a strong fragrance.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

The objective was achieved, along with other important improvements, and this rose variety incorporated the following unique combination of characteristics:

 Deep rose-pink, shallow cupped blooms;

 A strong, spicy, Old Rose fragrance;

  Vigorous, bushy growth

Asexual reproduction of this variety by budding showed that the foregoing and all other characteristics and distinctions came true to form, established and transmitted through the succeeding propagations.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTS

The ‘Ausbecks’ / "Bishop's Castle" may be distinguished from its seed parent, by the following combination of characteristics:

 The seed parent has semi-double, lilac blooms whereas ‘Ausbecks’ / "Bishop's Castle" has full, double deep rose-pink blooms.

The ‘Ausbecks’ / "Bishop's Castle" may be distinguished from its pollen parent by the following combination of characteristics:

 The pollen parent has apricot blooms and more upright growth than ‘Ausbecks’ / "Bishop's Castle".

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR

The most similar rose cultivars to the ‘Ausbecks’ / "Bishop's Castle" is rose variety ‘Ausbite’ / ‘Spirit of Freedom’ and may be distinguished by the following combination of characteristics:

 ‘Ausbite’ / ‘Spirit of Freedom’ has considerably more petals per bloom than ‘Ausbecks’ / "Bishop's Castle" and a myrrh fragrance;

  ‘Ausbite’ / ‘Spirit of Freedom’ also has taller growth and larger leaves than ‘Ausbecks’ / "Bishop's Castle".

USDA 5