Rose Country Living

Modest yet charming English shrub rose, which embodies the essence of Old Rose beauty, with exquisitely formed, shallow-cupped blooms that feature tightly packed, small petals arranged in perfect rosettes. The color is a soft blush-pink that gradually fades to near white, often with a charming tiny green eye at the center - an elegant finishing touch. Forms compact and twiggy plants, and in cooler climates, it tends to remain low-growing and needs attentive care to thrive.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

Throughout this description of the rose variety 'Country Living' is provided with color descriptions using terminology of the The Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, 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. Though repeat blooming is present, it can be irregular in less favorable conditions. 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 the 'Country Living' rose variety are medium sized, about 2.5 to 4 cm long when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is short, pointed ovoid. When the sepals first divide, the bud color is medium purple red (Group 61C). When half open, the upper sides of the petals are medium blue pink (Group 73C) and the lower sides of the petals are light blue pink (Group 73D).

Calyx is star-shaped when fully opened with the sepals folding back.

The shape of the sepals is lanceolate, the surface texture is glandular. The colour on the sepals is medium green (Group 144A) and light green (Group 144B). There are 3 heavily appendaged sepals and there are 2 unappendaged sepals with hairy edges.

The receptacle is light green (Group 144B), funnel shaped and has a smooth or slightly glandular surface. The size of the receptacle is medium, about 0.5 - 0.6 cm long and about 0.7 - 0.8 cm in diameter.

The peduncle is medium-sized, averaging to about 5-7 cm in length, erect and has a glandular surface. The colour of the peduncle is medium green.

Bloom:

The flowers of the 'Country Living' are medium-sized, the average diameter of the open flower is about 7.5 cm. When first open, the flower form is cupped, the flower form flattens when the flower fully opens, outer petal edges curl slightly. Flowers are very full, the number of petals under normal conditions is 130 on average, and ranges from 110 to 140. They are born in singly and several together clusters having irregular shape, of 3 - 7 blooms together. The flowering stem of a normal strength.

The colour of the upper sides of the petals is light blue pink (Group 62D) and the reverse sides of the petals are light blue pink (Group 65D) and the base of the petals has light yellow orange spot (Group 19D). The general tonality of the flowers is light red pink (Group 36C). Under normal growing conditions no variegation is observed on the flowers of this rose variety.

The general tonality at the end of the first day is slightly paler than light red pink (Group 36C). At the end of the third day the general tonality becomes slightly paler, light red pink (Group 36D).

Petals:

The texture of the petals is medium thick and the surface is smooth; the shape of the petals is round notched, the tips slightly recurved. The arrangement of the petals is quartered, with few, small petaloids in the center.

The petals of this rose variety have good self-cleaning quality, they normally drop off cleanly before drying. Under normal climate conditions the petals last fairly short, on the plant they last for about 3 - 5 days, as a cut flower their lastingness is 4 days on average.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of the rose 'Country Living' is moderate, of a Fruity character.

Reproductive parts:

There are few stamens on the flowers of this rose variety, they are tucked in calyx or partly so, mixed with petaloids.

The anthers have yellow colour.

The colour of the filaments is very pale yellow and medium sized.

The pollen is lemon yellow.

The colour of the styles is light green (Group 144C).

Stigma is greenish white.

The hips of this rose variety are formed rarely and have not been observed.

PLANT

The rose variety 'Country Living' is classified as a Shrub rose and is part of David Austin’s English Shrub Roses collection. The plant itself is compact and twiggy, with numerous light to medium green leaves and a good number of prickles. In cooler climates, it tends to remain low-growing and needs attentive care to thrive. In warmer regions, it can grow taller with a more upright, narrow habit. Mature and well-established plant has a height of about 105 cm and a width of about 75 cm.

Despite these drawbacks, many growers find its old-fashioned charm and delicate form worth the effort. Given proper care and disease management, this rose can be a beautiful addition to borders and small gardens, especially for those who appreciate the classic English rose aesthetic.

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 is typically 5, including the terminal leaflet. The foliage is large, about 18 - 20 cm long and about 15 - 16 cm wide.

The colour of the juvenile foliage is light green (Group 144D). The mature foliage is light green (Group 144D).

Leaflets:

The leaflets are large, have a pointed oval shape, and the surface texture of the leaflets is smooth, semi-glossy. The edges are serrated, the type of serration is small double and single.

The petiole has reddish colour and has prickles on the underside. The petiole rachis is reddish as well. The stipules are 2.5 - 3.0 cm.

Wood:

The new wood of this rose variety is light green, the bark is smooth. The mature wood is green and also has smooth bark.

Stems:

The mature stem has an average length of about 70 - 90 cm. The stem pubescence is not observed on the stems of this rose variety. The above measurements are all variable, depending on growing conditions in a season.

Prickles:

There is an ordinary quantity of prickles present on the main canes from base and on the laterals from main canes. The shape of the prickles is straight and slightly hooked downward, they are medium sized and evenly distributed on the stems. The colour of the young prickles is green.

Small prickles:

Under normal growing conditions the small prickles are not observed on the main canes and on the laterals from the main canes of this rose variety.

Disease resistance:

'Country Living' has shown some challenges. It is notably prone to downy mildew and blackspot, and in certain climates, the buds may fail to open properly, a phenomenon known as balling. Winter dieback can occur, especially on grafted plants, though own-root specimens tend to recover better from cold damage. The resistance to rust under normal growing conditions is good. The pest resistance has not been tested yet.

Rose variety is recommended for growing in climate conditions similar to USDA 6 and requires winter protection in more colder climates.

Named after the beloved British lifestyle magazine ‘Country Living’.

English Shrub Roses

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Auscountry’ / 'Country Living' originated by David Austin by crossing female parent (seed parent) - English shrub rose ‘Ausbath’ / ‘Wife of Bath’ with the male parent (pollen parent) - English shrub rose ‘Ausmas’ /‘Graham Thomas’.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The primary objective of this rose variety breeding was to create a new rose variety having the repeat flowering of its parents with old-fashioned shape of the flowers

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

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

 old-fashioned-style flowers having pale pink color and green centers resulting from enlarged green-colored styles that extend above the small petals in the middle of the flowers;

 repeat flowering;

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 ‘Auscountry’ / ‘Country Living’ may be distinguished from its seed parent, by the following combination of characteristics:

 ’Wife of Bath’ has cup-shaped flowers of a slightly darker pink than ‘Auscountry’ / ‘Country Living’ and has rather weak growth.

The ‘Auscountry’ / ‘Country Living’ may be distinguished from its pollen parent by the following combination of characteristics:

 ‘Ausmas’ /‘Graham Thomas’ has golden-yellow, cup-shaped flowers and possesses vigorous, bushy growth compared to pink old-fashioned flowers of ‘Auscountry’ / ‘Country Living’.

USDA 6