Rose Lady of Megginch

Large, richly coloured flowers of this impressive variety will enchant everyone. Rounded buds gradually unfurl into striking large, full, cupped rosette flowers, with the outer petals curve back subtly. They display a rich, deep pink color, slightly touched with hints of deep orange when just open, transitioning to a deep rose-pink as they mature. The fragrance is a delightful blend of Old Rose with fruity notes and a definite hint of raspberry.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

Throughout this description of the rose variety 'Lady of Megginch' 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 ‘Lady of Megginch’ rose variety are medium sized, about 3.5-4 cm long and 2.5 cm in diameter when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is broad based. When the sepals first divide,the bud color is medium purple red (Group 58B). When half open, the upper sides of the petals are medium purple red (Group 54A) with red pink (Group 50B) at the base and the lower sides of the petals are medium purple red (Group N66A) with red pink (Group 50B) at the base.

The sepals have a length of about 2.6 cm and a width of 1.1 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 147D) and on the lower surface is medium green (Group 144A) with some light green (Group 144C) at the base. There are 3 very lightly appendaged sepals and there are 2 unappendaged sepals with canescent edges.

The receptacle is medium green (Group 144A), campanulate shaped and has a smooth surface. The receptacle is large, about 1.4 cm long and about 1.2 cm in diameter.

The peduncle is medium, averaging to about 4 - 5 cm in length, of a normal strength and has a glandular surface. The colour of the peduncle is light green (Group 144B) overlaid occasionally with medium brown (Group 172B) on the sun-facing portion.

Bloom:

The flowers are very large, the average diameter of the open flower is about 10.4 cm. When first open, the flower form is cupped, as the flower ages the form flattens and becomes a more cupped rosette, with very outer petals curl back. Flowers are very full, the number of petals under normal conditions is 100. They are born small clusters of three to four blooms having irregular compound corymb shape. The flowering stem is strong, and has an average length of about 30 cm.

When first open the colour of the upper sides of the petals is medium purple red (Group 61C) basal half overlaid with medium red (Group 50A). The colour of the flower on the reverse sides of the petals are medium purple (Group 67A) overlaid with medium red (Group 50A), becoming more intense toward the base. The base of the petals has a large medium yellow orange colour (Group 13B). The variegation is not observed on the flowers under normal growing conditions.

The general tonality at the end of the first day is medium purple red (Group 61C), at the end of the third day the general tonality does not change, remaining medium purple (Group 67A).

Petals:

The texture and the surface is smooth; the shape of the inner petals is obcordate and of the outer petals is obdeltoid, the margins are notched. The apex of the outer petals is emarginate and of the inner petals is obcordate; the base of the petals is cuneate, and the petals form is incurved, with tips and margin recurved. Average length of the petals is about 4.1 cm and the width is about 3.4 cm. The arrangement of the petals is quartered.

Normally there are few petaloids present in the center of the flowers, 4 on average. Petaloids have red pink colour (Group 53D) they are about 0.5 mm long and 0.5 mm width and have irregular shape. The anthers and the fillaments of the petaloids have medium yellow orange colour (Group 15B) the length of the anther is 2 mm on average and the length of the filament is 5 mm on average.

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

Fragrance:

The fragrance of the rose ‘Lady of Megginch’ is moderately-strong, delicious with Old Rose character, has fruity notes and a definite hint of raspberry.

Reproductive parts:

The number of stamens is 56 on average per flower, the length is about 7-10 mm, they are regular around styles, mixed with petaloids.

The anthers have a length of about 2 mm and medium yellow orange colour (Group 17B).

The colour of the filaments is medium yellow orange (Group 17B), their length is 5-8 mm on average.

The pollen is medium yellow orange (Group 17B).

The number of pistils is 85-90 on average, they are about 9 mm long.

The colour of the styles is light yellow (Group 1D) and are about 8 mm long.

Stigma are about 1 mm long and are medium yellow (Group 3A).

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

PLANT

The rose variety ‘Lady of Megginch’ is classified as a Shrub rose. The growth character is vigorous and strong. Forms large and bushy plants. Mature and well-established plant has a height of about 120 cm and the width of about 90 - 125 cm.

Depending on how hard it is pruned, it will grow into a medium or large shrub of rather upright, but bushy habit. It is very well armed with prickles, vigorous and healthy. A useful rose to create some excitement in a border of softer colours.

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 the terminal leaflet. The average flowering stem has about 10 leaves. The foliage is large, about 17.3 cm long and about 12 cm wide.

The colour of the juvenile foliage on the upper side is medium green (Group 143A) while the lower side is medium green (Group 143A) overlaid with medium brown (Group 173A) toward the margin. The mature foliage on the upper side have medium brown green colour on some leaves (Group 147B) and some are dark green (Group 139A); the lower side is medium brown green (Group 147B).

Leaflets:

The size of the leaflets is medium, about 6.6 cm long and are about 4.8 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 smooth, semi-glossy and leathery. The edges are serrated, the type of serration is double and small.

The petiole has medium green colour or light green (Group 144A or 144B), is about 2.5 - 3 cm long and 2 mm in diameter, and has a smooth surface texture.

The petiole rachis is light green (Group 145B) and has prickles on the underside.

The auricle is subulate, has a length of about 0.6 cm and about 2 mm wide. The colour of the auricle is medium green (Group 144A).

The stipules are 3 cm long, have serrated and glandular surface and medium green colour (Group 144A).

The veins have light green (Group 145B), the venation pattern is reticulate.

Wood:

The new wood of this rose variety has medium green colour (Group 144A) , the bark is smooth. The mature wood is medium green (Group 144A), the bark remains smooth.

Stems:

The mature stem has an average length of about 30 cm and the diameter of 5 mm, the internode distance is 6 cm. The stem pubescence is no on the stems of this rose variety. The above measurements are all variable, depending on growing conditions in a season.

Prickles:

There are many prickles present on the main canes from base, about 18 cm per 5 cm of the stem length. On the laterals from main canes there is an ordinary quantity of prickles, 6 per 5 cm of the stem length. The shape of the prickles is concave curved inward, the length is about 5-8 mm. The colour of some young prickles is medium yellow green (Group 1B) and of some is dark purple red (Group 185A); the mature prickles have light green brown colour (Group 160A).

Small prickles:

There are many small prickles on the main canes of this rose variety, about 20 per 5 cm stem length. On the laterals from the main canes of this rose variety there are many small prickles, 12 per 5 cm stem length. When they are young the colour is medium yellow green (Group 1B) of some and dark purple red (Group 185A) of the others. The mature small prickles have light green brown colour (Group 160A).

Disease resistance:

The rose variety ‘Lady of Megginch’ has good resistance to most common rose diseases, in particular it is resistant to mildew, blackspot and rust under normal growing conditions. The pest resistance has not been tested yet.

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

Megginch Castle in Perth, Scotland, is the 15th century family home of the late Baroness Strange, who was President of the War Widows' Association. She was known for her love of flowers and her rose garden.

English Shrub Roses

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Ausvolume’ / ‘Lady of Megginch’ 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 very good repeat flowering, healthy and vigorous rose variety with large, deep pink blooms and 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:

  Very large, full, cupped, rosette shaped blooms of deep pink color;

  A good, fruity, Old Rose fragrance;

  Bushy, upright and very vigorous 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 seed and pollen parents of ‘Ausvolume’ / ‘Lady of Megginch’ are two unnamed seedlings. The ‘Ausvolume’ / ‘Lady of Megginch’ may be distinguished from its seed parent, by the following combination of characteristics:

 The seed parent has bright crimson, more loosely formed blooms compared to the deep pink, very full blooms of ‘Ausvolume’ / ‘Lady of Megginch’.

The ‘Ausvolume’ / Lady of Megginch may be distinguished from its pollen parent, by the following combination of characteristics:

 The pollen parent has cupped, rich yellow blooms compared with the deep pink, rosette-shaped blooms of ‘Ausvolume’ / ‘Lady of Megginch’.

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR

The most similar rose cultivars to the ‘Ausvolumet’ / Lady of Megginch is rose ‘Ausintense’ / ‘Wisley‘ and may be distinguished by the following combination of characteristics:

 ‘Ausintense’ / ‘Wisley‘ has smaller, paler pink blooms than ‘Ausvolume’ / ‘Lady of Megginch’;

  ‘Ausvolume’ / ‘Lady of Megginch’ has more upright growth and larger, broader leaflets than ‘Ausintense’ / ‘Wisley‘.

USDA 5