Rose Radio Times

Modern rose with prominent Old Rose character. The fragrance is simply enchanting, very strong, Old Rose. The flowers demonstrate a perfectly shaped rosette with a button-eye and a rich, clear pink, and the petals tend to curve back as the flower grows older. A short, bushy shrub that is, unfortunately, not too healthy but grows very well in warmer drier climates.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

Throughout this description of the rose variety 'Radio Times' 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. 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 'Radio Times' rose variety are medium sized, about 2.5 to 3.0 cm long and 2.5 cm in diameter when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is pointed ovoid and globular. When the sepals first divide, the bud color is pink (Group 39B). When half open, the upper sides of the petals are light blue pink (Group 55C) and the lower sides of the petals are pink (Group 51D).

The sepals have a length of about 3.5 cm and a width of 1 cm. The shape of the sepals is lanceolate, the surface texture is slightly leathery on the upper surface and downy on the lower surface. The colour is medium green (Group 144A) on the upper surface and on the lower surface. There are 3 very lightly appendaged sepals and there are 2 unappendaged sepals with smooth downy edges.

The receptacle is medium green (Group 144A) with light green (Group 144B), funnel or goblet shaped and has a smooth surface. The size of the receptacle is medium, about 0.8 to 1.0 cm long and about 0.9 cm in diameter.

The peduncle is medium, averaging to about 4.5 cm in length, weak and bending, has a glandular surface. The colour of the peduncle is light green (Group 144B) with bronzy intonations.

Bloom:

The flowers are medium, the average diameter of the open flower is about 7.5 cm. When first open, the flower form is slightly cupped. As the flowers open the shape becomes more flat, rosette shaped with a large button-eye in the center, outer petals curl back; outer petal edges curl slightly. Flowers are very full, the number of petals under normal conditions is 95 to 100. They are born in small clusters, of 3 - 7 blooms together, having irregular shape. The flowering stem has medium strength, and has an average length of about 75 - 65 cm.

The colour of the flower from the upper and the lower sides of the petals is light blue pink (Group 55C). Basal 1/4 to 1/3 of petals are yellowish, the yellow coloring deepening toward the basal tip. The major color on the upper side is light blue pink (Group 55C). On the flowers of 'Radio Times' the variegation is not observed.

The general tonality at the end of the first day is light blue pink (Group 55C) but paler, less salmon, more pink. At the end of the third day the general tonality becomes lighter, light blue pink (Group 56A).

Petals:

The texture of the petals is firm and thin and the surface is smooth; the shape of the petals is notched, deltoid. The form is fairly flat, tips slightly recurved. The arrangement of the petals is informal or quartered, with few petaloids in the center. The inner petals tend to be tucked into the calyx to form a button-eye.

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 days, as a cut flower their lastingness is about 2 to 3 days.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of the rose 'Radio Times' is very strong, of pure and pleasant Old rose character.

Reproductive parts:

The number of stamens is many, they are tucked in calyx or partly so.

The anthers have yellow colour.

The colour of the filaments is cerise.

The pollen is golden yellow.

The colour of the styles is greenish white closer to the base and cerise on the tips.

Stigmas are yellow.

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

PLANT

The rose variety 'Radio Times' is classified as a Shrub rose. The growth character is moderately to vigorous. Plants of this rose variety have bushy, branching and sprawling appearance. Mature and well-established plant has a height of about 75 - 120 cm and the width of about 90 - 125 cm.

The shrub is seen to best effect when planted in groups of three or more. This is a beautiful little rose, but it does have a slight tendency to suffer black spot in areas where disease is prevalent.

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 5. The foliage is medium to large sized, about 17-18 cm long and about 14 cm wide.

The colour of the juvenile foliage is dark brown green (Group 146A or 146B) with bronzy and reddish blush. The mature foliage on the upper and on the lower side is dark brown green (Group 147A).

Leaflets:

The size of the leaflets is large, has a pointed oval shape, the surface texture of the leaflets is leathery, semi-glossy. The edges are serrated, the type of serration is double and medium.

The petiole has green colour (Group Green) and has prickles on the underside, about 2 to 4 per internode. The petiole rachis is green. The stipules are 2.5 to 3.0 cm long, serrated. The veins are green, the venation pattern is reticulate.

Wood:

The new wood of this rose variety is dark green, slightly reddish, and the bark is smooth. The mature wood is green, the bark remains smooth.

Prickles:

There are many prickles present on the main canes from base, and on the laterals from main canes there are few prickles. The shape of the prickles is straight or slightly hooked downward, they are medium sized, they are evenly distributed around the stem. The colour of the young prickles is red and the mature prickles have brown colour.

Small prickles:

There are few small prickles on the main canes and on the laterals from the main canes of this rose variety. The colour of the small prickles is the same as the colour of the large prickles.

Disease resistance:

The rose variety 'Radio Times' 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.

Named in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the launch of the Radio Times magazine. Radio Times is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items.

English Shrub Roses

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Aussal’ / 'Radio Times' 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 with old-fashioned-shaped flowers and very good repeat flowering.

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 full, old-fashioned-shaped flowers;

 Rich, clear pink flowers;

 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 characteristics of the seed parent and of the pollen parent were not disclosed.

USDA 5