Rose Silas Marner

A delightfully rose, renowned for its soft mid-pink blooms. The medium-sized, cupped flowers feature gently ruffled petals that are pale on the reverse and gracefully fade at the edges, giving them a delicate, lived-in quality. Set on striking red stems, the flowers display an appealing button eye in the centre, each blossom radiates an undeniable charm. The fragrance is medium-strong Old Rose, with fresh hints of lemon, green banana, and apricot. Very healthy, medium-sized shrub, decorated with glossy dark green foliage and a wide, arching growth habit.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

Throughout this description of the rose variety 'Silas Marner' 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 'Silas Marner' rose variety are medium sized, about 1.8 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 light green (Group 145B) with flashes of medium brown purple (Group 186A) at the edges of the petals. When half open, the upper sides of the petals are medium blue pink (Group 73B) and the lower sides of the petals are medium blue pink (Group 73B).

Calyx is star-shaped when fully opened with the sepals folding back, the length is about 4.5 cm and the diameter is 4.5 cm.

The sepals have a length of about 2 cm and a width of 0.9 cm. The shape of the sepals is lanceolate, the surface texture is hairy on the upper surface and downy on the lower surface. The colour on the upper surface is light green (Group 139D) and on the lower surface is medium green (Group 143C) with some medium brown purple (Group 184D). There are 3 lightly appendaged sepals and there are 2 unappendaged sepals with hairy edges.

The receptacle is medium green (Group 143C), pitcher shaped and has a smooth surface. The size of the receptacle is medium, about 1.0 cm long and about 0.6 cm in diameter.

The peduncle is short, averaging to about 5.5 cm in length, strong and has a smooth surface. The colour of the peduncle is medium brown purple (Group 184B) with light green (Group 144B).

Bloom:

The flowers are large, the average diameter of the open flower is about 8.75 cm. When first open, the flower form is cupped. When the flowers fully open the shape becomes almost flat, displaying a rosette with ruffled petals which are set around an attractive button eye, outer petal edges curl back. Flowers are very full, the number of petals under normal conditions is 100. They are born in small clusters having a pyramidal shape, with 4 - 14 blooms together. The flowering stem is strong, medium, and has an average length of about 45 cm with a diameter of about 6 mm.

The colour of the upper sides of the petals is light blue pink (Group 69D) and the reverse sides of the petals are medium blue pink (Group 73B) on the top and light blue pink (Group 73D) in the middle; the base of the petals has a medium sized basal spot of light yellow colour (Group 3D). Under normal growing conditions the flowers of this rose variety do not have any variegation of colour.

The general tonality at the end of the first day is light blue pink (Group 69A), at the end of the third day the general tonality becomes lighter, light blue pink (Group 69C).

Petals:

The texture of the petals is velvety and the surface is smooth; the shape of the petals is obovate, the margins are mostly entire, approximately 20% exhibit a central notch at the apex. The apex is obtuse and the base of the petals is rounded, the petals form is incurved. Average length of the petals is about 3 cm and the width is about 1.7 cm. The arrangement of the petals is quartered.

Normally there are few petaloids present in the center of the flowers, the number of petaloids varies from none to 10. They have light blue pink colour (Group 69A), are about 1 - 1.5 mm long and 0.5 - 1 mm width, their shape is obovate and the margins are entire.

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 long, on the plant they last for about 4 - 7 days, as a cut flower their lastingness has not been tested yet.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of the rose 'Silas Marner' is moderate to strong, of Old Rose character with accents of lemon, green banana and apricot.

Reproductive parts:

The number of stamens is 10-15 on average per flower, the length is about 5 mm, they are mixed with petaloids.

The anthers have a length of about 1.5 mm and medium yellow orange colour (Group 13C).

The colour of the filaments is medium yellow (Group 12A), their length is 3 - 4 mm on average.

The pollen is medium yellow (Group 3A), the amount of the pollen is scarce.

The number of pistils is 20 - 25 on average, they are about 7 mm long.

The colour of the styles is medium yellow green (Group 151C), the length is about 6 mm.

Stigma are about 1 mm long and are medium brown purple (Group 184C).

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

PLANT

The rose variety 'Silas Marner' is classified as a Shrub rose and is part of David Austin’s English Shrub Roses collection. The growth character is vigorous and bushy. The plants are broad, upright, slightly arching and bushy. Mature and well-established plant has a height of about 110 cm and a width of about 140 cm.

Its dependable nature makes it ideal for unfussy cottage-style mixed beds, borders, or even shadier spots. Additionally, its excellent performance as a cutting rose adds versatility to garden displays, particularly when paired with brighter pinks or purples to accentuate its subtle, soft mid-pink hues.

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 usually 5 with instances of 7, including the terminal leaflet. The average flowering stem has about 5 leaves. The foliage is medium sized, about 15 cm long and about 10 cm wide.

The colour of the juvenile foliage on the upper side is dark brown green (Group 146A) with flashes of dark purple red (Group 60A) at the edge while the lower side is dark purple red (Group 59A) with touches of medium green (Group 143B) on the veins. The mature foliage on the upper side is dark green (Group 137A) and on the lower side is dark brown green (Group 146A).

Leaflets:

The leaflets are medium-sized, about 6 cm long and are about 3.3 cm wide. The shape of the leaflets is pointed oval, the shape of the leaflet tip is acuminate and the base shape is cordate. The surface texture of the leaflets is leathery, glossy. The edges are serrated, the type of serration is double towards the center of the leaflet and single towards the base and apex, medium-sized.

The petiole has dark purple colour (Group 71A) on top side with medium brown green (Group 146A) on the underside, is about 2 - 3 cm long and 2 mm in diameter, has a glandular surface texture.

The petiole rachis is dark purple red (Group 59A) on the top side with medium brown green (Group 146A) on the underside, and with prickles on the underside.

The auricle is lanceolate, has a length of about 0.6 cm and about 2 mm wide. The colour of the auricle is dark brown green (Group 146A).

The stipules are 2.5 cm long, serrated and have dark brown green colour (Group 146A) with a tint of dark purple (Group 64A) towards the petiole.

The central veins have dark purple (Group 64A) while other veins have dark green colour (Group 137A), the venation pattern is reticulate.

Wood:

The new wood of this rose variety has dark brown purple colour (Group 183A), the bark is smooth. The mature wood is dark brown purple (Group 184A) on the top half of the wood, fading to light green (Group 145A) towards the main stems, the bark remains smooth.

Stems:

The number of lateral branches is 3 on average, they have a length of about 60 cm and the diameter is 8 mm on average. The mature stem has an average length of about 90 cm and the diameter of 10 mm, the internode distance is about 5.5 cm. The stem pubescence is not not observed 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 and on the laterals from main canes, about 6 per 10 cm of the stem length. The shape of the prickles is hooked downward and deep concave, the length is about 9 mm. The colour of the young prickles is medium brown purple (Group 185B). Some mature prickles have dark brown purple colour (Group 178A) with tips of medium yellow orange (Group 22B) and retaining some medium brown purple (Group 185B) throughout.

Small prickles:

There are few small prickles on the main canes and on the laterals from the main canes of this rose variety, about 5 - 8 per 10 cm of the stem length. When they are young the colour is medium brown purple (Group 185B) and the mature small prickles have the same medium brown purple colour (Group 185B).

Disease resistance:

The rose variety 'Silas Marner' has good resistance to most common rose diseases, in particular it is resistant to powdery mildew (podosphaera pannosa), downey mildew (peronospora species), blackspot (diplocarpon rosae) and rust (phragmidium tuberculatum) under normal growing conditions. 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.

‘Silas Marner: The Weaver of Raveloe’ is the third novel by English author George Eliot, pen name of Mary Ann Evans. It was published in 1861. An outwardly simple tale of a linen weaver, the novel is notable for its strong realism and its sophisticated treatment of a variety of issues ranging from religion to industrialisation to community.

English Shrub Roses

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Ausraveloe’ / 'Silas Marner' originated in the nursery of David Austin Roses Limited (UK) by crossing the two ‘unnamed’ and unpatented seedlings of class Rosa hybrida.

David Austin is mentioned as the breeder of this rose according to the patent for this rose.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The primary objective of this rose variety breeding was to create a very healthy medium sized rose shrub showing arching growth with glossy dark green foliage producing soft mid-pink color, with medium-large sized cupped blooms held on red stems, with a relaxed petal formation set around a button-eye, and having a medium-strong Old Rose fragrance with accents of lemon, green banana and apricot.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

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

 repeat flowering soft mid-pink blooms with medium-large sized cupped rosette blooms with button-eye in the center;

  reddish colored flowering stems and dark colored foliage;

 medium-strong Old Rose fragrance.

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 ‘Ausraveloe’ / ‘Silas Marner’ may be distinguished from its seed parent, by the following combination of characteristics:

 the seed parent is paler in color and has larger, deeply cupped flowers with fewer petals compared to the flowers of ‘Ausraveloe’ / ‘Silas Marner’.

The ‘Ausraveloe’ / ‘Silas Marner’ may be distinguished from its pollen parent by the following combination of characteristics:

 the pollen parent also has larger, deeply cupped flowers with a more apricot pink color, and is less disease resistant compared to ‘Ausraveloe’ / ‘Silas Marner’.

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR

The most similar rose cultivars to the ‘Ausraveloe’ / ‘Silas Marner’ are the ‘Ausmixture’ / ‘Olivia Rose Austin’ and they may be distinguished by the following combination of characteristics:

 While both blooms are predominantly pink in color, the rose variety ‘Ausmixture’ / ‘Olivia Rose Austin’ has a medium blue pink colour (Group 62B) and fewer petals whereas ‘Ausraveloe’ / ‘Silas Marner’ is predominantly light blue pink (Group 69A) and also have more petals;

 In addition, the flowering stems of ‘Ausmixture’ / ‘Olivia Rose Austin’ are predominantly green in color whereas the stems of ‘Ausraveloe’ / ‘Silas Marner’ are predominantly red in color;

 ‘Ausmixture’ / ‘Olivia Rose Austin’ also exhibits a fruity fragrance whereas ‘Ausraveloe’ / ‘Silas Marner’ has an Old Rose fragrance;

 Finally, ‘Ausmixture’ / ‘Olivia Rose Austin’ has fewer thorns when compared to ‘Ausraveloe’ / ‘Silas Marner’.

USDA 6