Rose Sir John Betjeman

A variety of rose with a more modern character than most English Roses. The flowers begin as small buds, opening into very open, wide-open rosettes of bright, deep pink. As the blooms age, they become dome-shaped while the color—unusually for English Roses—gradually intensifies. It forms a very bushy, neatly rounded shrub with slightly arching growth.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

Throughout this description of the rose variety 'Sir John Betjeman' 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 an excellent 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 'Sir John Betjeman' rose variety are medium sized, about 2 cm long and 1.7 cm in diameter when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is pointed ovoid. When the sepals first divide, the bud color is medium purple red (Group N66A). When half open, the upper sides of the petals are medium purple red (Group 66B) and the lower sides of the petals are light green (Group 157A).

Calyx is flat when fully opened with the sepals folding back, the length is about 1.2 cm and the diameter is 4.5 cm.

The sepals have a regular arrangement and a length of about 1.6 cm and a width of 1 cm. The shape of the sepals is broad, the surface texture is rough on the upper surface and hoary on the lower surface. The colour on the upper surface is medium green (Group 143C) with medium purple (Group 67A) and on the lower surface is light brown green (Group 193A). There are 3 normally appendaged sepals and there are 2 unappendaged sepals with hairy edges.

The receptacle is medium green (Group 143C), funnel shaped and has a slightly glandular surface. The size of the receptacle is small, about 1.3 cm long and about 0.8 cm in diameter.

The peduncle is medium averaging to about 5.5 cm in length, of a strong strength and has a glandular surface. The colour of the peduncle is medium green (Group 143C).

Bloom:

The flowers are medium-sized, the average diameter of the open flower is about 8 cm. When first open, the flower form is rosette, and as it fully opens the shape becomes more doom shaped. Flowers are very full, the number of petals under normal conditions is 130. They are born in small clusters of 2–5 blooms together, having a round shape. The flowering stem has normal strength, medium long, and has an average length of about 30 cm with a diameter of about 3 mm.

The colour of the flower from the upper sides and on the reverse sides of the petals are medium purple red (Group N66B). The base of the petals has a spot of light yellow (Group 1D). Under normal growing conditions the variegation is not observed on the flowers of this rose variety.

The general tonality at the end of the first day is medium purple red (Group N66B), at the end of the third day the general tonality becomes slightly lighter, dark blue pink (Group 72C).

Petals:

The texture of the petals is thin and the surface is smooth; the shape of the petals is oval, the margins are medium reflexing, with a weak undulation. The apex on the petals in the middle and in the centre is entire while the outer petals have notched apex. The base of the petals is broad, and the petals form is incurved. Average length of the petals is about 3.5 cm and the width is about 3 cm. The arrangement of the petals is imbricated.

Normally there are few petaloids present in the center of the flowers, 12 on average . Petaloids have medium purple red colour (Group N66B), they are about 5–12 mm long and 8–11 mm in width. Petaloids have irregular shape.

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 8 days, as a cut flower their lastingness has not been tested.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of the rose 'Sir John Betjeman' is light and fresh.

Reproductive parts:

The number of stamens is 26 on average per flower, the length is about 4 mm, they are regular around styles.

The anthers have a length of about 1 mm and medium yellow orange colour (Group 16A).

The colour of the filaments is medium yellow orange (Group 16A), their length is 3 mm on average.

The pollen is medium yellow orange (Group 16A).

The number of pistils is 30 on average, they are about 5 mm long.

The colour of the styles is white (Group 155C) and the length is about 4 mm.

Stigma are about 1 mm long and are dark yellow orange (Group 22A).

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

PLANT

The rose variety 'Sir John Betjeman' is classified as a Shrub rose and is part of David Austin’s English Shrub Roses collection. The growth character is moderately vigorous, with a slightly arching habit. Mature and well-established plant has a height of about 100 - 125 cm and a width of about 75 - 125 cm.

Its bright coloration makes it an excellent choice for creating contrast in a border with other softer-colored roses. It can also be used in a more formal bedding scheme and thrives in large containers. Overall, this strong and healthy shrub will flourish even in less than ideal conditions.

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 normally 5. The average flowering stem has about 10 leaves. The foliage is medium sized, about 13 cm long and about 10 cm wide.

The colour of the young leaves on the upper side is light green (Group 144B) overlaid with dark brown purple (Group 184A) while the lower side is brown red (Group 178B). The mature foliage on the upper side is dark green (Group 137A) and on the lower side is medium brown green (Group 137C).

Leaflets:

The size of the leaflets is medium, they are about 5 cm long and about 3.8 cm wide. The shape of the leaflets is broadly 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 medium.

The petiole has dark brown green colour (Group 137B), is about 4 cm long and 2 mm in diameter, and has a smooth with prickles surface texture.

The petiole rachis is dark brown green (Group 137B) and has a smooth with prickles underside.

The auricle is pointed, has a length of about 5 mm and about 2 mm wide. The colour of the auricle is dark brown green (Group 137B).

The stipules are 2 cm long, have a hairy surface and dark brown green colour (Group 137B).

The veins have dark brown green (Group 137B), the venation pattern is reticulate.

Wood:

The new wood of this rose variety has brown red colour (Group 178B), the bark is smooth. The mature wood is medium brown green (Group 138A), the bark remains smooth.

Stems:

The number of lateral branches is 10 on average, they have a length of about 30 cm and the diameter is 4 mm on average. The mature stem has an average length of about 70 cm and the diameter of 5 mm, the internode distance is 6 cm. The stem pubescence is not present 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 6 per 10 cm of the stem length. On the laterals from main canes there is also an ordinary quantity of prickles, 4 per 10 cm of the stem length. The shape of the prickles is hooked downward, the length is about 5 mm. The colour of the young prickles is brown red (Group 180A); the mature prickles have medium brown colour (Group 174A).

Small prickles:

There are no small prickles observed on the main canesand on the laterals from the main canes of this rose variety.

Disease resistance:

The rose variety 'Sir John Betjeman' 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.

Betjeman's daughter, Mrs Candida Lycett Green and The John Betjeman Society asked us to name this rose after the well-known writer, journalist and broadcaster. He also opened people’s eyes to the value of the buildings and landscape around them. At the time of his death, in 1984, he held the post of Poet Laureate and is commemorated in Poet's Corner in Westminster Abbey.

English Shrub Roses

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Ausvivid’ / 'Sir John Betjeman' 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 small buds that open to full-petalled wipe open rosettes of a bright deep pink.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

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

 blooms that start as small buds and develop into dome-shape, full-petalled wide open rosettes having a color that is bright and deep pink;

 compact and bushy growth ;

 very good disease resistance .

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 ‘Ausvivid’ / ‘Sir John Betjeman’ may be distinguished from its seed parent, by the following combination of characteristics:

 whereas the seed parent has medium-sized pink blooms and upright short growth, ‘Ausvivid’ / ‘Sir John Betjeman’ produces a small bud that develops into a wide-open full-petalled rosette having a bright, deep pink color.

The ‘Ausvivid’ / ‘Sir John Betjeman’ may be distinguished from its pollen parent by the following combination of characteristics:

 The pollen parent bears smaller crimson blooms with few petals, while ‘Ausvivid’ / ‘Sir John Betjeman’ bears flowers having deep, pink blooms that are full-petalled.

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR

The most similar rose cultivar to the ‘Ausvivid’ / ‘Sir John Betjeman’ is the rose variety ‘Ausvolume’ / ‘Lady of Megginch’, and they may be distinguished by the following combination of characteristics:

 the ‘Ausvolume’ / ‘Lady of Megginch’ has a larger bloom compared to ‘Ausvivid’ / ‘Sir John Betjeman’, which has smaller full-petalled bloom;

 In addition, the ‘Ausvolume’ / ‘Lady of Megginch’ variety has a strong Old Rose fragrance, while the ‘Ausvivid’ / ‘Sir John Betjeman’ has a very light fragrance.

  Finally, ‘Ausvivid’ / ‘Sir John Betjeman’ has a much redder new wood color when compared to the wood of the ‘Ausvolume’ / ‘Lady of Megginch’ cultivar.

USDA 5