Rose The Lady of the Lake

English Rambling Rose 'The Lady of the Lake' notable for combining the vigorous habit of traditional ramblers with repeat flowering and a pronounced fragrance. It stands out by marrying traits of Old Rose charm expressed in soft pink color of the flowers with golden stamens and fresh citrus fragrance, modern remontancy and improved health, making it a unique offering in the rambler category. It is ideal for arches, pergolas, or trellises. Its name, inspired by Arthurian legend, reflects the rose’s enchanting garden presence.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

FLOWERING

The rose variety 'The Lady of the Lake' is repeat-flowering. After an initial heavy flush in late spring/early summer (typically June in temperate Northern Hemisphere climates), it blooms in flushes throughout the season. In fact, flowers are borne almost continuously through summer and autumn, as long as conditions are favorable. Deadheading the spent clusters can encourage quicker rebloom, although this rose will also set some hips if not deadheaded (the hips are small and not particularly ornamental, so most growers do remove spent blooms to focus the plant’s energy on new growth). The remontancy of 'The Lady of the Lake' sets it apart from once-blooming ramblers: for instance, it could be still flowering into September, whereas traditional ramblers finish by mid-July. In warmer climates, it may even flower nearly year-round, with a brief rest, gardeners in zone 9 - 10 describe blooms appearing well into winter. The floriferousness of this cultivar is frequently praised.

The flowers of 'The Lady of the Lake' are borne in abundant clusters on lateral branches. Individual flowers are semi-double, small to medium sized, averaging to about 5 cm in diameter (about 2″) when fully open. Each flower has roughly 25 - 30 petals, arranged in an open cup shape; the petals are somewhat ruffled and reflex slightly with age, giving a soft informal look. Importantly, the blooms have an open formation, each exposing a nice boss of golden stamens. The prominent yellow stamens not only add a dot of contrasting color at the center but also produce pollen that attracts bees and other pollinators.

The color of the blossoms is typically described as pale pink or blush pink. The flower buds may show a richer apricot-pink tint upon opening, then the petals mature to a light silvery pink and can fade to almost cream or white in strong sun. Such gentle coloration is reminiscent of wild roses and is harmonious in cottage and woodland garden schemes. An RHS Colour Chart reference is not officially published, but based on descriptions, the color is near RHS CC Pink Group 69C to 73D (soft pastel pinks) at peak, fading to around 155C (white) at petal edges when aging. Petal undersides may have a blush of apricot especially in cooler weather.

Fragrance:

The rose variety 'The Lady of the Lake' has a fresh citrus fragrance. Garden observers further detect fruity undertones - hints of green apple and sweet citrus in the scent. The overall fragrance strength is rated medium to strong. Some describe it as a musk or myrrh type blended with citrus - likely inherited from its musk rose lineage (many repeat-flowering ramblers carry Rosa moschata in their background, known for its musky perfume). 'The Lady of the Lake' has been reported to perfume the air noticeably in warm evenings, especially when grown in quantity or against a warm wall. This contrasts with most classic ramblers (e.g., ‘American Pillar’, ‘Excelsa’) which have little scent. Relative to other English Roses, it is not as overpowering as Austin’s strongest shrub roses, but for a rambler it is considered exceptionally fragrant.

PLANT

Rose variety 'The Lady of the Lake' is classified as a Rambling climber (family Rosaceae), falling under the broad category of Rosa hybrids. It is a part of David Austin’s English Shrub Roses collection, and David Austin Roses groups it in the English Rose Ramblers subset of shrub roses. It combines old-fashioned Hybrid Musk Rambler characteristics with modern remontant (repeat-blooming) traits.

It exhibits the long, flexible canes typical of ramblers, capable of reaching 350 - 400 cm in height (approximately 12 - 13 ft) , and about the same size in width, with a sprawling, climbing habit. Canes are slender and supple, making it easy to train the rose on supports. They can be trained horizontally to promote lateral flowering shoots. The plant tends to produce vigorous new shoots from the base in spring. The new growth is typically soft green with a slight reddish tint on young stems.

While not completely prickless, its prickles are relatively sparse and moderate in size, unlike some well armed old ramblers, allowing easier handling and training - pruning photographs show that tying in canes is feasible without heavy gloves, though care is still needed.

Foliage:

On the plants of this rose variety there are typically normal quantity of the foliage. The foliage is described as healthy, mid-green, and semi-glossy. Each leaf has the typical of rambling roses pinnate structure, with the normal mid stem leaf having from 5 to 7 leaflets, including the terminal leaflet. The leaflets are medium sized, have an oval shape and serrated margins, the type of serration is single and medium sized. Growers note that the foliage has good disease resistance - leaves stay clean from blackspot and mildew well into autumn under normal conditions.

Prickles:

Prickles on 'The Lady of the Lake' are present but relatively sparse; they are pale green to light brown, of moderate length, and recurved. Comparatively, it has more prickles than ‘Malvern Hills’ (an English rambler which is nearly thornless), but fewer than old rambler varieties like ‘Dorothy Perkins’. This makes pruning and training somewhat easier, a boon for home gardeners.

Disease resistance:

In general, the rose variety 'The Lady of the Lake' is considered to be a robust and disease-resistant rose, it has healthy leaves that remain in good condition until the end of the season. David Austin’s breeding program emphasizes disease resistance, and this cultivar was no exception - it was observed for black spot and powdery mildew resistance before release. The resistance to black spot is good - only minimal black spot might be observed on lower leaves even in humid summers, especially if planted in sun with good air circulation. It shows moderate resistance to powdery mildew - only under very dry heat or overcrowded conditions do powdery mildew patches sometimes appear on new growth. Rust typically is a lesser issue and has not been widely noted on this rose.

In terms of climate stress, 'The Lady of the Lake' displays good cold hardiness for an English Rose. The RHS rates it H6 (hardy to about –20°C), meaning it can survive normal winter lows across most of the UK and northern Europe. This roughly equates to USDA Zone 5, but in USDA Zone 6 or colder, winter protection is advisable, and it’s reliably hardy only to USDA Zone 7 without protection. This discrepancy may be due to differences in testing conditions and the severity of continental winters. Regarding heat tolerance, 'The Lady of the Lake' handles warm-summer continental and Mediterranean climates well, provided adequate water. In very hot climates (USDA Zones 9–10, e.g., southern California, southern Italy), the blooms may scorch or shatter more quickly and the flowering might slow in extreme summer heat, but the plant itself is heat-tolerant. It can even handle partial shade (e.g., an east-facing wall) better than many English Roses - in fact, being a rambler, it often is grown into small trees or pergolas where it receives morning sun and afternoon shade, and it still blooms generously.

Drought tolerance is moderate: its extensive root system, when mature, can seek moisture, but like most roses it prefers consistent moisture and will suffer if severely dry.

'The Lady of the Lake' is named after a figure from Arthurian legend. In the mythos, "the Lady of the Lake" (in French lore, “Dame du Lac”) is a sorceress who gives King Arthur the sword Excalibur and enchants Merlin. The breeder, David Austin, often drew inspiration from literature and mythology for naming his English Roses. The choice of this name imparts an aura of mystery and romance to the rose, aligning with its elegant, fairy-tale appearance. David Austin’s catalog notes: “Named after the ruler of Avalon in the Arthurian legend. She also plays a pivotal role in Sir Walter Scott’s famous poem of the same name”. Indeed, 'The Lady of the Lake' is the title of an 1810 narrative poem by Sir Walter Scott, which may have been an additional literary nod. The Lady of the Lake appears in various Welsh and Breton legends, the most famous being the Arthurian saga.

To avoid confusion: this rose is unrelated to an old white rose occasionally called "Lady of the Lake" in early 20th-century texts, which was a synonym for a white Rosa wichuraiana hybrid by J.C. Schmidt, 1901. The modern 'The Lady of the Lake' by David Austin is distinct and the context of English Roses makes it clear which plant is meant.

English Rambling Roses

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety 'Ausherbert' / 'The Lady of the Lake' originated by David C. H. Austin by crossing two unnamed and unpatented rose varieties.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

'Ausherbert' / 'The Lady of the Lake' belongs to Austin’s “English Rose Collection” as one of a small sub-group of repeat-flowering ramblers developed to flower in flushes through the season. Traditional rambling roses (often derived from R. wichuraiana or R. multiflora) typically produce a single spectacular bloom in early summer and are usually only lightly scented. In contrast, 'Ausherbert' / 'The Lady of the Lake' was bred to rebloom and to have a strong fragrance, addressing two limitations of old rambler cultivars. Its appeal is both ornamental and ecological: the semi-double, open-centered flowers provide pollen access for bees and butterflies, enhancing garden biodiversity.

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR

'Ausherbert' / 'The Lady of the Lake' can be distinguished from other rambling or climbing roses by a combination of its bloom form, fragrance, and reblooming habit.

Within David Austin’s catalog, it is often compared to ‘The Albrighton Rambler’ (Ausmobile, 2013), another pale pink English rambler. ‘The Albrighton Rambler’ bears full rosette blooms (~4 cm, 85 petals) with a light musky scent, whereas 'Ausherbert' / 'The Lady of the Lake' has larger (5 cm) semi-double blooms with a stronger citrus scent. Notably, ‘The Albrighton Rambler’ is almost prickless and has a more delicate look, while 'Ausherbert' / 'The Lady of the Lake' shows golden stamens and is more exuberantly fragrant - thus offering a different aesthetic and sensory experience.

Compared to older ramblers like ‘New Dawn’ (light pink, 1930) or ‘Albertine’ (salmon-pink, 1921), 'Ausherbert' / 'The Lady of the Lake' flowers more continuously and has a fresher color tone. ‘New Dawn’ (a repeat-blooming climber often classed as a large-flowered climber rather than a rambler) is a darker blush pink and has a fruity apple scent, but its blooms are larger and fewer; 'Ausherbert' / 'The Lady of the Lake' produces a greater number of smaller blooms in clusters.

Against once-blooming ramblers such as ‘Paul’s Himalayan Musk’ (which has a musk fragrance and pale pink small blooms), 'Ausherbert' / 'The Lady of the Lake' holds its own in scent and surpasses in repeat bloom, albeit ‘Paul’s Himalayan Musk’ can grow much larger.

USDA 6