Rose Windermere

Perfectly rounded cream buds with occasional patches of red pink ’Windermere’ open to reveal full, cupped flowers. At first they are rich, creamy yellow but gradually fade to almost pure white in sunlight. The fragrance is delicious, of a fruity character with a definite hint of citrus. This rose variety is exceptionally healthy and forms a neat, compact plant, even in warmer climates, and has very few prickles.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

Throughout this description of the rose variety 'Windermere' 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 Windermere rose variety are medium sized, about 3.5 cm long and 2.5 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 145C) with patches of red pink (Group 51A). When half open, the upper sides of the petals are light yellow (Group 4C) with medium yellow orange (Group 22C) in base zone, and with irregular patches of red pink (Group 51A); the lower sides of the petals are light yellow (Group 4C) in the top and middle zones, with light yellow (Group 6D) closer to the base.

The sepals have a length of about 2.2 cm and a width of 1.0 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 medium green (Group 144A) and on the lower surface is medium green (Group 144A) with irregular patches of dark purple red (Group 46A). There are 3 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 size of the receptacle is medium, about 1.5 cm long and about 0.9 cm in diameter.

The peduncle is medium averaging to about 7 cm in length, strong and has a glandular surface. The colour of the peduncle is medium green (Group 144A) with a touch of dark brown(Group 187A) before the bud unfurls.

Bloom:

The flowers are medium-sized, the average diameter of the open flower is about 7.5 cm. When first open, the flower form is cupped, the flower form persists until the end. Flowers are very full, the number of petals under normal conditions is 80-85. They are born small in clusters of six to seven blooms together, having compound corymb shape.

When first open the colour of the upper sides of the petals is white (Group 155B) and the reverse sides of the petals are white (Group 155B) The base of the petals has a large yellow basal spot of light yellow (Group 8C). The variegation is not observed on the flowers of ‘Windermere’ under normal growing conditions.

The general tonality at the end of the first day is white (Group 155B), at the end of the third day the general tonality does not change, remaining white (Group 155B).

Petals:

Average length of the petals is about 3.6 cm and the width is about 2.8 cm. The texture and the surface is smooth; the shape of the inner petals is obovate while the outer petals have obdeltoid shape, the margins are notched. The apex is obtuse on some petals but most often is cuspidate and the base of the petals is cuneate. General form of the petals is incurved, tips of very outer petals slightly recurved, the arrangement of the petals is imbricated.

Normally there are no petaloids present in the flowers of this rose variety.

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 their lastingness had not been tested. Petals drop off cleanly before drying.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of the rose ‘Windermere’ is moderate, fruity with hints of citrus.

Reproductive parts:

The number of stamens is 50-55 on average per flower, the length is about 7-9 mm, they are regularly arranged around the styles.

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

The colour of the filaments is medium yellow orange (Group 13C), their length is 5-7 mm on average.

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

The number of pistils is 30-35 on average, they are about 9 mm long.

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

Stigmas are about 1 mm long and have medium yellow orange colour (Group 18A).

The hips of this rose variety have not been observed.

PLANT

The rose variety ‘Windermere’ is classified as a Shrub rose. The growth character is vigorous and powerful. Mature and well-established rose form a bushy, upright and medium sized plant, and have a height of about 125 cm and the width of about 75 - 90 cm.

This rose variety is exceptionally healthy and forms a neat, compact plant, even in warmer climates, which makes it perfect for growing in containers and large pots.

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 to 7, including terminal leaflet. The average flowering stem has about 8 to 10 leaves. The foliage is medium sized, about 16.4 cm long and about 12.6 cm wide.

The colour of the juvenile foliage on the upper side is dark brown green (Group 146B) with dark brown purple (Group 183B) concentrated around the margin while the lower side is dark brown green (Group 146B) overlaid heavily with dark brown purple (Group 183C). The mature foliage on the upper side and on the lower side is dark brown green (Group 146B).

Leaflets:

The size of the leaflets is , they are about 6.6 cm long and are about 4.5 cm wide. The shape of the leaflets is ovate, the shape of the leaflet tip is cuspidate and the base shape is rounded. The surface texture of the leaflets is leathery and matt. The edges are serrated, the type of serration is mainly single, with few are double and large.

The petiole has light green colour (Group N144D), is about 3-4 cm long and 2 mm in diameter, and has a smooth, with prickles on underside surface texture.

The petiole rachis is light green (Group N144D) and has prickles on the underside.

The stipules are 1.3-1.6 cm long, have serrated surface and light green colour (Group 144B).

The auricle is subulate, has a length of about 5-6 cm and about 2 mm wide, tapering to a point. The colour of the auricle is light green (Group 144B).

The veins have light green (Group N144D), the venation pattern is reticulate.

Wood:

The new wood of this rose variety has medium green colour (Group 144A) overlaid with medium brown purple (Group 182A), the bark is smooth. The mature wood is medium green (Group 144A), its bark remains smooth.

Stems:

The mature stem has an average length of about 30 - 50 cm and the diameter of 6 mm, the internode distance is 6 - 8 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 few prickles present on the main canes from base, about 5 per 10 cm of the stem length. On the laterals from main canes there are a few prickles, 1-2 per 10 per of the stem length. The shape of the prickles is concave, curved inward, the length is about 5 mm. The colour of the young prickles is brown red (Group 179A); the mature prickles have medium brown colour (Group 175A).

Small prickles:

The small prickles are not observed on the main canes and on the laterals from the main canes of this rose variety.

Disease resistance:

The rose variety ‘Windermere’ 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. Winter hardiness: Not tested.

Rose variety is recommended for growing in climate conditions similar to USDA 6 and requires winter protection in more colder climates.

Windermere is the largest mere (a long, thin lake) in England and is part of the Lake District. It is in the county of Cumbria, in the Lake District.

English Shrub Roses

Nagaoka Bronze Award, Nagaoka International Fragrant Rose Trials - Echigo Hillside, 2011.

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Aushomer’ / ‘Windermere’ 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 free flowering, healthy variety with creamy-white blooms on a neat, compact shrub.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

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

 Creamy white, cupped, full blooms;

 A neat, compact, branching shrub with few thorns ;

 A moderate fruity fragrance with a hint of citrus.

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 ‘Aushomer’ / ‘Windermere’ may be distinguished from its seed parent, by the following combination of characteristics:

 ‘Aushomer’ / Windermere is creamy white cupped blooms with moderate fruity fragrance with a hint of citrus while the seed parent has large, dark crimson blooms with a light, Old Rose fragrance.

The ‘Aushomer’ / ‘Windermere’ may be distinguished from its pollen parent by the following combination of characteristics:

 The pollen parent has pink, rosette-shaped blooms and rather rugose foliage while ‘Aushomer’ / ‘Windermere’ has creamy white cupped blooms and medium sized, dark green, leathery foliage.

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR

The most similar rose cultivars to the ‘Aushomert’ / ‘Windermere’ is the variety ‘Ausquest’ / ‘Crocus Rose’ and may be distinguished by the following combination of characteristics:

 ‘Ausquest’ / ‘Crocus Rose’ has a greater petalage than ‘Aushomert’ / ‘Windermere’, and larger blooms which are more creamy-apricot in color.

  The leaves of ‘Ausquest’ / ‘Crocus Rose’ are a darker shade of green and are slightly glossier than those of ‘Aushomert’ / ‘Windermere’.

USDA 6