Roses forum

Bred in 1986 by David Austin, The Ambridge Rose is a beautiful repeat-blooming, small-size shrub rose, 2 to 3 feet high. The flowers are a warm apricot blend with a pleasing myrrh fragrance, produced in loose clusters. Named after the village featured in the long-running BBC radio series The Archers. I grew this myself in my Yorkshire garden and can attest to its charm.

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Introduced by David Austin in 1996 this is a shrub rose reaching 6 feet, bearing large copper-pink single flowers with a prominent boss of stamens held on red anthers. A most unusual colour, the flowers later form large orange hips. It has a light musk fragrance and has a long blooming season. Attractive to insects due to it's single form. One of my all time favourite roses.

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I have never really liked roses, except to buy a bouquet at a florist. My mother had me plant and care for several grafted tea roses on the east side of the old house back in the 1960's & 70's. I always have gotten pricked and/or scratched when working with hybridized cultivar roses. This line of new Knock Out cultivars has been planted around a lot the last two decades and I had to prune and work with these shrub roses for some customers when I was working with a small garden-landscape company from 2002 to 2018. No matter what I wear, I get bitten by these. This line of shrub roses does not need to be fertilized and sprayed. I don't remember any of these having a good strong scent. Deer can nibble on them a little or a lot. A new viral disease spread by some mites called Rose Rosette Disease is killing off lots of these and other cultivated roses. This new disease must be native to eastern North America, as it does not really harm the native species of roses as: Virginia Rose, Illinois Rose, Carolina Rose, Swamp Rose, etc.

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Blooms prolifically with really fast repeats. Unlike my other Austins, Ambridge tolerates hot temps in the upper 90s and up, extreme humidity, and full sun without any trouble or problems. For me, here in 6a, blooms are mostly light apricot (very pastel) and fade to almost white by day 3. A very compact and tidy bush. Ordered mine as a bare root directly from David Austin's website and planted it the third week in April of 2020. It took off and has been blooming like crazy since early to mid July. Foliage is healthy and attractive. Has a lovely, sweet fragrance that is just right, yet not overpowering, with notes of honeysuckle and myrrh. Definitely a winner and must-have in my book!

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If you were to go to YouTube after reading this comment and type in "Shady Lady" or "The World's Largest Rose" you would be taken to a 6 minute film. The film will tell you a fascinating story about, I believe, the white flowering form of Bank's Rose.
This particular Lady Banks Rose, as of 2017, completely covers an arbor that measures 9,000 square feet. In its native habitat of central and western China it typically grows at elevations of 1,640 - 7,218 feet.
But this rose nowhere near acquired the status in China that it grabbed in Tombstone, AZ.

The "Shady Lady of Tombstone" was, in 1970 when I first saw it, and continues to be somewhat awe inspiring. In 1989 my mother was contemplating replacing the canvas arbor that covered her patio... but the $4,000 cost did not appeal to her at all. So I suggested the yellow form of the Lady Bank's Rose.

Ten years later the rose had covered half of the arbor and it absolutely glows when the entire plant is covered in small, double pale yellow flowers.

If you have an arbor and you are contemplating a climbing plant for it... I strongly recommend this terrific rose.

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