When I was planting the roses last year I wanted a rose to plant up two apple trees. I did not want to go for the usual choices that are planted up apple trees mainly because they are far too vigorous and end up throttling the poor apple tree. Ramblers like ‘Seagull’ and ‘Kiftsgate’ are certainly spectacular but they are thuggish brutes and I wanted something more refined in growth. So I went for a climber rather than a rambler, meaning it will flower all summer and I chose ‘Creme de la Creme’ (GANcre).

This beautiful rose which, rather unusually, is also a commercial cut flower, was bred by Gandy’s roses and introduced in 1998. It is not the same rose that is sold in the US by the same name. It is a moderately sized climber that should reach about 3m. This should take it to near the top of the two old apple trees. Both plants have now started to send up strong shoots that should make it to the lower branches but the lower stems are ow flowering freely and the blooms are a delicious shade of cream with a warm, deeper centre. It is supposed to be fairly free from disease and has been so far and the blooms have a nice scent too.

The parents of ‘Creme de la Creme’ are ‘Morgengruss’ x ‘Whisky Mac’

climbing roses, gandys roses, rose creme de la creme