Single Hybrid Tea roses
I threatened, the other day, to show some single Hybrid Tea roses. These may seem a rather odd idea if you are only familiar with the more traditional (by today’s standards) HTs. But they are old rather than new. I have three planted in the new garden but one is not yet open so that will have to wait for another day (it has a long story associated with it).
Above is Dainty Bess. Unlike modern roses it does not have the familiar code name because it was introduced by ‘William Archer and Daughter’ in 1925 and is a hybrid of Ophelia (bred by Paul of Waltham Cross Herts), and Kitchener of Khartoum. Apart from the frilly, rich pink petals it has crimson purple stamens, which are the main point of the flower. It is beautiful in bud but just as lovely when open and, I am pleased to say that it has a good scent and the dark leaves are healthy too. I won’t say it is as disease-free as some modern roses but it is usefully healthy.
Mrs Oakley Fisher was raised by Cants in the UK in 1921 and is another good grower. The foliage is dark and the stems beetroot red. The apricot orange petals are not as frilly as Dainty Bess and the flower above is only just open – it looks better when fully expanded. Again the flowers have a good scent.
Geoff’s rating
9/10
Garden rating
8/10
I bought my roses from Trevor White roses in the UK. They ship to Europe, including Ireland and offer a wide range of old and modern roses. This is just personal experience but my order was well packed and the plants were huge and of excellent quality.They were vastly better than others I ordered from other suppliers.
I did not get a discount nor did they know they would get a mention – I just think they deserve credit for their plants and service. trevorwhiteroses.co.uk
The Biking Gardener 
They are so beautiful!
No score?
OOPs! I am rushing too much.
🙂
I did not expect this. How nice. I happen to like the common hybrid tea roses. They are my favorites. I know that there are some like these in the Heritage Rose Garden in San Jose, but I would not recognize them without looking at their labels. (The Heritage Rose Garden features the ancestors of modern roses, as well as modern roses.) I do happen to find roses interesting, and the Santa Clara Valley happens to be one of the best places for them; but I really do not need to hear any more about the David Austin Roses. Those seem to be the only roses that anyone wants to share anymore.
I searched for rose posts as I’m wanting a few roses for my tiny new garden. Very glad to hear of your thumbs up for T White as I’ve been educated and impressed by their website. Dainty Bess definitely on my list. Standard roses in a garden with barking Pom-Pom poodles put me off roses as a child, thankfully I’ve mellowed and will cultivate them in retirement. Their varied forms and histories are a delight. Out with the smelling salts, there are roses for all!
I am glad you found the post and it was useful. ‘Dainty Bess’ is indeed a lovely thing. I know what you mean about standard roses and poodles (and crocheted toilet roll covers) but there is a lot more to roses as you are discovering. I hope your rose journey is a delight!
Parematagal
Dainty Bess is a stunning 5 petal hybrid tea rose that is still flowering in my garden in New Zealand in July – mid winter. The bud is perfection and the red stamens of the flower are a delight.
I also have 5 petalled China rose Mutabilis – another stunner changing from apricot to cerise and flowering 6 months of the year.
They are my favourites. I would love information on other 5 petal hybrid teas because for me – the simplicity is devine.
I have ‘Mutabilis’ too and wrote a post or two about it. It flowers longer than any other rose here and I find it easy to root from cuttings and I have been giving them away to ‘spread the joy’. The only other single HT I know that is commercially available is ‘Ellen Willmott’. I have recently planted the new English Rose ‘Tottering By Gently’ which is not an HT but has lovely single flowers of good yellow, fading to primrose. I have only had it a few months and it is now settled in and producing proper clusters of flowers and looks like a ‘keeper’.