The Emily Bronte Rose

Doesn’t this sound familiar? Last year I discovered there is a Jane Austen AND Pride and Prejudice rose varieties and it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise, truly it isn’t, to find out David Austin, fine breeders of English roses, has bred an Emily Bronte rose “delicious hints of lemon and grapefruit.” Now, I’m not a fan of roses, we once had an attack rose bush that loved pricking me whenever I walked by it, but I can get behind this fragrance.

An exceptionally beautiful rose; the distinctive blooms are very neat and rather flat. Each bloom is a lovely soft pink, with a subtle apricot hue, the smaller central petals deepening to rich apricot and surrounding a button eye, which unfurls to reveal deep-set stamens. The strong Tea fragrance becomes more Old Rose, with delicious hints of lemon and grapefruit. It forms a bushy shrub with strong, healthy, upright growth.

The roses are available to be shipped in the UK and Europe but unfortunately, they are not available in the US.

A rose by any other name

Dear readers, did you know there was a Jane Austen inspired rose? Me neither! Harkness, a flower company in the UK, bred this rose, named Pride and Prejudice, specifically for the bicentenary  (2013) of its name sake book.

From their description:

Selected and introduced to celebrate the 200th Anniversary of Jane Austen’s classic novel. The flower form is beautifully constructed giving elegant detail to every bloom. Working from the outside in, notice how white petals become cream, amber, then peach at the centre as you study the delightful colour range of each exquisite flower. Plants are bushy and healthy, adding to the charm of this first class rose. Use in beds, borders or hedges.

My birthday is coming up in June so if anyone feels inclined to send me a dozen Pride and Prejudice roses, I would not be terribly upset.

#

edit to add 5/24/2017

Seems like there is another Jane Austen rose which was revealed yesterday (May 23) at the HS Chelsea Flower Show! The flower, also developed by Harkness, was created to celebrate Jane’s bicentenary death.

The rose, a bright and vibrant orange bush rose, reflecting the vibrancy of Austen’s characters, celebrates Jane Austen’s life in her bicentenary year. With a light sweet scent and great depth of colour, the rose radiates warmth.

Proceeds of the rose will be donated to Jane Austen’s House Museum.

Exit mobile version