We have a handful of unusual and unknown roses that have been given or misnamed roses we have bought beginning with one given to us to grow that was saved from a demolition site and has taken a few years to settle in and start flowering.

This one is a climber, but I have been training it as a shrub rose, and so far it

is working okay. The rose is quite spectacular and can be seen from our

dining room window when in bloom. I tried to find something about Nora Cunningham

and how she managed to have a rose named after her... it seems she was friends

with the famous Australian rose breeder Alister Clark - the one who is known

for his "Lorraine Lee" rose.

'Nora Cunningham' 1920, Hybrid Gigantea. Nora Cuningham

(surname correctly spelt with one en) knew the Clarks very well

as a young woman. The rose was named for her in 1920 when

she married Les Austin, a Western District farmer."

A very large shrub rose, mine has grown like a tree - 3 metres wide and tall.

Very free flowering in large trusses and a slight scent.

Bred in Germany and released onto the market 1951

A fairly large rose, this particular photo is of a partly opened bloom.

A sweet enduring fragrance, tall and fairly upright growing bush & a long season

of blooms.

Bred in Germany (German bred roses do well in our climate) released onto the market 1989

Quite a small bush rose with plenty of clusters of blooms throughout the

rose season. Named for the stately home of the Dukes of Bedford.

Bred in the U.K., and released in 1962

A very popular rose here in Australia... a low rather twiggy & prickly bush rose

not that tall, needs to be near the front row to be appreciated. Bred in the U.K.

and released in 1983

A fully double fragrant rose on a very sturdy upright well-leafed bush.. sometimes

with a pink tinge. Mine hates wet petals and I often have to cut the entire

collection of buds off the bush if we have a wet spring, but it quickly

puts out a heap of new buds to replace the spring blooms. AKA a few other

names, e.g., "Sarah" "Queen Silvia" "Gardin de Bagatelle" "Karl Heinz Hanisch" etc.

Mine grows alongside a bench seat in the oldest part of the garden.

Bred in France and released in 1986

AKA "Spring Morning"

A modern shrub rose with a pleasant scent... a wonderful display in spring when the long sweeping

canes are covered in blooms. There is often a follow up display of blooms throughout

the rose season and they are followed by big deep red hips.

Bred in Germany and released in 1941

Related to the Scots rose, so as you can guess, there is no shortage of tiny thorns.

AKA "Le Bienheureaux de la Salle" an old very fragrant Bourbon rose bred in France and

released in 1881. A climber that I let wander among other tall shrub roses.

The blooms have short stems attached to a long cane, so the effect is

stunning when a whole group open at the same time. One can peg down these

canes if trained as a tall shrub and plenty of room.

Mme Pereire was a member of a banking family during the reign of Napoleon III.

A small climber, upright and a little stiff, needs a wall, fence or trellis or to be grown on a pillar for support. The cooler weather suits this rose the best. I have it sharing

with Francis E. Lester which drapes across "Handel" and compliments the colouring rather well.

This is a well-opened bloom, you can find other photos I've taken of "Handel" if you go looking through the many galleries I have on roses.

Or "Queen of the Violets" - a lovely fragrant old hybrid perpetual rose with purple flowers that fade to violet.

Bred in France and released in 1860.

It can be a bit finnicky to grow, but a very worth while addition to the garden being almost thornless.

This is the name we call this rose in Australia, but she has many more

names besides "Duchesse de Brabant" and here are some of them...

"Comtesse de Labarthe"

"Comtesse Ouwaroff"

"Countess Bertha"

"The Shell Rose"

The bush is quite lax and really needs support; apparently looks better if planted in a group of 3 or 4.

Bred in France, released in 1857

A fragrant rose named to mark the 25th anniversary of the reign of Q. Elizabeth II,

bred in the UK, released in 1978

As you can see from this image the rose fades in our strong sunny climate.

Another of the Austin roses, a small bush rose that does rather well in

our climate, one of the first of the Austins to come into bloom and quick

with the follow up producing plenty of fragrant flowers throughout the season.

Classed as an English rose, bred in the UK, released in 1982

An English Rose introduced by David Austin (UK) in 1983. Stems to 1.2m, arching under the weight of the flowers. Flowers in clusters, mid-pink, with a good old rose scent.

Mine tends to send up long canes and stays quite a narrow bush as I keep it in the shape I want it to

go in the spot it has in the garden.

The rose only appears black to the naked eye in bud stage, though there is some dark

velvety blackish red evident on the reverse of the petals when they bloom . Unfortunately one expects

a red rose to have fragrance, but there is very little in this rose. It is an exquisite

red rose, but not that easy to grow - and there aren't lots of roses produced,

but useful to have one growing for cutting, as the blooms are long lasting,

and mine is well protected from the mid-day sun. Bred in France and release in 1973

Bred by David C. H. Austin (United Kingdom, 1987).

Introduced in United Kingdom by David Austin Roses Limited (UK) in 1998 as 'William Morris'.

Shrub. English Rose Collection.

Pink to apricot. Strong fragrance. 41 petals. Average diameter 3". Very double, in small clusters bloom form. Blooms in flushes throughout the season. Pointed buds.

Arching. Semi-glossy, dark green foliage.

Height of up to 4' (up to 120 cm). Width of up to 3' (up to 90 cm).

Originated from a cross between two English rose varieties which took place at David Austin Roses, Albrighton,

United Kingdom in 1987. The variety was selected for its apricot/pink flowers, old-fashioned flower shape, good fragrance and disease resistance.

Artist and designer William Morris was born at Elm House in Walthamstow, England, 24 March 1834. Morris died at Kelmscott House
in Hammersmith 3 October 1896. The rose 'William Morris' commemorates the University of East London's centenary year.
Notes from the Austin website.

Comments from me - so far my little bush is struggling possibly from being too close to
another rose bush... giving it time to settle in before drawing too many conclusions.

Another Austin rose, very popular among Austin followers, though a very

untidy prickly bush needing support from other bushes so best placed in the centre of the bed.

Quite prolific flowering, and they are fragrant.

Not one that I would pick for a vase as the stems are spindly and prickly.

Classed as an English Rose, bred in the UK and released in 1979

One of the most difficult of the deep crimson reds to get the colour right... one needs

to choose an overcast day, but even then the photo might not come out right as

far as the difficult colour is to interpret. It is a large bloom with lots of

petals and very pretty in full bloom. Quite fragrant, the bush is average height

in our climate, and tends to sprawl in the early years until the shape settles

down into a neat rounded shrub. I think it is my favourite red by Austin, though

"Prospero" runs a very close second. Bred in the UK and released in 1991.

Aka "Rose dIsfahan" or "Pompon des Princes", this Damask roses has been seen growing wild on the hills of Iran, especially between Shiraz and the old caravan trading center of Ispahan.

Residents of Shiraz still grow it in their walled gardens, where plants and pools are a release from the hot, dry land outside. When in full bloom, the bush is covered until it looks like a fountain of pink.

The shrub is vigorous and hardy, with a slightly bluish cast to the rough green leaves. From the year 1832

Spring flowering only. I love seeing this rose in flower, a favourite.

A tiring day and night with temperatures a smidgen under 40dC, and one of our

grandsons 18th birthday celebrations... will catch up commenting tomorrow.

A charming rose of true Old Rose character. The growth is quite short, but bushy. The flowers are some three and a half inches across and of a lovely soft pink at first; the outer petals turning to a pale pink, which gradually spreads over the whole flower as it ages.

An excellent rose for bedding or for a position towards the front of a mixed border. It has a lovely rounded Old Rose fragrance, with additional hints of Lily of the Valley. Named after Miss Alice de Rothschild, who created a beautiful garden at Waddesdon Manor.

(Notes from the Austin website)

My comments.

A tiny bush, mine hasn't thrived at all even though its been growing in

my rose garden for at least 5 years. The blooms are exquisite, so it is

staying there, perhaps it will improve in time. I bought this one because

my Mum's name is Alice. :)

A third David Austin rose in a row... this one was bred in the UK and released in 1983, and

caused quite a stir because it was yellow in the old garden rose style. A tall spindly grower that needs a good support

because when in flower the weight of the blooms drag the canes downwards. Named to honour a famous English rosarian.

A glorious sight to see in full bloom. Definitely for the garden, the blooms don't last in a vase.

A tall, slightly arching shrub which is ideal for the back of the border. The flowers are quite large, neatly-formed rosettes of a lovely apricot-orange.

It is one of the Leander group and we think it should thrive even under more rigorous conditions.

It is likely to be vigorous in warmer areas and so would benefit from some summer pruning to maintain its shape and encourage quicker repeat flowering.

Crown Princess Margareta of Sweden was the granddaughter of Queen Victoria and was an accomplished landscape gardener who, together with the

Crown Prince (later, King Gustavus VI Adolfus of Sweden), created the famous Swedish Summer Palace of Sofiero in Helsingborg.

Notes from the David Austin website.

Comments from me now... it is a large sprawling shrub in my garden, heaps of flowers for a very long season, whereas Leander (parent rose) only flowers in spring for me & isn't as healthy as CPM.

An old very fragrant hybrid perpetual tea rose that grows not far from an

archway that is covered in "New Dawn" roses in spring... "Mrs. John Laing" is virtually thornless

and was named after a London horticulturalist... bred in the U.K., released in 1887.

This rose belongs to a group of roses named after artists and poets... the lightly

scented roses are in small clusters per stem, growing on

a bush which is useful for borders or hedges. Bred in France and released in 1994.

I'm not sure that I'll manage to add photos over the next couple of weeks as

our son is arriving & visiting us for Christmas tomorrow from the U.S.A. and

we haven't had him home for Christmas since the year 2000. :)

A floribunda in the true sense. Medium sized, decorative blooms in varying sized clusters on a plant that is fairly upright from 90cm to 1.2m. The colour is

rose madder (rose pink) shading ivory to the centre, the blooms are sharply fragrant, while the foliage is glossy light green.

Often grown as a street rose throughout the city of Adelaide. Bred in France and released in 1987

A very popular rose - we have 2 growing, one on a stem that I won in a raffle

(Dick was a little cross, the raffle he went in for whiskey he had no luck with)

The lightly fragrant blooms are a picture when fully out. The rose was bred'in

France back in 1981. Sometimes called "Bonica 82" because this was the breeder's 2nd go

with this rose. Grown as a bush it can reach quite a height in our warm climate.

A memorial rose locally bred, released in 2004 and named after a rosarian, given to me to grow

by the son quite a few years ago now. So far the bush is nicely shaped,

quite prickly and not quite average height - plenty of fragrant blooms in late spring

with more to come from late summer until pruning time.

A favourite rose in Australia, and a good picking rose with a pleasant fruity scent,

Bred in the USA and released in 1965.

This is a delightfully fragrant rose, and probably is my favourite climber that grows on our

gazebo. It's an old Noisette with a lovely name which translated means "Golden Dream" or "Dream of Gold". Bred in France and released in 1869.

I was down the gazebo doing some training of the canes and accidentally cut off a branch

full of blooms, that's why they're in a vase now.

Bred in France and released in 1988, Flowers are white, near white or white blend in colour with an attractive pink edge

and each comprise 9 to 16 wavy petals forming a delicate and romantic-looking rose. Each stem carries clusters up to 7 blooms in

an eye-catching display against vibrant, rich green foliage. It is quick to repeat flowering and its summer and autumn performances

are consistently as strong as its spring flush.

The bush is generally a well shaped 1.1m x 1.1m in size and displays excellent disease and heat resistance. The plant also makes an excellent

standard and it almost equals Iceberg in popularity as a standard rose.

Readily available, Seduction can be grown as a single specimen, mass bed of roses, or ideally as a front hedge.

Notes from the SA Rose Society website.

This rose is also called "Flaming Peace" which seems to suit the rose when it first

opens on a sunny day, the colours light up resembling flames. In Australia

the rose goes by the name "Kronenbourg". Bred in the UK and released back in 1966

A rose with several names e.g., "Red Ribbons" "Chilterns" "Fiery Sunsation" and of course

the name by which it goes under in Australia "Mainau Feuer" Bred in Germany and released in 1990, the same year we set up the rose garden starting with 120 roses... there now is

over 500 shrubs, bushes, climbers, ground cover roses and miniatures included in the

main rose garden and elsewhere. This one is apart from the main garden and adds a splash

of colour to the vegetable garden side of the house yard. Although called a ground cover

rose, it is quite tall. These roses are visible from our front gate.

A very tall grower, almost a mini tree, always plenty of blooms with

a light sweet scent...a so-called "mauve" rose.

Bred in France & released for sale 1965

One of the most fragrant growing of the modern bush roses. Unfortunately it is

prone to a few vices hence one often sees this rose at the end of each line

of vines in a vineyard, it is a good rose indicator for a spraying regime.

Bred in Germany and released for sale in 1967.

Posting this rose especially for Ev

A spring flowering rambler... one of the loveliest climbers with long arching canes

producing masses of flowers over many weeks in spring. This is a renamed old rose

of unknown origin, grown in Australian gardens, a prolific spring display with some

repeat in Autumn, a vigorous climber. Has a similar appearance to a clematis.

I remember this rose being a favourite of Audrey Hepburn; it is a tall grower

quite upright and mine is located alongside "Eiffel Tower" both being a similar

height. I don't often photograph this rose because it is rather tall and

not in the border of the rose bed where I can easily get to, but early in the

season before the bushes get too full and tall is a good time for me to

get a shot at this rose. My book says it is fragrant, but I forgot to

test it before coming back inside. I'll check this and add a comment later.

An old Gallica rose from 1840 from Belgium. Gallica roses are the most ancient of the cultivated roses.

Compact, upright and thicketing growth, the fragrant flowers range form pink through

to maroom-red with some striped variations. The Cardinal de Richelieu opens deepest

violet-purple with a silver button eye and reverse and grows to a

medium bush height. Fragrance is slight - a bit like freshly cut grass, but may be

better first thing in the morning.

The same rose showing its face... see yesterday's photo (next) for a comparison & story.