Why Heirloom Roses?

With the move back to sustainability, there has also been a movement toward old fashioned or heirloom flowers. For those of us who grew up with gardening grandparents, the idea of growing flowers, herbs and vegetables seasonally is not new. And of course, saving seed from season to season was a 'given' by most home gardeners, by-passing expensive and fashionably transient hybrids that could not be saved true to type from seed. In fact, many heirloom plants were bred over generations, adapting to a particular climate and providing a valuable source of quality nourishment and/or enjoyment.

Yet, there is more to preserving heirloom plants than just the convenience of saving seeds from year to year. Heirloom plants also carry stories with them; stories of whom the cultivar was named for, who passed on the plant through cuttings and saving seeds from generation to generation. Many of these stories are only passed down the line from generation to generation, creating a tradition within families or communities and thereby creating a rich cultural heritage.

As I developed our previous garden in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, I became aware of roses that did well in warm climates. These were mainly the Tea roses which enjoyed warmer temperatures and performed well throughout the year. Tea roses, along with China roses, some Noisette and Bourbon roses, as well as Hybrid Musks, coped better with warmer temperatures than other roses that grew well in the Northern Hemisphere. And conversely, unlike roses such as Damasks and Gallicas, Tea roses bloom best in Winter months, where the temperatures were often milder than our southern states in Australia. Summer is the season for many Tea roses to rest, blooming less to preserve their growth and flowers for the milder season of Winter.

When I first started growing roses, there was little information about growing Tea roses available for Southern Hemisphere gardeners, with most information and knowledge being passed on from person to person, and via gardening communities. And it is through these communities that I learned stories of how these roses were introduced into Australia, how and why they were named, their individual quirks and the best roses to grow from this group for cut flowers, for perfume, or as garden worthy shrubs. Through stories, a plethora of information that is not necessarily recorded, is passed on by enthusiasts intent on preserving cultivars and their history for future generations.

Safrano glowing in glorious Winter light.

Although initially I was unfamiliar with the Tea roses, I learned to love their silken petals and blooms, like this lovely Safrano (above), along with their unique mix of fruity and tea scents. I also learned that unlike most Northern Hemisphere roses, Tea roses resent pruning and will often refuse to flower again for several seasons if pruned too hard. In fact, it is best to leave Tea roses unpruned for the first few years, as well as some Bourbons and Chinas, to allow them to establish their structure. And then to only prune out the dead wood and lightly trim well established roses.

Had I just rigidly followed the generally established written wisdom for rose pruning, I would have destroyed many Tea roses that flower best when they're allowed to grow into substantial plants, some reaching the size of small trees. Mrs B R Cant (below) is an example of a Tea rose that grows to huge proportions and happily blooms with gorgeous big blooms on a large shrub throughout the year.

Mrs B R Cant growing into her 3 x 3 metre size, covered in bloom.

One Tea rose I treasure is a rose found on a graveside in a Carlsruhe Cemetery in South Australia. Named for the location and name on the plaque, Carlsruhe Cemetery Maria Bruhne is thought to be the original Sombreuil rose (not the one sold as such in Australia today) which has links to the French Revolution! CC Maria Bruhne is one very tough rose, surviving in less than ideal conditions in our Sunshine Coast garden. I could not leave her behind as she is a rare rose, not in commerce, so I potted her up and brought her with me to our new garden. Here in the Hunter she is doing splendidly, so much that I've been able to share her cuttings with another rose enthusiast. Long may she live!!!

Carlsruhe Cemetery Maria Bruhne with pink flush.

This is just one example of tough old heritage roses rescued from oblivion here in Australia. And as Tea roses do not do well in very cold climates, it's important these and their stories are preserved where they do grow well, in warmer climates. Heather and Roy Rumsey were rosarians who saved and re-introduced many of the old Tea roses through their nursery. I recall visiting this nursery in the late 1980s, overwhelmed by the delicious choice of old roses to choose from. In my ignorance I purchased only one or two, not realising what a treasure trove I had found.

The joy of heirloom and heritage roses is not just their beauty and fragrance; it is also stories of their survival. Many of the Tea roses we grow in Australia today have been found growing untouched for decades near abandoned cottages, or like CC Maria Bruhne, in cemeteries to mark a long departed loved one. The ability of these old roses to survive neglect is the reason they make such worthy roses for our gardens today, particularly with the advancing effects of climate change on our gardens.

Along with preserving old roses, passing on flower, herb and vegetable seeds saved between gardeners is just one of the delights of being a member of the gardening community. Along with the precious seed come stories of how best to grow them, what to expect for harvesting, how long they will flower, and often, a little history of how their 'aunt', grandfather', 'mother' or 'friend' grew and saved these seeds. And I love when these seeds are also given a name, such as Aunty Betty's Cosmos, or Grandpa's peas, that identifies the gardener who carefully saved and preserved the seeds, capturing a little capsule of history.

What a treasury of stories and family history can be found in a small packet of seeds, carefully collected, dried and saved by a loved member of the community, to pass onto the next generation of gardeners.

.. A heritage that can pass from generation to generation, leaving a legacy of a love of gardening alongside memories that bring a sense of belonging and inclusion.

So that is why I love all things heirloom in the gardening world, but especially the old roses!!

I'd love to hear your stories of memories and treasure passed onto you, and what they mean for your gardening journey.

Happy gardening!!

xx Lillian