'Rosette Delizy'

'Rosette Delizy' is a Tea rose from 1922, arriving on the rose scene just as Hybrid Teas were coming into great popularity, eclipsing the Teas that had been so popular in warm climates. I fell in love with her upon seeing my first photo of her, and now I wish she was still in my garden. She grew beautifully for a couple of seasons and then suffered terribly from Botrytis cinerea and cane dieback. I couldn't find anyone who had the botrytis problem with 'Rosette Delizy', so I think my terrible soil (more like cement) where she was growing may have weakened her. By the time I took her out she was just a mess, but given decent healthy soil I know she can be strong, beautiful, and carefree here.

Her coloration is pretty and rare among Tea roses. The outer petals at times are firey crimson red, sometimes brick red (clearly inherited from her seed parent, 'General Gallieni') with the flower becoming more yellow - even cadmium yellow at the center. These strongly saturated colors are what you see in the cool spring. The red is very pronounced, but as the temps become hotter the red fades to a delicate pink and the yellow softens. At the height of summer heat in my garden she was pretty much completely light yellow. Another part of her loveliness is the variableness of the blooms on the bush in their different stages of opening. She is a delicious rose.

In my garden she was vase-shaped and getting tall - over six feet and just as wide. Her canes were almost free of prickles except at the base. She has a light fruity Tea scent.

I do wish I could make a spot for her again.