Rosa is the long-recognized queen of gardens, flowerbeds and parks. No self-respecting flower grower can hold back so as not to plant at least one bush and cherish it, take care of it and be proud of it. And sensitive breeders every year (well, maybe a little less often) seduce gardeners with something new, exciting and alluring. Over the past decade and a half, Benjamin Britten, a rose who belongs to the group of so-called English, has remained such a tempting novelty.
What are English roses
There is no official such term. However, all over the world these roses are known precisely as "English", and in our country they are affectionately called "Austin". These include the Benjamin Britten rose. The prehistory of the appearance of such a category of “flowerbed queens” is as follows: trying to get brighter roses with elegant buds, the breeders at a certain stage bitterly found out that they had overdone. Floribunda and tea-hybrid varieties have almost lost their aroma, and the "old" varieties were almost lost already at the beginning of the twentieth century. Of course, new and fashionable hybrids had their advantages: they bloomed almost the entire season, and not only in the first weeks of summer: they gained a richer palette. But they had attractive buds, the further flowering of hybridizers was of little interest. And the shape of the bushes made them not too attractive in the garden.
The English breeder David Austin, who became interested in “ancient” flowering, set himself the goal of preserving its aroma and form, giving the plants the ability to bloom longer. To do this, he crossed the "classical" varieties (Damask, Bourbon and other roses) with tea hybrids and representatives of the floribunda class. Austin's first recognized success is considered to be Graham Thomas, who received international recognition in 1985. And the last (at the moment) - Benjamin Britten, a rose, amazing for the English with its coloring.
Unique features of English roses
The Ostinks confidently defeat their rivals with such qualities:
- excellent frost resistance (which is especially appreciated by Russian flower growers), immunity to certain diseases and endurance;
- abundant, lush flowering, repeating again;
- gentle, but persistent and "personal" aroma;
- variety and decorative types of bushes formed.
Their only drawback can be considered that the bushes, including those that form Benjamin Britten (rose), take up a lot of space on the site. But the beauty and duration of flowering is beyond praise.
Rosa Benjamin Britten: Description
This variety has existed only since 2001. Bush height - average, up to one meter; in diameter reaches 75 centimeters. The flowers are densely double, large (about 12 cm), color uncharacteristic for English roses: at first they are delicate pink, they acquire a rich scarlet shade with orange notes. The shape resembles a deep bowl; as they mature, the flowers open into a socket that retains cupped aprises. Often the flowers are collected in inflorescences of three pieces. Their aroma is strong, but not intrusive, with fruity and wine notes. Bush rose Benjamin Britten forms a dense, well-branched, with dense foliage.
The first, most powerful and abundant flowering wave occurs in June (the middle or end of the month, depending on the weather). Secondary flowering, somewhat more modest in the number of flowers, captures the end of August or begins in September.
Landing
Benjamin Britten is a rose who loves the sun, so she needs to choose a well-lit place. Some penumbra is also suitable, but with a lack of light, flowering will necessarily be late and will be less lush and plentiful. It is better to plant roses in spring: autumn plantings in case of a harsh winter can tolerate it poorly. It is unlikely to freeze, but they will recover for a long time, respectively, and you will not have to wait for blooming soon. The earth is prepared in advance: enriched with fertilizers with humus and loosened. It is useful to impregnate seedlings with a rooting agent and soak for 24 hours in standing warm water. At the time of planting, the vaccination zone is buried by a dozen centimeters. The pit is filled with a mixture of extracted earth, compost and a small amount of bone meal.
Care Features
No action that is too different from the general rules of action will be required, except for one: like all English varieties, the rose Benjamin Britten, reviews of which emphasize her good health, is somewhat nervous about excessive moisture. If the weather is stable and rainy, the buds may not open, even if they are already ripe. And this is fraught with the development of gray rot and the fall of all flowers. Therefore, gardeners who have encountered this phenomenon, advise to shake the bushes periodically during prolonged rains or plentiful dews so that the drops do not linger on the buds.
Pruning rules
Systematic pruning does not require this variety. Benjamin Britten's roses themselves form a bush harmoniously. You can only slightly guide the formation. If you need a short bush with large, albeit in a smaller amount, flowers, the shoots are cut in half. If tall, with abundant flowering (but, accordingly, a smaller diameter of the flowers) is desired, the shoots are cut selectively by one third.
In April, making sure that the plant has wintered without damage, preventive pruning is carried out: the shoots are weak, small (they are unlikely to bloom anyway, but the juice from the rose is pulled) or with suspected illness; if the bush is already old - then the excess, lignified.
Wintering
It is believed that Benjamin Britten is a rose that does not need shelters. It is really surprisingly hardy. However, one must not forget that the climate in Britain is still milder than in most of Russian territory. Experienced gardeners who settled this flower on their flower beds a few years ago advise them to focus on their intuition and observe the flowers on their personal plot. In any case, they still advise young plants planted this year to shelter before winter. And those who first cultivate roses Benjamin Britten pay attention to the careful removal of this shelter in the spring: due to its resistance to cold, it can begin to vegetate while still hidden, so that the covering material must be removed very carefully so as not to damage the plant.