I took lots of photos, but mostly close ups, and mostly of roses that I don't already have photos of. I'm trying to photograph as many English Roses as I can, I'd love to have a whole collection of photos.

Here are some of my favourites from the day, even under the high-contrast conditions, there's a few in here that I really like. I wanted to share them with you and hope you enjoy them. You can also click the link at the bottom to go to my website and see the whole collection with many more photos.

Thanks for looking!
robert

Ambridge Rose
I ended up bringing one of these home with me in a pot. I just loved the display and the scent was very strong and luscious. I fell in love.

Mary Magdalene

Grace

The Lady's Blush

Queen Anne

William and Catherine

Jayne Austin

Molineux

Susan WIlliams-Ellis

Hyde Hall

Redoute

Lichfield Angel

Fair Bianca

Brother Cadfael

Charlotte

The Shepherdess

The Lady of Shalott

Scarborough Fair

Miss Alice

Thanks so much!

Ingrid

I too loved the "new" to me roses.

Poor Fair Bianca looks a little "fried".

Juliet

Christina

Thanks for looking Inga. Indeed, Fair Bianca looked fried, but it was nice to finally see it in real life. I liked it.

Juliet, thanks for sharing your thoughts, I like those photos best too, although Grace isn't a rose that I'm that interested in, I like the green colour in the background of the photo.

ibheri, Thanks for the belated wishes! Lady of Shallot is really impressive in person. It's just a huge, in your face, "look at me" rose that stops everyone in their tracks. It's one that everyone commented on every time I was near one of the bushes. As I mentioned above, I'm in love with Mary Magdalene, and hope she'll be in my garden soon!

Christina, thanks for the nice words. We did have a wonderful time. I was really struck by how beautiful the bushes of Ambridge Rose were, they just looked so delicate and gentle, and then when I smelled the strong scent, I was sold and knew I would be taking one home with me. Thanks, as always, for looking and sharing your thoughts.

Cheers everyone.

robert

Do you recall if Peach Blossom had a strong fragrance? This is rose that I've thought about adding to the garden, but don't find much information on it.

I don't remember whether Peach Blossom had a strong fragrance, and especially after a while there, it gets harder and harder to be distinct about fragrances, everything starts to blend together after smelling dozens of roses!

I do have Peach Blossom listed in one of the older David Austin books, the 1996 edition of David Austin English Roses. This is the description:
Peach Blossom produces a profusion of dainty, semi-double flowers of blush colouring, on fairly upright bushy growth. The individual flowers do not really resemble those of a peach as they are much larger, but there is certainly something blossom-like in the massed effect. Repeat flowering is good, but you may choose to forego the later blooms in favour of the multitude of hips produced in autumn, if it is not deadheaded after its first flowering"

His "overall assessment" is 3 stars, but for fragrance he gives it only 2 stars, so I wouldn't expect a very strong fragrance. It's breeding is The Prioress x Mary Rose.

In 100 English Roses for the American Garden, Clair Martin says:
Clusters of long, pointed yellow-apricot buds open to semi-double, iridescent flowers of pale pink with yellow centers and bright golden stamens. As they age, the ruffled and notched blooms fade to the palest white-pink, and then to vanilla white. A sweet musky perfume completes the picture. Individual flower life is as brief as a breeze, but the reward comes in the nearly continuous bloom once the bush is established...

So, a moderate musky scent it seems!

Cheers,
robert