Hey Robert - congrats on finding Trevor White's roses - go ahead and buy it - you won't be disappointed. I buy most of my roses from Trevor and they are extraordinarily good. They come freshly dug with long, sturdy roots and clean green canes. Once in the ground, they just roar into life. A great nursery and lovely people.

A very pretty rose! Do let us know how it does for you.

Rosefolly

Trevor only recently began direct sales to the public, but for many years he has been 'supplier of choice' to many of the better gardens that also retail roses. In my own area, Cranborne Manor, Longstock Park and Mottisfont Abbey all sell his roses. It is also a two-way process - many of his rarer roses come from those gardens. I think 'Countess Shabby' came from Mottisfont (further provenance - ex Sangerhausen about 1980). Not, I hasten to add, a shabby rose! Very full and silvery, vigorous enough to be grown against a wall, which is how it shows at Mottisfont. It will blackspot, but no more than most of its family. Like all HP's it likes to be fed, watered and pampered. Tends not to make old wood, so needs the strength to constantly rejuvenate itself.

Trevor also has the attraction of being considerably less expensive than the usual competitors, Beals and Austin, who are currently raping the market with their charges.

Best wishes
Jon

Campanula and Jon, thanks very much for the good words about Trevor's roses!!! They had such a great site with so many wonderful roses I thought I would definitely give them a try, and now I feel confident in the choice. Thanks on too for the information on 'Countess Shabby', which I've now started thinking of as 'Countess Floosy', which can't be good at all. :) Wonderful to think I'll have a little piece of Mottisfont growing in the garden!

Jon, if you check back on this thread, can you answer a question for me? When I visited Mottisfont several years ago I was struck by the little bush of Hermosa. I *loved* the scent which seemed sweet and strong to my nose. When I returned to California, I started looking for it, but most sellers list it as having little scent and I started to wonder if maybe I remembered the name incorrectly? Does Hermosa have a good scent?? It's been five years, about time to pay Mottisfont another visit, am I correct in remembering early June as the prime time?

Rosefolly, I'll be sure to share how it does in the garden, I'm very excited about this rose, some of the photos I've seen have been amazing.

This photo, from http://www.petrovicroses.rs, is the one that did me in:

{{gwi:231528}}

Cheers all,
robert

Robert---it looks like a wonderful rose---I'm looking forward to pictures of your garden---I always enjoyed your California pictures.

Florence

Robert, I would go along with Graham Thomas's observation that Hermosa is 'fairly fragrant' :) Not its defining characteristic for me, it has many qualities that make up any lack in nasal oomph. There would seem to be a few forms of it around the world, including a 'climbing' form. My own shrub - the same as the little Mottisfont one - was planted next to an 8-foot high clematis support and within two seasons had romped to the top of it . . . roses will always surprise you!

Yes, mid-June for the high display of the roses, but of course it is a long season, and in fact the garden is open year around nowadays, so those who are interested can watch the Winter work/pruning etc being carried out. An easy jaunt down the A34 for you :)

Best wishes,
Jon