Simply The Best Hybrid Tea Roses

Simply the Best Hybrid Tea Rose

Simply the Best is far and away the best of the orange roses. Although describing it as simply 'orange' is a bit like describing Tina Turner as simply a 'singer' - when many think she is one of the best. The flowers are perfectly shaped - many petalled, fully double, with high centres and held on long stems. And the colour is more golden, with fire at its heart, than orange; warm, rich and amazingly elegant.

Everything about this rose is good - the foliage is bronze when young turning to a glossy, healthy green as it ages. Simply the Best is just brilliantly named and should be somewhere near the top of everyone's list of roses to grow and admire. Buying it is a given but if you are looking for a range of roses to plant in the same border, then go to our main rose list here, but before you do; a final thought. This was Rose of the Year in 2002, to no one's surprise, so it is very good indeed.

Great for your garden

Simply the Best needs a sunny spot as it will be one of the stars of the rose bed, so find it a prime position with deep, moisture retentive soil. Plant it where it is seen often and easy to get to; it is both highly scented and a super cutting rose so it will attract visitors anyway! This is a medium sized hybrid tea, growing to about 3ft 6 ins (1.1m). It looks a hundred times better planted in a triangular group with the plants about 80cms apart. If your garden plan does not allow for an orange rose (shame) then plant a couple in your cutting bed as Simply the Best is also perfect for flower arrangements.

Rosa Simply the Best facts

• Type: Hybrid Tea
• Colour: Deep fiery gold
• Flower shape: Fully double,classic high centred hybrid tea
• Fragrance strength: Strong
• Final height and spread: 3ft 6ins x 3ft
• Flowering season: All summer
• Repeat Flowering: Yes
• Disease resistance: Excellent

Trivia

Simply the Best is yet another rose from the brilliant Sam McGredy. When asked why he had named it as he did, his answer was short: "because it is". Rose of the Year in 2002 it was also the official rose of the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.

How to plant Simply the Best Roses

Choose a spot with as much light as possible. Dig a hole sufficiently deep to allow the rose to be planted with the graft union at soil level and with plenty of room for its roots which should be spread out. Improve the soil from the hole by removing roots, weeds, large stones and other rubbish and mixing in about 25% by volume of well-rotted compost or manure.

Position your rose so its roots are spread out, wet them and sprinkle them with Rootgrow mycorrhizal fungi. If planting pot grown roses gently loosen some roots out of the ball before planting.

Then backfill the hole with mixed soil and compost, firming it gently as you go. Keep the union at the level of the surrounding soil. Water in thoroughly.

Feed and mulch with well rotted manure in spring and keep well watered during dry periods for the first year.

Hybrid Teas are pruned in late winter, when the strongest shoots can be cut back to an outward facing bud 30-40 cms above soil level and the weakest shoots are removed altogether. Simply the Best should be deadheaded throughout the summer to encourage continuous flowering.