Adelaide d'Orleans Rose Bushes

Adelaide d'Orleans Rambling Rose

Adelaide d'Orleans is a beautiful free flowering evergreen rambling rose. It belongs to the Sempervirens family that includes some of the most elegant and graceful ramblers. It was much loved by the Victorians and considered a true 'cottage garden plant' although it was not introduced from France until 1826. The flowers open as delicate pink buds fading quite quickly to a creamy white and are held in profuse bunches on delicate stems. It has a very gentle primrose scent and it will tolerate light shade.

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Great for your garden

Adelaide d'Orleans holds its beautiful delicate, semi-double flowers in great profusion on fairly delicate stems and, in common with many species rambler roses, is best viewed from below. It is, therefore, perfect for arches and pergolas where the sweetly scented blooms can be seen to their best advantage. The very lush foliage is evergreen in all but the worst winters. It will tolerate some shade and can scramble into a hedge where it will flower beautifully on the 'sunny side'. As a rambler it needs just light pruning and will, therefore, grow quite happily with any of the later flowering plants in our range of UK grown clematis, such as the viticellas. They can grow together and be pruned together with the clematis extending the flowering season.

Adelaide d'Orleans characteristics

• Colour: Pink buds fading quickly to white
• Flower shape: Small, semi-double flowers
• Fragrance: Light primrose scent
• Final height and spread: 15' x 10' (4.5m x 3m
• Flowering season: Summer flowering only
• Disease resistance: Reasonable

Trivia

Adelaide d'Orleans was bred by Monsieur Jacques. Jacques was head gardener at the Chateau de Neuilly, home of the Duc d'Orleans (later King Louis Philippe) and named the rose after the Duchess, Louise Marie Adelaide de Bourbon. He worked with the wild species rose Sempervirens, producing two of the best hybrids, Adelaide d'Orleans and Felicite et Perpetue. It can be seen in absolute perfection covering the arches in the walled garden at Mottisfont Abbey

How to plant Adelaide d'Orleans Rambling Roses

Plant 18-24 ins away from the support on which it will climb. A shaded spot for the roots is fine provided that there is sunlight above. So growing over a pergola or into a hedge, large shrub or small tree is fine but this rose is too small to tackle clambering through a large tree and it will struggle to cover a garage. Dig a hole deep enough to allow the graft to finish at soil level when planted and with plenty of room for the roots. Improve the soil from the hole by removing large stones, weeds, roots and other rubbish and mixing in plenty of well rotted compost or manure. Spread Rootgrow mycorrhizal fungi over the bottom of the hole so it will make contact with the roots. If planting a pot grown plant gently loosen some of the roots before planting.

Position it so the roots are spread out and it is growing at approximately the same level in the soil as it was before being transplanted. Backfill the hole with the planting mix, firming it down as you go. Water in thoroughly. Water again a day or two later and then keep watering in dry spells.

Adelaide d'Orleans can be ordered at any time - bareroot for planting between November to April, or pot grown for the summer.

Feed with a good top dressing and then mulch with well rotted manure in spring and (guess what) keep well watered during dry periods for the first year.

Rambling roses flower on the wood of the previous year so pruning really involves removal of growths that are old and tired or in the wrong place. Because of its vigour, you may need to reduce its size drastically every few years in which case take about half the plant down to ground level one year and the other half the next year. New growths will spring up from the base if you do this. All pruning, whether cosmetic or remedial should be done in winter when the temperature is above freezing. Adelaide d'Orleans should not be deadheaded as it produces beautiful hips in the autumn that last well into winter.