Kelly's Cottage
  Garden Roses


Tea Roses

Of all the roses I grow,
it is the Tea Rose which captivates...

Tea roses were first produced in the early 1800's with new varieties
continuing to appear until the early 1900's. Their ancestry is based
on roses brought to Europe from China. Tea Roses spread around
the world, with many being brought to Australia, where the
Tea rose thrives in our warm and mild climate.

Two ancestors of the Tea Rose
                  
         Humes Tea Scented China                          Old Blush                        
           
In the early 1900's the Hybrid Tea rose was introduced and as so often
happens, the old is left behind and forgotten. HT's are the result of the
crossing of Tea roses with Hybrid Perpetual roses.  HP's are more
susceptible to black spot which the HT has inherited and
unfortunately the HP is not nearly as suited
to our climate as the Tea.

By the 1940's the Tea rose was no longer sold and the HT reigned supreme.
What we gained with the HT was a plant that needed severe pruning,
spraying with chemicals, and a bush with a ridge stiff appearance.
What we lost with the Tea was a rose that was superbly suited to
our climate, it's ease of care and year round beauty.

In the early 1980's things started to change. The idea that all that was
new was not necessarily better began to be applied to roses. We owe
thanks to all of those that had the foresight, and worked so diligently
to save and reintroduce the Tea rose.

Now coming full circle we can enjoy the Tea rose again in our gardens!


How do I love Tea?
Let me count the ways!

 Abundance...

The sheer number of flowers on a single bush can take your
breath away. On a mature well grown Tea it is not unusual
to find several hundred flowers! In our warm climate many
teas never go with out flower.

No other class of rose can out bloom a Tea year round!


Garden value year round...

Their dense twiggy growth is covered with leaves often as
beautiful as the flowers. The new growth is often very
colorful in shades of burgundy, red or purple. Shapely and bushy,
the shrub is evergreen year round, instead of the dormant sticks
all winter found in most roses.

Tea roses are excellent for use as a specimen, a hedge, placing
in a mixed border and smaller varieties do well in pots. The climbing
varieties of Teas and their close relatives the Tea Noisttes are
perfect for pergolas, arches and climbing into trees. For landscaping
and  beautifying your garden the Tea Rose is an attractive
and useful plant year round.

Exquisite...

The range of flower color and shape are many in the Tea. There
truly is something for everybody. Flowers shapes range from
cupped, globular, quartered, imbricated and irregular.
Ranging from very double to semi double. Weather can
also affect the number of petals formed.

It is the color of the blooms where the Tea Rose's true beauty
stands out. From the softest of shades, through to the darkest
tones. Always changing, blending from one color to the next
and blushing to darker tones as the heat increases.

They often have many faces!
Colors range from whites, creams, all shades of pinks, apricots
and orange, yellows and reds. Many have several colors at once,
such as Rosette Delizzy which is a kaleidoscope of cream, yellow,
tangerine, raspberry all in the same flower. Many are also very
fashion conscious and instantly know what colors they should
be wearing depending on the season!

Mrs. Dudley Cross shows this great sense of style!

                Winter                                                      Spring                  
     

    Summer                                                   Autumn
       


Ease of Care....

This was the first area of interest that lead me to Tea roses.
I had a garden full of HT's roses that required heavy
pruning twice a year and needed spraying with chemicals
 for black spot to keep any of their leaves. This was hard
work and simply unacceptable.

Teas are much more and often totally resistant to black spot.
In my garden none of the Teas get black spot. Because
of this they are not constantly loosing their leaves and
remain very full and attractive.

On occasion some Teas can get mildew. If this happens it is
usually short lived and disappears as the weather changes.
A spray of milk or Ecocarb as discussed on the Culture page
is effective. Dangerous chemicals are not needed!

If the Tea rose has been placed correctly so that is can grow
 to it's full size, pruning is a very minor event. All roses
need any dead wood removed. Teas can be trimmed lightly
to improve shape if desired. I dead head as I walk around
enjoying the roses by snapping the hip off with my fingers.
Other than this, Tea roses require no pruning.

Tea roses grow best on their own roots. Once well established
their roots go deep in to the ground. This makes them more
drought tolerant than many other garden plants.

Tea roses have been found throughout Australia in cemeteries
and on abandoned properties. Forgotten long ago, receiving
no care for many many years, they survive and thrive!



More to follow!
Check back soon...






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Jugiong, NSW
Australia