Zéphirine Drouhin

Today's the day ................... for a rose by any other name

It's been a wonderful year round here so far - for roses - with not too much rain, wind or anything else that knocks them for six.

This is a new arrival in our garden - Zéphirine Drouhin, a vigorous, thornless, climbing rose.  It produces an abundance of light silver-pink buds which open out to large, cupped double flowers, deepening in colour with age.  It flowers freely and has a sweet lingering perfume.

It was developed by French rose breeder, Bizot, in 1868. Its origin is unknown, although believed to be the outcome of a cross between a Boursault rose and a Hybrid Perpetual rose. The new rose cultivar was first introduced in Switzerland by the horticulturalist Charles Bonnet, who sold it under his own name in 1868. 

It was later introduced into Australia and elsewhere in 1921 - as 'Zéphirine Drouhin'..............