Rosa Graham Thomas - English Shrub Rose

The Graham Thomas Rose, introduced in 1983, remains to this day one of David Austin's most beautiful creations. It is highly sought after by rose enthusiasts as well as Sunday gardeners, first for the beautiful coppery yellow colour of its flowers, a rare hue with remarkable intensity and finesse that is not found in any other category of roses. Secondly, for its exceptional performance in the garden. This vigorous bush, with its dense and healthy foliage, stands as a dense bush, as pleasant when it forms a free-standing bush as when it is trained as a small climber. The month of June marks the start of its radiant flowering, in a floral scent of tea rose. It will not cease until the first frost. This excellent rose received the James Mason Award from the Royal National Rose Society in England in 2000.

This bush with a rather upright habit but well-branched reaches a height of 1.50 m (5ft) to 3m (10ft) depending on how it is pruned, with a spread of 1m (3ft), with rapid growth that allows it to be well established in 3 years. Its growth is vigorous, bushy, and regular. Its roses are produced abundantly in June, and then regularly until October. The buds, of a soft coppery orange, open into double flowers, composed of 20 to 39 petals, 7 cm (3in) wide. They form double cups, coppery yellow in colour when they bloom, then taking on a very warm yellow tone, slightly amber, perfectly uniform and bright. They are remarkably fragrant. Their scent reveals powerful notes of tea rose, enriched with hints of violet, quite characteristic of yellow roses. Its long arching stems are adorned with robust foliage, bright green with a glossy finish, very elegant. It is resistant to rose diseases.

Combining the beauty of old-fashioned roses with the advantages of modern roses, the 'Graham Thomas' rose draws attention like few roses can, bringing a warm touch of colour and fragrance to large borders and perennial beds. Provided you like yellow flowers, of course. It will be well highlighted in front of a screen of boxwood or yew, or, on the contrary, surrounded by a miniature hedge composed of Teucrium chamaedrys, carnations, sage for example. It will also reign at the centre of a carefully organized boxwood maze, as in Italian or French gardens. If you have enough space, English, Old-fashioned, or Shrub Roses are magnificent planted in groups of three specimens. They will grow together to form a single opulent bush that will flower even more generously. Graham Thomas roses are also beautiful in bouquets, with white and blue flowers.

English Roses are well known for being repeat bloomers and their flowers are reputed to be beautiful, regular, and highly fragrant rosettes.

Bred by David Austin in 1983.

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