Re: rose
Marjolein -
> I saw a large climbing rose, which , if I remember correctly, is called
>> Bobby Smith, but I'm not sure.
>>
>> It has large, white blooms, and grows very fast.
>>
>> Does anyone know if this is the right name and where to get it?
>>
Sounds to me like 'Bobbie James,' named for the Hon. Robert James who
had (and whose widow, Lady Serena J, still has) a splendid wild garden
in North Yorkshire, just outside Richmond.
I'm not sure of its parentage but it has massive clusters of white
blooms, very much in the style of, say, Paul's Himalayan Musk, and I'd
guess there's a lot of the blood of some Himalayan species in it. It's
a rose for scrambling through a tree, rather than growing on a wall.
One massive flowering, just about now. Vulnerable to cold winds so
needs a sheltered corner. I'm by the sea and though it survives and
flowers furiously here it doesn't grow to the huge heights it does in
inland gardens - since each winter 10 or 20ft of new growth get
whacked off by our salty gales.
You can get it quite easily in the UK - most of the main
rose-specialists, such as Peter Beale or David Austin, stock it.
Details (addresses, tel nos, etc) if you want them.
Best wishes
Tim
Tim Longville
