My rose is currently coming towards the end of its first year flowering. As i did for my mme isaac periere, i thought i would share my views for anyone wanting to grow one in the future.

FLOWER FORM: 7/10
Overall, this is a very beautiful rose when you see it at its best. At its best the flowers are full to very full. However i have found that you get a bit of a mix. Some are fully double, whereas some are barely double and tend to look untidy. A positive is that the blooms are of a nice size and also have a lovely graceful nodding quality which is perfectly acceptable as it really fits in with this rose as a whole. A Negative however would be the fact that the blooms do not last well in wet weather!

FRAGRANCE: 6/10
The fragrance of this rose is not strong. It does not carry on a breeze. I would describe the scent as being medium or as a score 6/10. It is a lovely fragrance, sweet and sugary in my opinion. As i have read, which also attracted me to this rose, the scent does have a slight resemblance to earl gray tea which is lovely. Just bury nose into the bloom to experience it. Lovely!

HEALTH: 9/10
Of the three roses that i grow, the other two being reine des violettes and mme isaac periere, i think that this has shown the best health in its first year. I never expected to see so many flowers in its first year. I have had more flowers from this in its first year than other roses that have been growing for longer. I Was worried that i would not be able to grow a tea rose in my climate (8) but i have been so amazed at how well this rose has grown. I have had no trouble from disease apart from a couple of leaves at the base that looked like they had a bit of blackspot. Perfectly healthy.

Overall 22/30

Contributed by AnneU:
Vestey's Pink Tea

‘Vestey’s Pink Tea’ = Ancien – Thé – rose moyen, remontant. Redécouvert dans le jardin de Lady Vestey, ce rosier thé n’a pas révélé son identité et a donc été rebaptisé. Il forme un buisson à port étalé, de hauteur moyenne, armé de forts aiguillons en croche sous un feuillage vert franc et satiné, exempt de maladies. Ses fleurs de 30 à 40 pétales se forment en coupe élégante, rose intense suffusé de crème et retouché d’un onglet crème à la base de chaque pétale. Exquises en bouton et conservant bien leur coloris, elles exhalent un délicieux parfum de rose thé. En climat privilégié, la floraison est continuelle, et particulièrement belle en automne et en hiver. Zones 5-10. Ascendance inconnue. Source: Rosa, Rosae, l’encyclopédie des Roses – p.612+photo.