From the street, it is a titan among roses—hundreds of blooms on a bush that despite repeated pruning leaps up to fifteen feet plus. Old rose and peach and white and an occasional mauve petal combine to make each bloom distinct and separate, not unlike ripe nectarines. But there is a condition attached to its excellencies: Stay away. If there is any moment in rosaria when the sum of the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, it is in contemplation of Mme Jules Gravereaux for exhibition purposes.
If the ideal of an English box of Old Garden Roses of one variety is a series of ‘cookie
cutter’ roses, the Madame refuses to co-operate. From a distance the probability of a successful entry seems easy enough; with so many flowers on the bush, finding six acceptable ones will be no trouble at all. Except that the stages of development, unfolding, coloration, and form so clear as a distance dissolve into differences in close-up. The close-up reveals ravages of age, condition, climate, and feckless inclination so as to rival a desperate diva. The only way to get a close-up of six cookie cutter roses from this diva would be to film them through linoleum.
In truth, there are a number of roses whose individual flowers are something less than impressive, but whose totality is rather special. Many of the early polyanthas such as Mignonette produce prolifically and often, obscuring the fact that the individual blooms are not the stuff dreams are made of. The prospect of seeing rose upon rose of pink/lilac blooms over and over again somehow concealed the reality of small, scentless roses. Of course, the possibility that large blocks of lilac/pink or pink/lilac would be marred by an unaccommodating sport is another story.
Or consider the fact that ‘Iceberg,’ reportedly the most widely grown rose in Southern California and surely the landscapers’ darling even as the conspiracy charge is the prosecutor’s darling, is more impressive from a decent distance than up close and personal. Of course, it is also disease resistant, a consistent bloomer, relatively care free and beautiful. There is even a decent fragrance. It seems almost churlish to want rose intimacy in the face of so many virtues.
Nevertheless, I remain a prisoner of past images—a bouquet of twelve ‘Veteran’s Honor’ at the Santa Barbara Rose Show a few years ago, or my first sight of six nearly perfect ‘Francis Dubreuil’ at some long forgotten show—that established the standard of excellence against which distant charmers like ‘Iceberg’ and ‘Madame Jules Gravereaux’ must compete. A brief inspection of the Rose Exhibitor’s Forum results for Winter and Fall of 2001 indicates that ‘Iceberg’ won floribunda spray once in each quarter, whereas ‘Madame Jules Gravereaux placed on the trophy table not at all. Perhaps like aging courtesans or perspiring paramours, the Madame and her confreres are better seen at a romantic distance in kinder, gentler light.
Let the rose be a rose.
Not to be published or forwarded without the written consent of the author
Reprinting, use or distribution of this article is prohibited without prior approval from its author(s). Copyright 2024 by the author(s), all rights reserved.
HelpMeFind's presentation of this article is not an endorsement or recommendation of the policies, practices, or methods contained within.