Rosa Doctor Watson

Rosa Doctor Watson is part of a series of modern hybrids called English Legend, bringing together varieties created in England in the 1990s by the famous breeder Robert Harkness. With their repeat-flowering and delicate scent, these slightly old-fashioned roses express all the charm of English roses. Doctor Watson, named in honour of Sherlock Holmes' assistant, has strong growth and brilliant red flowers. It boasts beautifully healthy foliage. Its large, fully double flowers with a spicy fragrance bloom from spring until the first frost. It is a highly floriferous variety. This variety is both solid and resistant, just like the good Doctor! It is a safe bet for the garden.

Rosa Doctor Watson, a hybrid tea type, is characterised by an upright and regular habit. This bush quickly reaches about 90cm (35in) in height with a similar width. Its thorny stems bear reddish young shoots that unfold into dark green, shiny leaves, divided into 5 finely toothed leaflets. The foliage is not very susceptible to diseases under good growing conditions. Its flowering is long and abundant, renewing itself in successive waves from May to October if the soil remains moist. The flowers are solitary. They are 8 to 10cm (3 to 4in) wide, composed of 70 petals arranged in quarters. Their colour is an extremely bright red and their fragrance is spicy and light. It is at its peak at noon and in the evening, after a hot and sunny day. The deciduous foliage falls in autumn. 

English bush roses can be used to create beautiful small hedges, planted mixed at the edge of a patio, or in borders with modest-sized shrubs. Combine them with abelias, Mexican orange blossoms, or bluebeards, for example. They are good companions for phlox and tall baby's breath. Doctor Watson will be enhanced when planted in groups of 3, forming an extremely bright bush. It can be surrounded by catmints and perennial or shrubby salvias with blue, mauve, or white flowers. Combine it with white ground cover roses (Swany, Marie Pavie), chamomiles, or small, light grasses like stipa (barbata, pennata, tenuifolia). This very hardy rose requires little maintenance. It will thrive in full sun or partial shade, where it will delight all gardeners.