Rosa Reine des Violettes

Rosa 'Reine des Violettes' is an ancient variety sumptuous, a cherished perpetual hybrid rose for over a century by all lovers of roses with a quaint charm. It offers bouquets of flat, double and well-formed roses in tight quarters, where an authentic rose fragrance nestles. Their changing colours, with astonishing richness, evolve from violet-purple tinged with carmine at the heart to a range of violet-lilac shades, displaying all possible nuances when the red tones fade at full bloom. This vigorous and very healthy bush offers a generous flowering from May to June, while that of September to October requires water, sunlight, mild temperatures, and fertile soil.

Rosa 'Reine des Violettes' is classified in the category of ancient perpetual hybrids, it was obtained in France, in 1860, by Millet-Mallet. This variety quickly forms a beautiful bush that is both ample and dense, reaching a height of 1.3m (4ft) to 1.5m (5ft) and a width of 1m (3ft 4in). Its stems are almost devoid of thorns, adorned with elegant glaucous, ashy, silky foliage, and are not very susceptible to diseases. The plant produces bouquets of cherry red buds. They open up into wide roses measuring 7 to 8cm (3.1in), composed of 75 petals organized into four quarters in the center of the corolla, with the outer ones being recurved. The dominant colour is a moiré purplish-violet with hints of red, the entire corolla gradually turning into mauve-lilac, enriched with a silvery glow that shimmers in the heart of the flower. The originality of the colour comes from its complexity and surprising variations throughout the hours and exposure; in partial shade, it will fully reveal its beauty.

If you have enough space, English, ancient or shrub roses are magnificent when planted in groups of three. They grow together to form a beautiful and opulent mass that blooms generously. The rose 'Reine des Violettes' can also be planted as a standalone, preferably in partial shade to preserve its unique colour, surrounded by low perennials: Stachys, Montpellier soapwort, carnations, violets, sedums, dwarf asters... It allows you to create very beautiful flower beds in shades of pink and mauve, in the company, for example, of the roses 'Jacques Cartier', 'Robert le Diable', and 'Deuil de Paul Fontaine'. In a contrasting scene, it can be planted with tender yellow or salmon-coloured flowers, such as those of the roses 'Agnes' or 'Aicha' or the yellow foxgloves or 'Spice Island'. Our British gardening friends are accustomed to training the branches of perpetual hybrid roses downwards, which promotes the development of buds but slightly disrupts the natural and exuberant habit of these bushes: this is ultimately a matter of taste.