Congratulations, Ma'am, and thank you.
I couldn't let this weekend to by without celebrating the Jubilee. It's quite something. Go on, admit it. I bet that even if you're usually quite curmudgeonly about the royal family, you're quietly moved by the whole event. After all, having the same Head of State for 60 years is quite something for a country.
Having a queen at all is something to treasure. We enjoy a continuity of history that doesn't happen when a president gets elected every four years and we have an apolitical head of state - one who represents us to the world, unsullied by whatever political hue the UK bears at the time.
So, in celebration, I've investigated roses. A couple were launched at Chelsea this year just for the occasion: Peter Beales came out with Queen's Jubilee Rose (a fully double-flowered shrub rose, white with pink flush) which is nice, but I'm not keen on double flowers; David Austin offered Royal Jubilee (large, deep pink flowers, petals curving inwards) whichI think is, frankly, quite horrible.
Nil desperandum. There is, of course, a Queen Elizabeth rose. also known as the Queen of England rose. Hybridised by Dr W E Lammerts of the United States, it was introduced in 1954 and has won numerous awards, including World's Favourite Rose in 1979, voted for by the World's Federation of Rose Societies.
According to Rose Gardening Made Easy (an interesting website where you can question rose enthusiast Annelie Piccino about your rose-related problems), the blooms come singly on one stem and look elegant in a vase. In the garden, she recommends the rose as a centrepiece for an island bed, underplanted with blue and pink perennials.
David Austin puts QE at the back of the border, and also, usefully, where other roses might not grow, describing it as "indestructible"; Ashridge Nurseries calls it the easiest rose to grow. Prune it hard and it'll make a good hedge at around 4 feet (120 cms) high, or prune lightly to let it reach 7-8 feet (210-240 cms).
If scent is important, then I'd recommend tracking down a bush before buying off the internet. Opinions vary as to whether its completely unfragranced (David Austin), moderately fragranced (Love of Roses), or slightly scented (World of Roses).
And finally, here's Queen Elizabeth in action (the rose, that is):
...Landscape Juice Network
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