Ok, I'm no expert on roses but did study the catalogues while trying to decide which to buy and cannot remember ever seeing a spotted rose in any of them. I can see why this would be one of your favorites. The pink is rather vibrant which makes those spots really stand out. How did you find this rose?

I was "the Rose Guy" at a huge retail nursery for several years. We carried hundreds of varieties of roses, and I became very enthusiastic growing about a hundred myself. (I had to know my stuff since Portland is "The City of Roses" and has many very knowledgeable collectors and enthusiasts.)

I found I had a particular liking for old garden roses, and for the new (at the time) English Roses, mainly liking those because of their antique form and because they repeat bloomed. (Many old roses bloom once only.) I discovered there were a few old roses of a class I had never heard of before, the Portland Roses. (No, not named for my city but for the Duchess of Portland way back in the 1800s.) Portlands were the first repeat blooming hybrid roses, but fell out of favor with the Tea and Hybred Tea roses came about.

I decided that I had to specialize in a collection of Portland Roses, which was pretty easy because so few had survived, there were only about 2 or three varieties available in the US that I could find. A few in Canada, and a larger number in England.

I decided to go through the quarantine process, a hassle and expense too, but in doing so I got some varieties that were simply not available in the US at the time. This rose was is one of them.

I first discovered this rose in a wonderful book, "Classic Roses" by Peter Beales. I highly recommend this book if you have an interest in roses. I love this rose. It is an awful cur flower, but it is unique, and so pretty. I have another favorite, a pure white rose that is a great performer in the garden, and oh so white! That is tomorrows image.

Thanks for asking and for visiting Marianne!

Edwin