July 7, 2010

Portraits of 'The Countryman' English Rose



'The Countryman' was the first David Austin English rose that I purchased. I'm sure I've mentioned before that the vibrant blooms remind me of fluffy pink-frosted strawberry cupcakes.



In his book, David Austin says that this is one of his favorite roses. It isn't the best for cutting, as the flowers last just a couple of days in a vase before shattering, and the stems are quite prickly. The blooms are velvety soft and deliciously fragrant, though.



I have been encouraged to share some wider view shots on my blog. That is difficult for me, as my garden isn't established enough to look good from afar. But I'm trying it now . . .



Here you can see that 'The Countryman' makes a nice, full bush. At 3 feet tall and 3.5 feet wide, it's a nice landscape rose. It's surrounded by white and violet delphiniums, iris, thrift, columbine and oriental lilies (not yet in bloom)in a morning sun location.



And here is an even wider shot. You can't actually see the rose, as it is hiding behind the white delphiniums at this angle. But I shared a wide view shot, and it didn't kill me. Almost, but not quite. Phew.



Let's finish with another close up shot. I love the way the stems softly curve upward. It's quite a different look from the ramrod stiff stems of the hybrid tea roses. Lovely, eh?

14 comments:

  1. Hi VW, The wide view of your gardens is nothing but inspiring. Any rose that's pink and fragrant is delightful. This one looks especially appealing.

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  2. Hi VW,

    Very nice indeed and I quite like the pink shade if the photos are a true representation! I'm no fan of baby soft pink colours, but oddly enough I do seem to have a lot of pink around even though I always think of myself as being more of a blue and purple person!

    I love the white and violet Delphiniums, I have never tried them before but your combination is inspiring me to do so, wonderful :)

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  3. Oh, I think your gardens are so lovely! What wonderful colors and design. The rose is definitely gorgeous, too.

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  4. Hi VW. Oh, it is just so pretty. Makes a very nice bush size as well. I really love your white and blue delphiniums. They are gorgeous!

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  5. Gosh I think your garden is perfect! Your close ups are wonderful and the long shots super good. I especially have enjoyed the house shots as you've done fantastically designing the outside. The pink of Countryside is most pretty!

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  6. This is the best shade of pink. I just love your close-up shots they are fabulous. Your delphs are huge! Mine get about half that high...it is the cold nights.

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  7. Gorgeous plants you have. The rose is really amazing with its many-petaled pinkness, but so are the delphiniums!

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  8. That rose-delphinium combination is gorgeous! -Jean

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  9. What a beautiful one that is! At that size I think I could even find a place for it in my garden. I love seeing wide shots of your garden, everything looks so pretty. I'm jealous of the Delphiniums!

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  10. VW girl ! Please don't be hesitant about wider angles picturing your garden .. who among us can criticize a garden in the working ? .. mine still is for heaven sake ! LOL
    I have my first David Austin rose and I am nervous about it .. William Shakespeare's scent absolutely made me buy it .. it reminded me of a wild rose bush we had as a child .. that scent was heavenly .. but I worry about all the bad sides such as Black Spot and those really horrible aphids .. so I am keeping an eye on "him" .. Yours is beautiful .. all of your plants are gorgeous !
    Joy

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  11. Countryman is a beautiful rose. I do like the wider shots of your garden
    K

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  12. Hello,

    I'm writing to you because I see that you (hopefully still) grow the rose known as 'The Countryman', a rose I have grown before in the past, but lost in a move. I had ordered the rose from David Austin in Texas a year ago and it finally bloomed this spring only for me to realize that what I had been sent was not 'The Countryman' but 'Comte de Chambord'. Attempting to get a replacement, I contacted David Austin in Texas and was told that they no longer carry the rose. No one else in the country does either. So I am reaching out to you in the hopes that I may be able to secure some cuttings to root. This is one of my favorite roses and I would be very grateful if you could help me out. I have plenty of plant material to send in return if you are interested - simply let me know.

    Best regards,
    Mike Ewing
    Aliso Viejo, California

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    1. Mike, I'd be willing to try sending you cuttings, although I haven't done cuttings before. But it looks like Heirloom Roses offers The Countryman for sale. That might be a more reliable way to get a plant? See this link: https://www.heirloomroses.com/countryman.html

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    2. Also Rogue Valley Roses carries it, although they're currently out of stock. https://www.roguevalleyroses.com/rose/countryman

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