On 30/11/05 11:22, in article
, "Sacha"
wrote:

On 30/11/05 11:14, in article ,
"Dave Poole" wrote:

I grew this many years ago, so can provide a bit of info about it.
Surprisingly (or otherwise) it is not a hybrid, but a variety of Rosa
multiflora more correctly known as Rosa multiflora 'Platyphylla'. It
was one of the many varieties cultivated by the Chinese for centuries
before arriving in England via France at the start of the 19th.
century. The offspring from multifloras (they were very willing to
pollinate and be pollinated) were called dubbed Rosa polyantha and for
many years, the precursors of the floribunda roses were known as
'polyanthas'. Rosa multifloras is well know for its ability to change
and we can thank the species for miniatures as well as being the most
likely influence to provide a 'blue rose'.

snip

David, next time you come to us, it's on your left, just past the village
green (and the pub!) There are the houses fronting the green, two of which
are quite new and the older one which was the shop. Behind them is a very
old farmhouse. It's scrambling over the wall of the farmhouse, beside the
road. I'll try to get a better look at it today but the weather is not very
conducive to 'botanising'! I could probably ask the owners for some
cuttings but if it's a very old specimen, it might not 'do' very well, so
I'll see if I can find it elsewhere, too.
Many thanks for this.

I had a closer look at this rose today and it is indeed a very small
flowered one. The open flowers had all been ruined by rain and I couldn't
therefore, tell what colour/s they would be. The buds still there seemed to
be quite a bluey pink, I would say.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)