Di's Ten of the Best Tea Roses

Safrano is a very early tea from 1839 and has remained popular since its introduction to Australia in 1850. This stunning tea rose flowers saffron to apricot in the bud stage then changing to pale buff with age. Safrano is very prolific and repeat flowers quickly. It is a very hardy tea rose and is drought tolerant. This tea rose sets many hips. 

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This beautiful Tea Rose is the white sport of Comtesse de Labarthe and was introduced in 1880. The white blooms of Madame Joseph Swartz are tinted with soft pink, exquisite in colouring. This is a grand rose, highly scented and a very persistent bloomer.

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Flesh-coloured rose, shaded with carmine and salmon yellow. The flowers are large and full with long fine buds. This splendid rose should be included in every tea rose collection. Many old neglected ruins still have this rose growing freely without being tended.

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Pale chamois yellow beautifully illuminated in autumn months with tints of rose in the way of Marie van Houtte, but the flowers are larger, fuller and of better habit, being carried well above the foliage on strong upright stems. A vigorous bush, with very clean foliage.

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The fascinating colours of the blooms are difficult to portray. Soft buff to old gold with a very intense silk finished apricot in the centre. It has splendid constitution with dark bronzy green foliage and wood that make a delightful contrast against the unique coloured blooms. It is very floriferous and has
a pervading perfume.

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A very popular Tea Rose,  Anna Olivier is shaded salmon with a petal base of terracotta, and may also be buff. It has very clean foliage and grows to a large bush. A distinct lovely variety, Anna Olivier is beautiful in a bowl, with large, full and well made flowers. This Tea Rose is a delight! Read notes from "Tea Bag Lady" Di Durston HERE

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G Nabonnand blooms open in cold weather and is particularly good in autumn. With lovely pale salmon-rose, shaded yellow blooms with very large petals and handsome buds. G Nabonnand sets many hips.

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Blooms are a washed ivory shaded with a lively rose pink, the latter colour pervading mostly the outer petals. Almost evergreen foliage and the blooms have the quality of fine bone china.

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This Tea Rose has the most lovely, loosely double, apricot to old gold coloured blooms and deservedly popular since its introduction in 1910. Both wood and
foliage are of remarkable beauty, very clean and disease resistant. The colour of the new wood and new shoots is purple. The scent is a fruity apricot. Read Di Durston's reflections on this gorgeous Tea Rose HERE

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A splendid rose, of robust growth with free branching habit, flowering freely and continuously. The blooms are a deep sulphur yellow passing to a lighter shade at the edges of petals. The blooms are large, and the texture of the petals is smooth with great substance. Foliage is of a dark bronzy green.

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