First Rose Bud

Ahhh Woo, I know what you mean. We came back from holiday about this time last year and my Madame Alfred Carriere (recommended by your good self) was already blooming. This year, nothing so far...but covered in buds and one of them is about the size of yours

 

Lovely photo, Woo - my Gloire de Dijon still managed its first flower in late April, despite the winter and despite being half dead last year (it had to be hard pruned). But then it is on a very warm south-facing wall.

I seem to remember that there's a huge Madame Alfred Carriere at Vita Sackville-West's garden at Sissinghurst covering the entire wall of a cottage.

 

My Mme Alfred Carriere was only planted last year, so this is it's second flowering season. I have great hopes for it

 

Hope you've got a nice big space for it and a something strong to tie it into ... mine got a bit big for my tiny garden, but then I'm always over-optimistic about what I can grow on a postage-stamp plot .

 

Hello Woo. Actually, all the pictures of Gloire de Dijon are accurate - the blooms go through a lot of changes as they open.

I think Mme Alfred Carriere was the first rose Vita planted at Sissinghurst and I believe the one in the white garden is the original, still going strong. The perfume is wonderful.

 

My parents had a beautiful climbing rose in their garden when I was growing up, given to them as a cutting. A couple of years ago I spent a lot of time trying to figure out which one it was and decided it must have been Mme Alfred Carriere.

It has a good fence to climb up and supports strung across it that I tie it onto to. Covered in buds as well now, so I am hoping for a good show later this month.

 

Thats a great picture WOO.