Sunday, May 15, 2011

A Gallery of Gallicas

Gallicas are a fascinating group of antique roses because of their beautiful and unique colors.

Petite Orléanaise (unknown origin)

Gallica blooms come in some of the darkest deepest purple of all roses...,

Cardinal de Richelieu (Parmentier, 1847)
... often spotted...,


Alain Blanchard (Vibert, 1839)

... or striped...,

Cora (Savoureux, 1885)
...or marbled, earning these roses the name of "mad gallicas".

Belle Biblis (Descemet, before 1815)

Gallicas may be the oldest roses in cultivation, grown not only for their beauty but for medicinal properties ascribed to their petals and fruits.

Grande Renoncule (unknown origin)
If Alba Semi-Plena is believed to be the White Rose of York, then Rosa gallica officionalis is considered to be the Red Rose of Lancaster. Gallica roses originate in central and south-western Europe, and the species is still grown there.

Rosa Mundi (sport of r. gallica officionalis, unknown origin)
Like other old garden roses from Europe, gallicas bloom only once a year.

Duchesse de Montebello (Laffay, 1824)
But the show they put on is certainly worth seeing!

Beau Narcisse (Miellez, before 1824) with James Mason (Beales, 1982)
Gallicas are worthy of garden space not only for their historic value or "mad" colors. They form stocky and fairly short plants, which are pretty easy to fit into a garden.

Perle von Weissenstein (hybrid gallica, Schwarzkopf, 1773)
On their own roots gallicas tend to sucker and form thickets, making them good candidates for hedges.

Sterkmanns (unknown Belgian breeder, 1842) colonizing the surrounding space (the main bush is on the right, and the suckers are on the left, some already blooming)
Even though gallicas were most extensively hybridized in the early 19th century, they have not been entirely forgotten since. German hybridizer Wilhem Kordes created Scharlachglut (Scarlet Fire), a modern gallica hybrid, in 1952.

Scharlachglut (Kordes, 1952)
Peter Beales, a British hybridizer, used Scharlachglut to produce James Mason, another dramatic red gallica.

James Mason (Beales, 1982)
Paul Barden, an American rose breeder, has been creating gallica roses for many years.

Marianne (Barden, 2001). Image courtesy of Paul Barden
His gallicas come in some unusual colors, such as pale pink (Allegra). My favorite, Marianne, is a cross between Duchesse de Montebello and Abraham Darby, which resulted in the only apricot gallica I know of.























A mad gallica in full bloom is a sight not easily forgotten. These roses are very disease resistant and cold hardy. They are worth a try!


Alexandre Laquement (Laqument, before 1906)
All images, except Paul Barden's, were taken at the San Jose Heritage Rose Garden.

48 comments:

  1. Que de beautés!!!
    Une passion pour les roses est en train de naitre et ton blog est très instructif et très riche..
    Duchesse de Montebello et Cardinal de Richelieu sont d'illustres rosiers que j'aimerais bien posséder..
    Merci pour ces belles phoyos
    sophie

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ah, Masha ! Splendid roses !!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Masha, you really get your photos at the most perfect times of the day. The macros come out so clear and vibrant. You really are enjoying your new lens. The photos are fantastic.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Gallicas are truly a great rose, not only for their beautiful color-changing blooms, but also their bush shape. I love that apricot one!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you, Christine. I am glad you liked them.

    Merci, Sophie. Heuresement, vous avez un grand giardin, donc votre passion peut être satisfaite facilement.

    Thank you, Dani, they are splendid.

    Thank you, Donna. I love taking rose pictures, and I am glad it shows.

    HolleyGarden, thank you. I am glad you like Paul's, me too.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wonderful photos of roses, in particular your shot of "Scharlachglut". I have such a time capturing reds. This give me hope that it can be done!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you, RR. I have trouble with reds too, but mostly with "blue" reds, not true reds, so that one came out OK. I just can't shoot them in the sun.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Now for sure I am searching some out for my garden. Your photos have me convinced.

    Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thank you, Jen. I am glad you are.

    ReplyDelete
  10. More and ore wonders from your rose garden!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Grazie, Dona. I wish they were all mine...

    ReplyDelete
  12. Dear Masha, What a wonderful rose-treat this posting is! It is hard to choose, but Marianne has to be my favorite. P. x

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh Masha how beautiful. Just what I needed to see on this dreary day here. I love the coloring of the Cardinal de Richelieu. Just so many gorgeous roses to choose from.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi Masha! You have great roseblog, I feel the aroma all around the place! Thank you for following Moscow blog, we are glad so much that you like it.

    ReplyDelete
  15. These are beautiful! My favorites are Cardinal de Richelieu and Marianne.

    Happy Gardening ~ FlowerLady

    ReplyDelete
  16. Thank you, Pam. I am glad you chose a favorite :)

    Lona, thank you. They are very striking roses, aren't they...

    Irina, hello, and thank you for coming to my blog.

    Thank you, FlowerLady, you chose the ones I like best, too.

    ReplyDelete
  17. OK now you have my full attention..this is a new term for me and I am fascinated...I will be looking for one of these beautiful roses to add to my garden...wish me luck

    ReplyDelete
  18. Good luck, Donna! I hope they work out for you.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Those "mad gallicas" are so dizzyingly splendid, they'll render anyone "rosomane." An instructive and delightful post from a true Rosarian.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thank you, thibaud, for your lovely comment. I am glad you liked this post!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Wow! I love learning information about roses AND being wowed at the same time! Lovely way to start the week! Have a great day!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Kelsey, thank you for your comment. I hope you have a good week!

    ReplyDelete
  23. So nice to see the Gallicas steeped in the praise they deserve. One of the few classes I've never grown, but really ought to. Not enough room !

    ReplyDelete
  24. Thank you, ks, and I understand how you feel - I have not room either! Pure gallicas don't do well here, but some hybrids do, in fact, I am trying to grow one little one for its "mad" colors.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Masha, your roses are incredibly beautiful! Just love all your roses, they are gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Thank you, Sandra. I am glad you liked them.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Bonjour.merci de ta visite sur mon blog. je vois que toi aussi tu es une passionnée de roses. celles que tu présentes sont des variétés superbes que je connais bien. belle présentation.
    belle journée jocelyne

    ReplyDelete
  28. Merci, Jocelyne, pour commenter sur cette article.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Masha, your Gallicas are very special and the clarity of those pictures, spot on. We have the Rosa Mundi in our garden, a rose steeped in history.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Hi Masha, Your roses are simply stunning!! I especially love all the deep pink ones.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Thank you, Alistair. You have one of the best Gallicas - the pure ones don't do well here, but yours must be glorious.

    Thank you. I am glad you liked them, I do too!

    ReplyDelete
  32. Gallicas are magical and you've captured their magic beautifully. I didn't know that Paul Barden had bred an appricot Gallica. It looks gorgeous.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Thank you, sweetbay. I am glad you liked Paul's gallica, it is pretty unusual.

    ReplyDelete
  34. They are beautiful - all of your roses are, what an inspiration!

    ReplyDelete
  35. Thank you, klaraau01, for your lovely compliment.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Spectacular photos, Masha, as always. You obviously take great pains to render your images accurately for color, which is so important when portraying roses of any class. Thank you for mentioning me, as well!

    Paul

    ReplyDelete
  37. Thank you for the compliments, Paul, they are very much appreciated coming from a such a great photographer. And I couldn't write a post about gallicas and not mention you!

    ReplyDelete
  38. Fabulous! I am getting tempted to give a little space to a once-bloomer or two!
    Thanks, as always for your extra-lovely photos and the rose tour.
    Sandra

    ReplyDelete
  39. Thank you, Sandra, I am glad you like them. I caved in a couple of years ago, and have some once-bloomers now. My garden is full now. Have fun choosing!

    ReplyDelete
  40. Gorgeous! I do wish I had more sun, so I could grow some of these fabulous roses! I wonder how they would look edging the vegetable plot...

    ReplyDelete
  41. Hi, Masha ! The last photo in my blog - the view from my office window. My office is located in Old Town. Masha, You already are aware that The Dome Cathedral is the symbol of the Old Town of Riga...I am glad you looked at my pictures. Thank you for your lovely comment!

    ReplyDelete
  42. Thank you, Deb, and they will look fine as long as you don't buy them on their own roots :)

    Thank you for the answer, Sandra. The cathedral is beautiful, you have a great view!

    ReplyDelete
  43. Beautiful gallery, Masha! All the pictures are so beautiful, but the first one is just stunning. That rose is gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  44. Thank you, Olga. I am glad you liked them!

    ReplyDelete
  45. Twoje róże są prześliczne. Dla mnie nr 1 jest gallicas. Moje róże mają dopiero małe pączki. Ciepło pozdrawiam

    ReplyDelete
  46. Thank you, Giga. I am glad you got to see some new roses...

    ReplyDelete
  47. Great post ! I love them all !

    ReplyDelete

I am so glad you have stopped by!