Della Balfour

Della Balfour Harkness, Great Britain, 1994

The colouring is unusual and very beautiful. Flame-like in character, it combines noble shades of orange and yellow. As the flower ages, pink tones appear in its colouring. When the large buds open, they reveal long petals; the flowers are very elegant when not fully open, later becoming cup-shaped. A fully open flower with 30 petals reaches 10 cm in diameter. The rose is lightly scented, with a spicy musk fragrance. The flowers are borne in clusters. The flowers of this rose are large, and there are enough of them to cover the bush completely. At the end of the season, flowering repeats. This climbing rose has moderate growth, so it is used where there is not enough room for larger plants. The shoots are stiff and less flexible than usual. They are ideal for training in a traditional fan shape. A mature plant may reach 2.1 to 3.3 m in height and can decorate an area 1.8-2.7 m wide. The rose should be in direct sunlight for part of the day. Avoid very shady places, as well as areas facing northwest, north and northeast. At first the leaves are dark red, then they turn green. The leaves are large and healthy, providing a good background for the flowers.