Evelyn

class: David Austin Rose
breeding: Austin, 1991
photographed by Daphne Filiberti in her garden

'Evelyn' has a wonderful fruity, complex scent. It has a compelling charm. 'Evelyn' has roses that open cupped and then slowly transform into large, perfect rosettes of apricot and peach tones. I have planted my roses with white heliotrope. The combination of scents is quite a sensory overload, yet pleasing at the same time. 'Evelyn' has needed some extra tender loving care in my garden. The rose can get some blackspot and it doesn't seem to like being cut back. The canes can get about 8 feet high. I have found that the rose benefits from being trained around a tripod, where the canes can wrap around at about 45 degrees (which promotes more branching growth). There always seem to be several roses on 'Evelyn', which is in a little shade. 'Evelyn' might do better in cooler climates than zone 9. My rose does seem to get some die-back, which is common for 'Evelyn' in Southern California. 'Evelyn' makes a wonderful cut rose because the roses come on long stems, and last in the vase for quite some time.