Artemyst

My favourite rose I've grown to date. Stunning blooms of deep maroon red. It has a gorgeous, intense scent, similar to damask but deeper and richer. Lasts 3–4 days as a cut flower which is pretty good for a rose with so much fragrance going on. Makes a great patio rose kept in a medium pot, gets nicely bushy without trying to grow straight up. Copes with Australian summers well, though this most recent one was so hot and dry that two flushes came out stunted during high summer. Very healthy without spraying, infrequently prone to a bit of black spot here and there, and occasional aphids during late autumn, but that's all the health issues it has had. Provenance: Ross Roses, Victoria, Australia. Curiously, Wagners Roses lists a HT-looking rose that they state has low scent, so there may be two FD imposters in commerce in Australia. Though whatever the original FD was like, I doubt it could hold a candle to this beauty.