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Alain Blanchard: Bred by Vibert, France, 1839

Alain Blanchard is a relatively new rose in my collection, and this is the first bloom I have seen this spring. I can't imagine why I haven't thought to get a plant of this rose before now! If this photograph doesn't sell you on this rose, then nothing will! What an incredible bloom. Upon opening, the bloom is a mix of crimson and purple which darkens to purples with paler spots as it ages. The scent is typical Gallica; a warm scent, not entirely sweet, but with an acrid tone. I find this scent very pleasant.

When I first began assembling a collection of Gallicas, I was much more attracted to the big fully double blooms, like Charles de Mills and Ipsilante. I rarely found the single and semi double blooms to be as attractive. I have had people tell me in the past that as time goes by, you begin to develop an appreciation for the simpler roses. This has certainly been true for me. In the past two years, I have acquired Alain Blanchard, La Belle Sultane, and Alika, to name a few. I have come to think of these single blooms as having an exquisite charm of their own, and I value them as much as the more 'evolved' roses.

Alan Blanchard is a thorny Gallica that will grow to 4 feet tall and somewhat arching in habit. It is presumed to be part Centifolia in breeding, and shows some of those characteristics. The foliage is a bright green, and tough, like most of the Gallicas. This is a well behaved garden shrub, and is very showy and well worth the space in spite of its once blooming habit.

ARS merit rating: 8.5
Personal merit rating: 8.5
Hardiness: Likely USDA zones 3 to 8, zone 4 in a protected location.
Shrub size: 4 to 5 feet tall X 4 feet wide

Original photographs and site content © Paul Barden 1996-1999