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Albas |
Brown Velvet, bred by Sam McGredy, 1983.
Unlike many of the other "Coffee Roses", 'Brown Velvet' has a very good fragrance that is somewhat reminiscent, to me, of the Myrrh scent found in some roses. I have been very impressed by the performance of this unusual rose, as it has made a 3 X 4 foot shrub from a 6" cutting taken one year earlier! I have been urged by a hybridizer friend to work with this variety as a seed parent, which I will begin next season. Apparently its offspring are often quartered in form like many of the English roses, a trait I wouldn't mind seeing in my own hybrids. 'Brown Velvet' is now available from The Uncommon Rose.
Original photographs and site content © Paul Barden 1996-2006 |
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'Brown
Velvet' has become unaccountably rare in commerce, for unknown reasons.
It is an excellent rose with that trademark "McGredy vigor"
and wonderfully chameleon coloring. In the cooler weather of the Spring
and the Fall, 'Brown Velvet' is an amazingly rich Chocolate and
rust hue. During warmer weather the color is a brighter, deep orange-rust.
In my opinion, its the Spring and Fall blooms that are really worth
the wait! In fact, its amazing to watch in the Fall as the weather cools
off and the blooms darken and darken to a DEEP Chocolate-red hue that
is unequalled in roses. The photos here barely illustrate just how wonderful
the colors can be.
ARS
merit rating: 7.0