David Austin rose, Summer Song, flowering today, showcasing a dazzlingly deep sunset red.
Roses are of course, mainstays of the summer garden but many varieties, even reluctant repeat flowering kinds, often put on superb Autumn displays (and this goes for shrubs, climbers and some ramblers). Following on from such a beautifully warm and sunny summer, and such a mild Autumn, the display this year is truly exceptional. Summer Song has a flower best described as burnt orange. With the cooler weather recently, burnt orange has hotted up to become molten magma.
From the David Austin website –
Summer Song (Austango)
Category English Roses (English Rose Collection)
Bred By David Austin
Flower Type Double/Full Bloom
Hardiness Very hardy
Fragrance Strong
Repeating Excellent This is a rose of beautiful and unusual colouring that is hard to describe – burnt orange would be one possibility. As such, Summer Song is a valuable addition to our collection, since it is so useful for mingling with other shades such as apricot and yellow. The flowers start as rounded buds, which gradually open to full, medium-sized cups, with many inner petals arranged rather informally within a perfect ring of outer petals. It has a lovely, strong, mixed scent, which our fragrance expert tells us is “like a florist’s shop, with hints of chrysanthemum leaves, ripe bananas and tea”. ‘Summer Song’ forms a bushy, upright shrub that can be pruned to grow tall or short, according to your requirements. 4 x 3 ft.
The Teddington Gardener 