My friend Philippe, who is a landscape designer/plantsman/gardener, gave me the above Rose about 10 years ago. He assured me that it was a good 'doer', with a beautiful perfume; both of which it is.
When I asked him for it's name he replied 'Eeet eeez ze Peenk Peeksy' (Pink Pixie).
Several years later I was telling him that his Pink Pixie was doing really well, and he asked 'What eez zees Peenk Peeksy?'
'It's that Rose you gave me' I replied 'You said it was called Pink Pixie'.
'Ah, mon Dieu' he said nonchalantly throwing his arms in the air 'We jardiniers mek urp zeez namez; it makes uz zound more knowledg-a-babble'. (all this was in French, of course)
Anyway, Pink Pixie it is, and I'm ashamed to say that it's the only Rose in my garden. Nice isn't it; can you smell the perfume?
Mmm, lovely. I don't grow roses, they are far too temperamental! But that one looks like a cheerful and trouble-free specimen.
ReplyDeleteOther than a little shaping each year, it looks after itself.
DeleteClosest I've seen on this continent is Pink Prosperity - a Hybrid Musk- but I like Philippe's title better. He is obviously a man of accurate imagination. I gardened commercially for 30 years and shared the burden of naming such things.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know naming flower and plant varieties etc. was a burden. But someone told me that discovering and naming stars and other cosmic bodies is definitely one. Right now, they are naming stars/planets/asteroids etc. after the person who discovers them.
DeleteI have the same rose, I think, I don't know it's name either - Pink Pixie it is then
ReplyDelete"a little shaping" and "looks after itself" sounds like just my kind of rose!
ReplyDeleteI'm still looking for a blood red rustic climbing rose that will be 100% self sufficient. I keep seeing them on other people's houses, but can't find the exact one that I want for sale. Maybe I should try taking cuttings.
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ReplyDeleteWishing your blog was scratch and sniff!
DeleteI thought it was!
DeleteI adore roses, and one of my requirements with house hunting is a sunny patch of yard where I can have a small cutting garden featuring roses. I've been getting the David Austen catalogs for two years now, but I still haven't figured out which are my favorites.
ReplyDelete"Pink Pixie" is quite lovely!
I have no rose. I gave a friend a rose. I don't think she knows how to look after it. It's still in its pot. Perhaps she'll give it back.
ReplyDeleteits a lovely colour. could you make rose water from it?
ReplyDeleteI don't have roses I can only just keep up with veggies
If this one hadn't been GIVEN to me; I wouldn't either!
DeleteIt is quite similar to the wild rose, the dog rose, you talked about recently, but more colourful. I have a garden here which has nothing but climbing roses. Fortunately I like them very much.
ReplyDeleteI love it. Don't know its name but it is undoubtedly an old rose and as Rachel says, probably descended from our original dog rose, rosa canina to give it its proper name!
ReplyDeleteRosa Pit-Bullia?
DeleteMy parents grow some roses too. These are very dark red as compared to yours, Cro.
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