Other Names:  Labyrinth Rose, Niharika Rose

Group/Class:  Hybrid Tea Rose

Description:

A lovely medium sized variety ideal for garden beds, borders and large patio containers; large, white double blooms with touches of pink are highlighted against deep green glossy foliage; moderately fragrant; great cut flower quality; blooms in flushes

Ornamental Features

Shirley's Bouquet Rose is bathed in stunning lightly-scented double creamy white flowers with shell pink overtones at the ends of the branches from early summer to early fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. It has dark green deciduous foliage. The oval compound leaves turn yellow in fall.

Landscape Attributes

Shirley's Bouquet Rose is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This is a high maintenance shrub that will require regular care and upkeep, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Spiny

Shirley's Bouquet Rose is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Shirley's Bouquet Rose will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 30 inches. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.

This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. To help this plant achive its best flowering performance, periodically apply a flower-boosting fertilizer from early spring through into the active growing season. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.

Shirley's Bouquet Rose makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.