Can anyone identify this rose I saw at RHS Rosemoor Garden back in July? It has a shrubby habit and loosely double petals – it’s the ruffled arrangement of the petals that draws my attention as so often with roses. I have no idea whether it repeat flowers.
Another picture from the same spot gives a feel for its habit. It’s not a tall rose – perhaps 3 ft (100 cm) or less. Below you’ll find another part of the jigsaw (or a red herring).
I believe the last two pictures show the same rose in a different part of the garden. If so, from an identification perspective, we can add in the feathery sepals and the way the flower opens out to reveal a cluster of stamens as it matures.
I have posted mystery roses before. One turned out to be Rosa ‘Buff Beauty’, the other (click here to see it) still lacks an identification. It is not a million miles away from this one, which underlines the problem of how we can feel sure which of the many pink roses we’re looking at. The other side of the coin is that when you get used to really looking at roses, their characters seem much more individual than a glance would suggest, so it is very possible that someone will recognise it. If you have any hints for me, please let me know.
Writing this makes me glad that pink roses don’t have a criminal tendency. Imagine the police having to keep putting out the same Wanted description:
Pink rose. Green leaves. Armed with prickles.
Susan Rushton 
Looks like an heirloom variety, almost a smaller version of a peony with those numerous ruffled petals.
Does it have a perfume, Susan?
I’d agree with you that it has a heirloom feel, but wonder if it might be a modern rose with Old Rose blood (or sap) in its veins. I can’t remember the scent. There were so many roses in bloom it was almost overwhelming.
You need Ali, the mindful gardener to have a look or maybe browse her rose posts!
https://themindfulgardener.blog/
Thank you for your mention of The Mindful Gardener! What a lovely blog!
She does have a gorgeous blog doesn’t she, lovely photos and wonderful words. As does Susan, of course 🙂
Agreed!
I follow her too and agree with you – she does have a wonderful blog. As do both of you!
I am hoping you’ll both get this, but am not 100% sure how these threads work.
Given that I just sat down at the computer, I’d say that, not only do these threads work, but they work on telepathy! And thank you for the kind words!
What a beautiful rose. I love the soft, loosely bunched arrangement of petals. Some tend to look over-stuffed. I thought I would try to help by doing google image search based on one of your pictures – but was quickly overwhelmed with the number of hits. I suppose if one were to key in some of the key identifying words, it might narrow the results?
I appreciate your kind heart! I tried quite a few Google image searches too before posting – pretty much everything I could think of – before concluding that the bare description doesn’t make it seem distinctive enough and if you search for more creative descriptions of the arrangements of the petals that doesn’t help either as most companies don’t describe roses that way. I browsed through a few suppliers’ websites too.
I got in touch with Rosemoor and they’ve identified it as Rosa ‘Mary Rose’.
Excellent! Thanks for the update!
I would imagine they smell wonderfully.
Photography seems to inhibit me from properly savouring the scents of roses or accurately remembering what I’ve sampled, but I’ll happily join with you in imagining the fragrance.
No idea, but it is certainly one of the pinkest roses I have ever seen. If I had to guess, I would say it is named ‘Pinky’.
That would be very apt. I was going to say rose breeders are missing a trick not having released a R. ‘Pinky’, but a quick search revealed there is a R. ‘Little Pinkie’ and R. ‘Climbing Pinkie’. Neither are this one, but it would have been so funny if your guess had proved accurate. Rose naming never ceases to amaze me!
Beautiful mystery!
The mystery seems to have been solved. In many ways the answer (R. ‘Mary Rose’) seems so obvious I’m kicking myself for not recognising it, but the last picture seems untypical compared to the standard publicity shots for the rose. I’m making a mental note to watch out for Mary Roses so I can give their buds and older flowers a closer look.
Wow, it’s a gorgeous rose. I think it could be Rosa ‘Mary Rose’!
You’re in good company. I got in touch with Jonathan Webster, curator at RHS Rosemoor and he thinks so too.
Dang! With all these comments, I was expecting someone to come up with a name sooner. I do not know because I do not know many more roses than the hybrid tea roses that I happen to like.
Oh good!!! I’m happy you found the name then! It’s a gorgeous rose for sure! Enjoy!
Such a beautiful roses…Thanks a lot for sharing !
Too beautiful to languish in my photo files, I agree!