Neptune Rose

The Neptune rose is one of the loveliest, most fragrant purple hybrid teas out in the gardening world.  They can be a little tough to find, and a little tricky to grow though.

A healthy specimen for this flower can look and smell stunning.  I love the mauve look of the petals, and it has a very nice aroma to boot.  Tom Carruth, the breeder, really produced a unique and nice-looking rose.  Getting up to 4 or 5 feet tall, it can work as both a shrub and a bush.  With its nice fragrance and looks you’ll want to get it in front of your visitors.  When its done well, it can be a brilliant looking exhibition flower.  It can be a little difficult to find.

If you are lucky enough to have a nice specimen in your garden, you may be tempted to cut a few for a vase.  They can look great there, especially with whites to complement it.  It can be a little weak and may only last a couple days, so enjoy it while it lasts.

Some gardeners have noticed some blackspot issues, but not to a major extent.  You’ll want to make sure to prune out the spend petals and heads, especially if you want to get a re-bloom during the season.  It does have a few thorns so keep that in mind for placement.  It seems like the best blooms will be the first spring variety. Also, while it rated from zone 7 to 10 here in the US, it does seem to have varying success in the heat.  Dry or desert heat seems to really strip the color out of it in particular.   Areas with good moist climates seem to produce the best speciments.  Be sure to keep it well watered, although overdoing it can seem to sprout the blackspot.