It is helpful to know the characteristics of different rose families when planning your garden. To purchase the roses described here just scroll further down the page, and use the filters on the left (or further down on a smaller device) to specify the colour(s).
Roses are either once flowering or repeat flowering. Once flowering is where they flower about 2 months of the year - often Nov/Dec in New Zealand. Repeat flowering means they can flower all season. The once flowering rose families often have the best perfume - the real old rose fragrance. Examples of roses from some of the families are given below that are available for sale, but more will be listed under the rose pages by colour.
Albas
Tall shrubs, best planted at the back of a border, have light colours - whites, pinks and fabulous fragrance. Celestial and Chloris are good examples.
Bourbons
Have fat buds that open to full, often globular roses with fantastic fragrance. Form large shrubs. My favourite is Great Western.
Damasks
The roses that rose oil and rose water is traditionally made from, so fabulous fragrance. Form large shrubs and flowers tend to be light colours of white, blush or pink - the exception being the rose-purple Duc de Cambridge - a favourite of mine. Ispahan is longer flowering than most.
Gallicas
A very old rose family, where roses tend to have an upright growth habit, flowers are of the darker shades,
purples, reds and dark pinks. Fantastic fragrance. Also have rose hips. Tuscany Superb is a lovely example.
Centifolias
These are the roses of 100 petals, also known as cabbage roses. These are often the roses the grand masters
used to paint in the old dutch paintings. Wonderful perfume. Tend to be light colours. A great example is Fantin Latour.
Moss
A sport of the centifolia rose. They are unusual in that they have mossing on the buds and stems - look a bit
furry or as if they are covered in aphids. The buds when rubbed exude a cedar fragrance which clears the
nose. The flowers usually have a lovely fragrance, although the longer flowering ones, such as Alfred de Dalmas, less so. A favourite is Henri Martin.
