Rosa 'Sally Holmes'

Vigorous, repeat flowering hybrid musk rose with relatively few thorns, glossy dark green foliage and large, single to almost single flowers in clusters. Pale apricot-coloured buds open to 8-12 cm wide, creamy white flowers, fading to white, flushed with a faint hint of pink. The flowers have 4 to 8 petals and yellow stamens. They are usually packed in very tight clusters.

Rosa 'Sally Holmes' is the result of a cross between Rosa 'Ivory Fashion' and Rosa 'Ballerina'. Bred by Robert Holmes (UK) and named after his wife.  

Prefers a sunny position in well-drained soil with a generous amount of organic matter. Tolerates more shade than most other roses. Very good disease resistance. Fertilise in early spring and again in early summer. Dead-head during the flowering season and prune in winter. Grows on its own root system and is easy to propagate from cuttings.

The delicate colour combination of the pale apricot flower buds and white flowers is breath-taking and more than makes up for the fact that the flowers are only slightly fragrant. The flowers have a lovely 'loose' texture. Can be treated as a climber and trained to grow up a pillar or against a trellis. Suitable for cutting. Looks good on its own, in groups, or as a rose hedge-row.