Duchesse de Montebello
(Gallica-China hybrid, unknown parentage, 1824) – light pink. Here is another unusual Gallica hybrid. Thanks to its
China parent it comes in a pure porcelain pink that is a rare color for the normally vibrant Gallicas. In many ways
Duchesse de Montebello could serve as a model for what a once blooming Old Garden Rose (OGR) should look like.
Flower form is simply perfect. Fat buds open into deeply cupped blooms with the outer petals forming a mathematically
perfect circular rim. Inside the silky petals swirl outward from a green button eye. Best of all is the strong fragrance, a
heady blend of China sweat pea sweetness and spicy Gallica. Shrubs are also more manageable forming a nicely shaped
bush, slightly wider than tall, to a maximum of 4 feet in height. Winter hardy to zone 5. Recommended by Paul Barden.
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