Madame Hardy
(Damask, 1832) – snowy white. If there is room for only one Damask Rose in your garden then this is the one to plant. Simply
put, Madame Hardy has some of the most ravishingly beautiful roses to ever grace the earth. Each and every bloom is sheer
perfection. The form is quartered surrounding a green button eye. The petal texture is unbelievable, resembling fine white silk.
Because of the petals translucency, light diffuses through the bloom illuminating it from within. The strong fragrance has that
classic Damask softness but with a twist of lemon freshness – just wonderful. Growth habit is tall and elegant with long arching
canes. Keep in mind that the canes are widely spaced so Madame Hardy looks better planted in groups of three so as to create
a uniform mound. Disease resistance is poor for a once blooming Old Garden Rose (most are disease free), but it never suffers
as bad from black spot as say a Hybrid Tea or David Austin Rose. As said earlier it blooms only once but that period of bloom is
one of the most extended among the OGRs; often up to five or six weeks. Winter hardy to zone 4. Recommended by several forum
members.
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