July 7th

Lovely vintage rose fabrics again.

One of the East's greatest revealed secret secured by western civilization was neither gunpowder nor printing but the everblooming rose. These new roses brought with them two characteristics heretofore unknown to the West: yellow flowers and remontancy.

One of the best pink forms of R. chinensis to pass into European hands after 1752 was know by many names including Old Blush or Parson's Pink China. Until the introduction of China roses, the Europeans knew just one species with some bloom in the fall. The rest of their roses were spring bloomers. Understandably, they were quite excited when the reblooming trait of these roses was bred into many of its descendants which include Bourbons, Noisettes and Polyanthas.

China roses can become large bushes at maturity and are likely to live a very long time. They are used as hedges, specimen plants and in borders. Chinas can tolerate heat. The Bourbon rose class resulted from a natural cross between 'Old Blush' and 'Autumn Damask,' both planted as hedges on the French island of Bourbon, now known as Reunion. Bourbons have an old-fashioned cupped or quartered bloom, generally in pastel pinks with tough, blue-green foliage on a husky bush. These low to medium size shrubs bear blooms of intense fragrance.

Credits: Richloom Fabrics, Graham Sanderson, Sommardrom Natural, Blenheim Art Foundation, Colefax & Fowler, Thibaut Designs, Quilting Treasures, KOVI Farics, Stroheim, Ralph Lauren