Rose: Mme Hardy
Class: Damask, 1832
Fragrant: Yes
Hybridizer: Hardy
Parentage: Unknown
Madame Hardy Rose was named after the wife of Eugene Hardy, the director of the Jardins du Luxembourg in Paris in the early 1800’s. Madame Hardy Rose is classified as a damask rose. It is perhaps the most popular white rose, and the prettiest. Madame Hardy Rose is a vigorous plant and can grow up to 6 ft tall and 6 ft wide. The blooms are 3 – 3 1/2 inches, very double with a petal count of about 200. Flowers are pure white, quartered with a green pip in the center, complemented by gray-green foliage. Canes are moderately thorny. Madame Hardy Rose blooms profusely and the plants bend to the ground due to the heavy weight of the blooms. Madame Hardy Rose has a very strong fragrance. It is prone to blackspot but hates to be sprayed. By the end of the season, the leaves are totally black but it seems not to suffer from it. Before winter sets in, take out all the blackspoted leaves. By spring, the plant seems to recover and leafs out luxuriantly. It only blooms once but blooms its heart out.
I planted Madame Hardy at the edge of my white flower bed. In spring it makes good company to Tulip Maureen, Tulip White Triumphator, Peony Festiva Maxima, then Casa Blanca lilies in summer and Montauk Daisies in the fall. If you are an exhibitor, Madame Hardy Rose is eligible for the Dowager Queen award.
Tip #2 – Stop worrying too much. Most things you worry about do not happen anyway.
Until Next time. Stop and Smell the Roses
