Rosa 'SPIRIT OF FREEDOM' climbing climbing rose (David Austin)

The flowers of Spirit of Freedom rose commence as small, rounded buds which gradually open to form a cupped flower that is well filled with numerous petals - these are slightly ‘dished’ towards the centre. The colour is a soft glowing pink, which gradually turns to lilac-pink as the flower ages. As a shrub rose it will grow some 5 ft. tall and 4 ft. wide, whereas climber reach about 8 ft. It is highly disease-resistant. There is a pleasing fragrance with a hint of myrrh. An English rose by David Austin of typical Old Rose beauty.

Planting instructions: Prepare a hole of size 30x30 cm. Put your rose in the way that the grafting point is 3 cm deep in the soil. Water well and cover new shoots with soil or bark mulch about 15 cm high. Roses tolerate wide range of soils but thrive in deep, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil, in full sun.

Pruning: shrub roses can be trimmed lightly in early spring, or cut back to 3-5 strong buds; climbing roses needn’t be pruned, just remove ill and too old branches.

Last update: 02-02-2012