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| Gertrude Jekyll |
Named for the famous British gardener, Gertrude Jekyll is one of the more parsimonious of my roses, putting forth only a few blossoms during the course of a season. They are, however, quite beautiful in both sight and scent.
Though very stingy with blossoms, Gertrude Jekyll gave us one beauty in mid-November to finish off the 1999 season.
Gertrude Jekyll has surprised me by blooming early in 2000.
It continues to surprise me -- I have more blossoms this year than in all past years combined.
Here are a few shots of the bush, growing up and over the arbor.
Compared to previous years, this year Gertrude Jekyll is truly phenomenal!
Gertrude Jekyll has totally surprised me and claimed the honor of the first bloom of 2001! And what a bloom -- large, quartered, very fragrant -- a wonderful harbinger of things to come!
Gertrude Jekyll has climbed up and over the arbor, and is putting on a spectacular show!
As if any proof was needed that this winter
has so far been unusually mild, here it is the eighth of December 2001 and look
at what's sitting on Gertrude Jekyll! 
Only five months later, in May of 2002, here's Gertrude Jekyll alive and in bloom once again!
It's late May, 2003 -- the severe winter has delayed things, but Gertrude Jekyll once again takes the honor of bearing the first bloom of the year. After this past winter, the exquisite fragrance is most welcome!!
Gertrude Jekyll is literally exploding into bloom up above the arbor.
It's the end of July and Gertrude Jekyll has begun its second flush.
It's now the second day of NOVEMBER!! and Gertrude Jekyll is in full bloom! These two are TEN FEET up in the air!
The 18th of May and Gertrude Jekyll comes in as the third rose to bloom this year.
It's mid-September and Gertrude Jekyll is putting on an impressive flush.
October ....
It's Memorial Day, 2005, and Gertrude Jekyll is the third rose of the year to bloom, with its damask fragrance as delicious as ever.
It's early June and the lady is putting on a show!
Today is the 8th of May 2006 and Gertrude Jekyll has surprised me by becoming the second rose to flower early this year, producing this stunning blossom seemingly overnight.
Same flower, four days later ....
It's 10 July and after taking a well-deserved rest, Gertrude Jekyll is once again beginning to open blooms.
Two days later ....
It's the beginning of August and Gertrude Jekyll has opened this wonderfully fragrant beauty!
It's now late August and Gertrude Jekyll has joined the other roses with a late-summer bloom.
Mid-October has brought a few warm days, allowing Gertrude Jekyll to open a late bud.
November ....
Late November -- Gertrude Jekyll doesn't believe in taking a rest! That's Heritage mixed in with it on top of the trellis.
It's 23 May 2007 and Gertrude Jekyll is beginning to open her first buds. They are already wonderfully fragrant.
Just a couple of days later ....
The next few photos were taken while leaning out of a second floor window, as these beautiful blooms are at the top of the arbor!
Not to say we don't have a good view from the ground!
It's mid-August and Gertrude Jekyll has opened another blossom.
Late September brings more blossoms.
It's 17 May 2008 and, one week earlier than last year, Gertrude Jekyll has opened her first bloom. The fragrance is both powerful and heavenly! She ties with Zephirine Drouhin to become the second rose to bloom this year; Louise Odier was the first a few days ago.
The blooms are now really starting to pop!
And on into June ....
It's 11 May 2009; the garden has been coming to life and while it was Louise Odier that gave us the first rosebud, as she normally does, much to my surprise today I found that Gertrude Jekyll had opened not one, but two blossoms to become the first rose of the year to bloom! The fragrance is heavenly, and after a totally miserable winter, I can't begin to describe how having roses again has lifted my spirits.
Gertrude Jekyll is putting on quite a show!
It's the end of July and Gertrude Jekyll has started to bloom again.
These latter two photos are taken from a second story window with a telephoto lens -- Gertrude Jekyll has grown THAT tall!
It's the first of May 2010 and shortly after Double Delight opened its first bud to become the first rose to bloom this year, Gertrude Jekyll followed with this gorgeous flower to become the second. This is a good ten feet up in the air above the arbor in the backyard and was shot using a telephoto lens from a second floor window!
We're into the second week of May and Gertrude Jekyll is now opening more blossoms.
Mid-May finds Gertrude Jekyll in her glory!
Taken from a second floor window looking down on the arbor.
It's now early July and Gertrude Jekyll, having finished the spring flush, will now open blooms every so often all summer long.
6 July, 104 degrees, and this is sitting on the arbor!
Being the first to form a bud doesn't necessarily translate into being the first to open a blossom. While Louise Odier was the first with a bud, it's Gertrude Jekyll that has given me my first rose. I was out spraying the roses and found this waiting for me! 10 May 2011.
By late-May, Gertrude Jekyll is in full flush.
Gertrude Jekyll is once again in bloom in mid-July. This photo was taken from a second floor window as it's way above the arbor!
The winter of 2013 to 2014 was horrendous. I have never experienced the kind of losses in the garden that I did this past winter. Much to my surprise and deep disappointment given its south-facing exposure and some protection from the arbor, Gertrude Jekyll succumbed to the winter. It was one of my oldest roses and I shall miss it.
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