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Gertrude Jekyll

1999 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.

1999 Gertrude Jekyll

Gertrude Jekyll has surprised me by blooming early in 2000.

2000 gertrude jekyll

It continues to surprise me -- I have more blossoms this year than in all past years combined.

2000 gertrude jekyll

2000 gertrude jekyll

Here are a few shots of the bush, growing up and over the arbor.

2000 gertrude jekyll

2000 gertrude jekyll

Compared to previous years, this year Gertrude Jekyll is truly phenomenal!

2000 gertrude jekyll

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!

2001 Gertrude Jekyll

2001 Gertrude Jekyll

2001 Gertrude Jekyll

2001 Gertrude Jekyll

2001 Gertrude Jekyll

Gertrude Jekyll has climbed up and over the arbor, and is putting on a spectacular show!

2001 Gertrude Jekyll

2001 Gertrude Jekyll

2001 Gertrude Jekyll

2001 Gertrude Jekyll

2001 Gertrude Jekyll

2001 Gertrude Jekyll

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! 

Gertrude Jekyll

Only five months later, in May of 2002, here's Gertrude Jekyll alive and in bloom once again!

2002 Gertrude Jekyll

2002 Gertrude Jekyll

2002 Gertrude Jekyll

2002 Gertrude Jekyll

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!!

2003 Gertrude Jekyll

2003 Gertrude Jekyll

Gertrude Jekyll is literally exploding into bloom up above the arbor.

2003 Gertrude Jekyll

2003 Gertrude Jekyll

2003 Gertrude Jekyll

2003 Gertrude Jekyll

2003 Gertrude Jekyll

It's the end of July and Gertrude Jekyll has begun its second flush.

2003 Gertrude Jekyll

It's now the second day of NOVEMBER!! and Gertrude Jekyll is in full bloom! These two are TEN FEET up in the air!

2003 Gertrude Jekyll

2003 Gertrude Jekyll

The 18th of May and Gertrude Jekyll comes in as the third rose to bloom this year.

2004 Gertrude Jekyll

2004 Gertrude Jekyll

2004 Gertrude Jekyll

2004 Gertrude Jekyll

2004 Gertrude Jekyll

2004 Gertrude Jekyll

It's mid-September and Gertrude Jekyll is putting on an impressive flush.

2004 Gertrude Jekyll

October ....

2004 Gertrude Jekyll

2004 Gertrude Jekyll

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.

2005 Gertrude Jekyll

2005 Gertrude Jekyll

2005 Gertrude Jekyll

2005 Gertrude Jekyll

2005 Gertrude Jekyll

It's early June and the lady is putting on a show!

2005 Gertrude Jekyll

2005 Gertrude Jekyll

2005 Gertrude Jekyll

2005 Gertrude Jekyll

2005 Gertrude Jekyll

2005 Gertrude Jekyll

2005 Gertrude Jekyll

2005 Gertrude Jekyll

2005 Gertrude Jekyll

2005 Gertrude Jekyll

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.

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

Same flower, four days later ....

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

It's 10 July and after taking a well-deserved rest, Gertrude Jekyll is once again beginning to open blooms.

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

Two days later ....

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

It's the beginning of August and Gertrude Jekyll has opened this wonderfully fragrant beauty!

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

It's now late August and Gertrude Jekyll has joined the other roses with a late-summer bloom.

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

Mid-October has brought a few warm days, allowing Gertrude Jekyll to open a late bud.

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

November ....

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

Late November -- Gertrude Jekyll doesn't believe in taking a rest!  That's Heritage mixed in with it on top of the trellis.

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

2006 Gertrude Jekyll

It's 23 May 2007 and Gertrude Jekyll is beginning to open her first buds.  They are already wonderfully fragrant.

2007 gertrude jekyll

2007 gertrude jekyll

Just a couple of days later ....

2007 gertrude jekyll

2007 gertrude jekyll

2007 gertrude jekyll

2007 gertrude jekyll

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!

2007 gertrude jekyll

2007 gertrude jekyll

2007 gertrude jekyll

Not to say we don't have a good view from the ground!

2007 gertrude jekyll

2007 gertrude jekyll

2007 gertrude jekyll

2007 gertrude jekyll

2007 gertrude jekyll

It's mid-August and Gertrude Jekyll has opened another blossom.

2007 gertrude jekyll

2007 gertrude jekyll

2007 gertrude jekyll

2007 gertrude jekyll

Late September brings more blossoms.

2007 gertrude jekyll

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.

2008 gertrude jekyll

2008 gertrude jekyll

The blooms are now really starting to pop!

2008 gertrude jekyll

2008 gertrude jekyll

2008 gertrude jekyll

2008 gertrude jekyll

2008 gertrude jekyll

2008 gertrude jekyll

2008 gertrude jekyll

2008 gertrude jekyll

2008 gertrude jekyll

2008 gertrude jekyll

2008 gertrude jekyll

2008 gertrude jekyll

2008 gertrude jekyll

And on into June ....

2008 gertrude jekyll

2008 gertrude jekyll

2008 gertrude jekyll

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.

2009 gertrude jekyll

2009 gertrude jekyll

Gertrude Jekyll is putting on quite a show!

2009 gertrude jekyll

2009 gertrude jekyll

2009 gertrude jekyll

2009 gertrude jekyll

2009 gertrude jekyll

2009 gertrude jekyll

2009 gertrude jekyll

2009 gertrude jekyll

2009 gertrude jekyll

2009 gertrude jekyll

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!

2010 gertrude jekyll

We're into the second week of May and Gertrude Jekyll is now opening more blossoms.

2010 gertrude jekyll

2010 gertrude jekyll

2010 gertrude jekyll

2010 gertrude jekyll

2010 gertrude jekyll

2010 gertrude jekyll

2010 gertrude jekyll

2010 gertrude jekyll

2010 gertrude jekyll

2010 gertrude jekyll

2010 gertrude jekyll

2010 gertrude jekyll

2010 gertrude jekyll

2010 gertrude jekyll

2010 gertrude jekyll

2010 gertrude jekyll

2010 gertrude jekyll

Mid-May finds Gertrude Jekyll in her glory!

2010 gertrude jekyll

2010 gertrude jekyll

2010 gertrude jekyll

2010 gertrude jekyll

2010 gertrude jekyll

2010 gertrude jekyll

2010 gertrude jekyll

Taken from a second floor window looking down on the arbor.

2010 gertrude jekyll

It's now early July and Gertrude Jekyll, having finished the spring flush, will now open blooms every so often all summer long.

2010 gertrude jekyll

2010 gertrude jekyll

6 July, 104 degrees, and this is sitting on the arbor!

2010 gertrude jekyll

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.

2011 gertrude jekyll

2011 gertrude jekyll

2011 gertrude jekyll

By late-May, Gertrude Jekyll is in full flush.

2011 gertrude jekyll

2011 gertrude jekyll

2011 gertrude jekyll

2011 gertrude jekyll

2011 gertrude jekyll

2011 gertrude jekyll

2011 gertrude jekyll

2011 gertrude jekyll

2011 gertrude jekyll

2011 gertrude jekyll

2011 gertrude jekyll

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!

2011 gertrude jekyll

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.



Last Updated: 03 Mar 2023

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