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Zephirine Drouhin

Zephirine Drouhin

The is the Bourbon (Old Garden) rose Zephirine Drouhin. It is a climber, completely thornless, and extremely floriferous. It has a very strong, classic (Damask) rose fragrance.  It was bred by Bizot in France in 1868, and is considered an antique rose.

1999 zephirine drouhin

Zephirine Drouhin was the fourth rose to bloom in 1999; the color is a trifle too pastel, even with the digital camera.  On the theory that you can never have too much of a good thing, here's another blossom, just opening after a heavy rainstorm.

1999 zephirine drouhin

In the few years since I planted it, Zephirine Drouhin has grown to cover the entire side of the deck -- roughly seven feet tall by eight feet across.  I suspect that if I gave it more room, it would grow still larger.

1999 zephirine drouhin

1999 zephirine drouhin

I pruned Zephirine Drouhin back in the early winter -- it has responded by putting on a show of growth that includes a few hundred buds!  It takes the prize for the first bloom of 2000 -- the first two, actually, as can be seen in the following photos.  As always, the fragrance is exquisite!

2000 zephirine drouhin

2000 zephirine drouhin

2000 zephirine drouhin

Zephirine Drouhin, as always, is putting on a wonderful show this spring!

2000 zephirine drouhin

2000 zephirine drouhin

2000 zephirine drouhin

2000 zephirine drouhin

Zephirine Drouhin is the second rose to bloom in 2001.

2001 Zephirine Drouhin

2001 Zephirine Drouhin

2001 Zephirine Drouhin

2001 Zephirine Drounin

2001 Zephirine Drouhin

It's late June, and Zephirine Drouhin has put forth a lovely cluster of blooms!

2001 Zephirine Drouhin

May, 2002, and Zephirine Drouhin has tied for second rose to bloom this year.

2002 Zephirine Drouhin

2002 Zephirine Drouhin

2002 Zephirine Drouhin

The entire bush is now in bloom.

2002 Zephirine Drouhin

It's Memorial Day weekend -- and this is what Zephirine Drouhin looks like.  It is impossible to open the kitchen window or walk out on the back deck without being overwhelmed by the beautiful fragrance put out by all of these blossoms!

2002 Zephirine Drouhin

It's now the end of June, and Zephirine Drouhin is still throwing out blossoms.

2002 Zephirine Drouhin

It's the last day of May, 2003, the skies are threatening a downpour, but I had to run out and grab a photo of the first blossom on Zephirine Drouhin.  With hundreds of buds, it will certainly not be the last!

2003 Zephirine Drouhin

2003 Zephirine Drouhin

2003 Zephirine Drouhin

2003 Zephirine Drouhin

2003 Zephirine Drouhin

2003 Zephirine Drouhin

2003 Zephirine Drouhin

2003 Zephirine Drouhin

2003 Zephirine Drouhin

2003 Zephirine Drouhin

2003 Zephirine Drouhin

It's the end of July -- second flush, anyone? 

2003 Zephirine Drouhin

It's mid-May 2004 and Zephirine Drouhin is the second rose to bloom this year.

2004 Zephirine Drouhin

2004 Zephirine Drouhin

2004 Zephirine Drouhin

2004 Zephirine Drouhin

2004 Zephirine Drouhin

2004 Zephirine Drouhin

2004 Zephirine Drouhin

2004 Zephirine Drouhin

It's Memorial Day 2005 and Zephirine Drouhin has begun to bloom, the fourth rose to do so this year.

2005 Zephirine Drouhin

Early June and Zephirine Drouhin has taken off!

2005 Zephirine Drouhin

2005 Zephirine Drouhin

2005 Zephirine Drouhin

2005 Zephirine Drouhin

2005 Zephirine Drouhin

2005 Zephirine Drouhin

2005 Zephirine Drouhin

Well, here's a surprise for you.  It's the 6th of May, 2006, and Zephirine Drouhin takes the honors for the first rose of the year.  Heck, this is just about the earliest I've ever had a rose bloom!  And, this one was hidden away in the shadows, right next to the deck -- I'm lucky that I saw it!

2006 Zephirine Drouhin

Two days later and I have this stunning blossom!

2006 Zephirine Drouhin

2006 Zephirine Drouhin

2006 Zephirine Drouhin

2006 Zephirine Drouhin

2006 Zephirine Drouhin

2006 Zephirine Drouhin

2006 Zephirine Drouhin

2006 Zephirine Drouhin

2006 Zephirine Drouhin

2006 Zephirine Drouhin

2006 Zephirine Drouhin

2006 Zephirine Drouhin

2006 Zephirine Drouhin

2006 Zephirine Drouhin

2006 Zephirine Drouhin

2006 Zephirine Drouhin

2006 Zephirine Drouhin

2006 Zephirine Drouhin

2006 Zephirine Drouhin

It's 14 June and Zephirine Drouhin is still in bloom!

2006 Zephirine Drouhin

2006 Zephirine Drouhin

It's 16 May 2007 and Zephirine Drouhin has taken honors as the second rose to bloom, giving me this beautiful blossom one day after Louise Odier.

2007 zephirine drouhin

2007 zephirine drouhin

20 May brings more and more blossoms.

2007 zephirine drouhin

2007 zephirine drouhin

2007 zephirine drouhin

2007 zephirine drouhin

2007 zephirine drouhin

2007 zephirine drouhin

2007 zephirine drouhin

2007 zephirine drouhin

2007 zephirine drouhin

Going gangbusters!

2007 zephirine drouhin

Zephirine Drouhin's color gives the camera fits, especially in full sun (you can see the many variations up above).  I experimented and shot the following photo in raw mode, then tweaked it a bit (as you can only do in raw mode) to get the following shot which does a pretty good job of showing the actual color of the flower without the pastel overtones.

2007 zephirine drouhin

2007 zephirine drouhin

Standing on the ground, I just can't capture the overall effect that Zephirine Drouhin has, so here it is photographed while leaning out of a second floor window.  This one does a good job of showing you what the bush looks like right now.  Overwhelming is an understatement!

2007 zephirine drouhin

2007 zephirine drouhin

2007 zephirine drouhin

2007 zephirine drouhin

7 June and Zephirine Drouhin is still going strong.

2007 zephirine drouhin

2007 zephirine drouhin

2007 zephirine drouhin

2007 zephirine drouhin

2007 zephirine drouhin

2007 zephirine drouhin

18 June and still at it!

2007 zephirine drouhin

2007 zephirine drouhin

2007 zephirine drouhin

2007 zephirine drouhin

Mid-July brings still more flowers.

2007 zephirine drouhin

2007 zephirine drouhin

Mid-April 2008 brings the first rosebuds, a tie this year between Zephirine Drouhin and Louise Odier.

2008 zephirine drouhin

The buds promise the wonders of fragrant blooms just a few days away!

2008 zephirine drouhin

2008 zephirine drouhin

The promises fulfilled, 17 May 2008, as Zephirine Drouhin ties with Gertrude Jekyll to become the second rose to bloom this year; Louise Odier, also an Old Garden Rose, was the first.

2008 zephirine drouhin

2008 zephirine drouhin

2008 zephirine drouhin

2008 zephirine drouhin

Zephirine Drouhin is beginning to put on her incredible spring show!

2008 zephirine drouhin

2008 zephirine drouhin

2008 zephirine drouhin

2008 zephirine drouhin

2008 zephirine drouhin

2008 zephirine drouhin

2008 zephirine drouhin

2008 zephirine drouhin

2008 zephirine drouhin

2008 zephirine drouhin

2008 zephirine drouhin

2008 zephirine drouhin

2008 zephirine drouhin

2008 zephirine drouhin

The riot of blooms continues into June.

2008 zephirine drouhin

2008 zephirine drouhin

2008 zephirine drouhin

2008 zephirine drouhin

2008 zephirine drouhin

It's now mid-June and Zephirine Drouhin is still going strong!  That's a solid month of blooming without letup!

2008 zephirine drouhin

2008 zephirine drouhin

2008 zephirine drouhin

2008 zephirine drouhin

2008 zephirine drouhin

2008 zephirine drouhin

2008 zephirine drouhin

In the span of a few days in mid-May 2009, Zephirine Drouhin has gone from a single flower to totally covered in blossoms.

2009 zephirine drouhin

2009 zephirine drouhin

2009 zephirine drouhin

2009 zephirine drouhin

2009 zephirine drouhin

2009 zephirine drouhin

2009 zephirine drouhin

2009 zephirine drouhin

2009 zephirine drouhin

2009 zephirine drouhin

2009 zephirine drouhin

2009 zephirine drouhin

2009 zephirine drouhin

2009 zephirine drouhin

The beginning of June finds Zephirine Drouhin going strong.

2009 zephirine drouhin

2009 zephirine drouhin

2009 zephirine drouhin

Late June and into July.

August ....

Early May 2010 brings the bloom of Zephirine Drouhin.

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

The spring flush is underway!

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

It's Memorial Day weekend and Zephirine Drouhin is going strong!

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

Early June and still at it!

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

A rose for the Fourth of July!

2010 zephirine drouhin

Even after days over 100 degrees, Zephirine Drouhin has flowers for us.

2010 zephirine drouhin

2010 zephirine drouhin

It's mid-May 2011 and Zephirine Drouhin has opened up her first blossom.

2011 zephirine drouhin

Just a day or two later and Zephirine Drouhin has already begun the spring flush.

2011 zephirine drouhin

2011 zephirine drouhin

2011 zephirine drouhin

2011 zephirine drouhin

2011 zephirine drouhin

2011 zephirine drouhin

2011 zephirine drouhin

2011 zephirine drouhin

2011 zephirine drouhin

2011 zephirine drouhin

2011 zephirine drouhin

2011 zephirine drouhin

2011 zephirine drouhin

2011 zephirine drouhin

2011 zephirine drouhin

2011 zephirine drouhin

2011 zephirine drouhin

2011 zephirine drouhin

2011 zephirine drouhin

On 19 April 2012, a full month earlier than normal, Zephirine Drouhin opened up her first bloom, tying with Double Delight for first of the year.

2012 zephirine drouhin

Toward the end of the 2014 season, Zephirine Drouhin came down with rose rosette virus.  After the horrendous winter of 2014-2015, she didn't awaken at all.  Losing her really hurts!



Last Updated: 03 Mar 2023

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