A royal among roses - this is what they say about the Princess Alexandra rose. The shrub, bred in England, quickly took root not only in the gardens of its native country, but throughout the world. How did the flower win love, is it difficult to care for? Photo of the beauty and a story about her in the article.
Pet English parks, the Princess Alexandra rose is a scrub rose, gardeners willingly use it in the design of their plots flowering plants. Deservedly bearing the name of the cousin of the Queen of England, the flower royally stands out among its relatives with its impressive bush growth, almost up to a meter. The huge flowers attract the eye - their “span” is about 12 cm.
The bizarre color of the buds, closer to lilac, seems to shimmer in the sun, “giving out” many shades from pink to light purple. Some observers describe the color as "luminous". The rose has rather unusual bud petals. Graceful “cutouts” resemble butterfly wings. When half-opened, the bud of 100 petals resembles a water lily. The flower has a well-defined aroma - experts distinguish between lemon and black currant. The princess is also beautiful for its foliage - it is shiny, almost glossy, of a lush green color. This variety blooms several times per season, often repeating buds that are even larger in size than primroses.
Attention! Kent bush has rather thin stems. Under the weight of large flowers, they bend over, so it is recommended to tie them up.
This rose, like all scrub roses, is resistant to cold - it can often be found in Siberian gardens. Although a temperate climate is ideal for this variety.
Planting and care
Attention! When creating flower beds with several tiers, it is recommended to plant the English rose in the first row.
The flower is not too picky about soil, but the rose feels best on loam or black soil soil. Still, the soil should not be depleted, but fertile. The usual time for planting seedlings is April or May, and in the southern zone they can be planted in the fall. Before frost, the bush manages to take root tightly. When choosing a landing site, several factors should be taken into account:
- The planting area should not be “dead”; the place should be well ventilated.
- Groundwater should lie deeper than 1.5 m.
- Ideally, you need to check the acidity of the soil - it should not be too acidic (in this case, “quench” it with lime), nor alkaline (add peat to acidify).
Bushes of this rose variety do not like transplanting; its roots grow deep, almost 1.5 m - digging it out of the ground can cause damage to the root system. For the same reason, make the planting hole deep - about 70 cm. When planting, you need to:
- lay a drainage “cushion” at the bottom of the hole;
- sprinkle with compost;
- pour a heap of soil for planting;
- plant the seedling, carefully distributing the roots;
- fill and compact the rest of the soil.
Attention! It is important that the neck of the rose stem is at least 3 cm underground.
Caring for a royal rose includes activities traditional for all scrubs. Timely watering, pruning branches, preferably three times - in spring, summer and autumn. And, of course, the bush needs to be fed with nutritious fertilizers - mineral and organic.
In the first season of rose flowering, unfortunately, you should carefully trim off the buds that have not yet bloomed. This procedure is necessary to ensure that the plant gets stronger, directing all the nutrition to the stems and foliage. You need to remove the buds all summer, only closer to autumn leave 1 flower on a branch for fruit set.
Rose Princess Alexandra has a non-capricious “character”. Having studied the rules of planting and care, it is not difficult to give the garden a beautiful inhabitant for a long time. Lush flowering, unusual colors will “color” any flower garden.
Princess Alexandra: video
Rose "Princess Alexandra" belongs to the Danish collection "Renaissance", which appeared as a result of the selection of old nostalgic roses and modern abundant flowering varieties. One of the popular representatives of this collection, a hybrid "Alexandra Renaissance", was introduced in 1998 by Poulsen Roser.
The variety has a number of other names:
- Alexandra Renaissance,
- Princess Alexandra Renaissance,
- POULdra, (POUL is an abbreviation of the originator’s surname).
The rose belongs to the hybrid tea group and is listed in catalogs in the “Scrubs” section.
Tip #1. Do not confuse the Danish rose with the English variety "Princess Alexandra of Kent» (AUSmerchant), David Austin, 2007
a brief description of
| Flower color | Raspberry, with a lilac tint |
| Number of flowers on a shoot | 1 PC. |
| Aroma | ❀❀❀ |
| Flower diameter | 10 – 11 cm |
| Bush height | 80 – 120 cm |
| Crown spread width | 120 cm |
| Climate zone (USDA) | 6 (sixth) |
| Winter hardiness | ❄❄ |
| Powdery mildew resistance | ★★ |
| Black spot resistance | ★★ |
| Rain resistance | ☂☂☂ |
| Flowering duration | ☀☀☀ |
| Recommended planting dates | Spring, with an average daily temperature of + 15 0. |
| Note:★ – minimum, ★★★ – maximum. | |
The variety has the following qualities:
- Strong, erect shoots, at the ends of which are formed large flowers with wavy petals. Terry buds consist of25 petals, which are similar to peonies. The original shape of the flower is not typical for most roses.
- Blooms occurs from early summer until frost with short breaks in July and August.
- Aroma– unusually strong and stable.
- Leaves– large, shiny, dark green in color.
- The rose is tall resistance to major rose diseases.
- One of the most resistant varieties to prolonged rains and high humidity.
Flaw:
- Relatively low frost resistance. Foreign sources indicate the recommended growing zone – 7 (seventh), where the maximum low temperatures reach minus 18 0. In other regions, frost protection is required (Read also article ⇒).
Tip #2 . Note! Starting from the fifth climate zone and in colder areas, this variety needs shelter for the winter.
Peculiarities of cultivation in reviews of domestic gardeners from different regions
- Olga Leonidovna (Saratov, zone 4).
I bought two bushes on occasion at a spontaneous market. I didn’t have much hope for them, and planted them at the far end of the garden. In the first year, the rose produced two wonderful buds, the smell of which spread over 5 m. No other variety in my garden has such a wonderful aroma. Now, I’ll transplant them closer to home, especially since they bloom beautifully and for a long time.
- Tatyana Timofeevna (Rostov-on-Don, zone 6).
A neat, upright bush with an almost symmetrical crown. The branches are directed strictly upward, at the ends there are large crimson flowers. But they don’t last long, in hot weather in a half-open state for two or three days. As soon as the bud opens completely, the petals immediately fall off. They write about the rose that it is intended for cutting, but in my bouquets it does not last long for a couple of days and quickly fades.
- Svetlana Anatolyevna (Lida, zone 5).
"Princess Alexandra" blooms almost continuously, in three waves. Although the buds fade quite quickly, new ones appear afterward, so the bush never looks empty.
For 5 years the rose has not been sick even once. It tolerates cloudy weather and prolonged rains much better than other varieties.
For the winter I cover it with severe frosts. More often it overwinters without protection, only branches up to 25 cm and spud.
Category: “Questions and answers”
Question No. 1.
What roses can replace this variety?
Any other from the Danish Renaissance series, they are all similar in their biological properties. Are different decorative qualities. Domestic gardeners distinguish the following varieties:
- "Amie Renaissance" (Amie Renaissance / Melany Renaissance),
- "Bella Renaissance"
- "Bonita Renaissance"
- "Clara Renaissance"
- "Helena Renaissance"
- "Lina Renaissance"
- "Maria Renaissance"
- "Nancy Renaissance"
- "Nina Renaissance"
- "Sandra Renaissance"
- "Sophia Renaissance"
- "Susan Renaissance"
Question No. 2.
If the Princess Alexandra variety is resistant to diseases, is it possible not to carry out preventive treatment?
The “Princess Alexandra” rose has strong, erect shoots that cannot be bent down for shelter, so for the winter they are cut to a height of 25-30 cm. Cut shoots and dry leaves are disposed of to prevent the development of pathogens and pests. Then the bush is processed protective equipment. This work is carried out in October (in zone 4).
With the onset of stable cold in November, the rose is covered with grassland peat or fertile soil. Sprinkle as high as possible. It is ideal if the shoots are completely sprinkled.
In particularly cold winters, install the frame at a distance of 5–10 cm from the bush and cover it with protective material, such as spunbond. In this form, roses overwinter until spring.
Based on materials from the book “Secrets of Growing Roses”, author Z.K. Klimenko– Doctor of Biological Sciences.
Which David Austin rose has the largest flowers? It seems to me that this title may well bear him Princess Alexandra. If I'm wrong, please correct me.
It is clear who the variety is named after - Princess Alexandra of Kent, a noble gardener, a passionate lover of roses and cousin of the Queen of Great Britain. Rosa Princess Alexandra of Kent really has huge flowers– it seems to me that they can reach 15 cm in diameter. The shade of pink is also unusual - warm and somehow glowing...
The flower is densely double, cup-shaped. At the same time, small petals of a more saturated shade are collected in the center, they are framed by larger and lighter petals. Maybe this gives the impression that the rose is glowing?
Due to the fact that the flowers are large and the flowering is abundant, I have to tie this rose up. By the way, re-blooming is also abundant.
The bush is not tall; Austin advises planting this rose in groups of three. My onna sits alone in the middle of other islands.
And it looks great together with pink diascias.
Austin describes the smell as follows: the exquisite aroma of a tea rose, surprisingly, with the age of the flower completely changes to lemon; Sometimes you can catch notes of black currant. There is no adding or subtracting here. And even a furry bumblebee - on a fragrant rose)))
I have always been interested in looking at a single flower roses Princess Alexandra of Kent in development. Here is a neatly folded bud, similar to the bud of a hybrid tea rose.
It begins to open up. Look how the petals are arranged - what geometry!
The half-open cup-shaped flower resembles a water lily.
Here it is fully revealed. Still the same geometry)))
Rose Princess Alexandra of Kent was created by David Austin in 2007, and over the past decade has spread widely throughout the world. This exquisite beauty grows well in the south, in the middle zone and even in Siberia, and caring for it is no more difficult than caring for other scrubs.
The Princess Alexandra of Kent rose is named after the current Queen's cousin, Princess Alexandra, who was an avid gardener and lover of roses. A true Englishman, David Austin would not allow the princess's name to be used if his rose was even the least bit sloppy or vulgar. This variety the best way combines the exquisite grace of the bush, the bright warm pink color of luxurious double flowers, and an amazing aroma that changes during flowering.
The bush can be up to 100 cm high and up to 60 cm wide. Straight slender shoots can withstand the weight of one flower, but can bend slightly under heavy inflorescences. The medium-sized, semi-glossy dark green leaves complement the colors of the many cupped flowers.
The bud captivates with the grace of its form; when opening, it amazes with its geometric perfection, and the opened flower with 90–100 petals, bright inside and lighter outside, cannot but delight in its luxury. It is often called luminous, perhaps because of the warm pink center and light outer petals folded like a collar. To the traditional rich tea aroma When the flower blooms, lemon notes are added, and towards the end of flowering – blackcurrant notes.
Princess Alexandra of Kent is a drought-resistant variety that tolerates wintering well under cover in severe frosts, very rarely gets sick, and blooms again.
Video “How to prune roses correctly”
In this video, an expert will tell you how and when to prune roses in the garden.
Planting and care
Rose of England Princess Alexandra of Kent prefers fertile, breathable and slightly acidic soils and grows well in black soil or loamy soils. Gardeners middle zone(and further north) they plant it on the plot in the spring, when the earth is completely warmed up, most often this is April or May. In the south, you can plant it in the fall, so that it takes root before frost.
It is advisable to choose a place protected from drafts with groundwater no closer than 1-1.5 m.
David Austin grafts his roses onto his signature rootstock with a strong taproot that can reach 1.5m, so it's best to plant them on a hill. For the same reason, they do not tolerate transplants well, so comfortable spot you need to choose right away. These plants love the sun, but aggressive midday rays can cause burns and disfigure the delicate petals. Therefore, it is best if the rose hides in the light partial shade of taller plants in the afternoon.
The planting hole is dug to a depth of 80–90 cm, a drainage layer is arranged at the bottom, humus and compost are laid on it, and a mound of garden soil is placed on top, on which the roots of the seedling are placed. Carefully compacting the soil, fill the hole, make sure that the root collar has dropped 3 cm below ground level, water abundantly, and mulch. Before planting, exposed roots can be soaked in water or a growth stimulator solution and dipped in a clay mash. If they are dry or damaged, they are cut back to healthy tissue.
If the soil is too heavy, it will not allow water and air to pass through well enough, so it is advisable to mix it with peat, sand, and compost. Too light sandy soil it is not nutritious enough for roses, it heats up very quickly in the hot summer, so it is improved with black soil and clay. Lime is added if the soil is too acidic, and neutral is mixed with peat, because this rose loves slightly acidic soil.
Abundantly flowering bush needs nutrition, so the soil is fertilized before planting. In spring, to accelerate growth, give nitrogen fertilizers, and after the start of flowering - potassium-phosphorus. Fertilizers are usually diluted with water, poured under the bush after watering to avoid burning the roots, and the next day the soil is carefully loosened. Rose responds well to fertilizers with humus or a solution of fermented manure, preferably horse manure.
The first year of a seedling's life in a permanent place is best spent on root growth, so the buds need to be cut off. Only by the end of August experienced flower growers leave 1-2 flowers, let them bloom completely, even form seeds - this way the plant will better prepare for winter.
Alexandra Georgievna (1870 - 1891), first wife of Grand Duke Pavel Alexandrovich, younger brother of Emperor Alexander III.
Princess Alexandra as a child 
Greek King George with his wife, Queen Olga (Olga Konstantinovna Romanova) and children. Alexandra stands behind her father.
Alexandra's grandparents, the Danish King Christian IX and Queen Louise (their son Prince Christian Wilhelm Ferdinand Adolf George at the age of seventeen was invited to the Greek throne and became King George)
Princess Alexandra
Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich, Russian grandfather of Princess Alexandra
Alexandra in Greek attire
Grand Duke Pavel Alexandrovich, groom of Princess Alexandra
Paul visiting the Greek royal family
Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna, Alexandra's grandmother. In the photo there is an inscription: "To the dear husband of my granddaughter Pavel from grandmother Alexandra. 1888"
Pavel Alexandrovich and Alexandra Georgievna
Don't sing, don't praise
Grand Duke's porphyry,
Tell me about your first love
And raise the strings of the lyre:
Who is the young maiden's heart
Did you make me tremble for the first time?
Isn't it you, daring knight,
Handsome, royal horseman, Pavel?
Fabulous dream creations
Your chosen one has eclipsed
Three generations of beauty
The queen's daughter combined.
Promising days of bliss to the couple,
Before her our lips grow numb, -
Flowers, lovers like them,
There are no two more beautiful in the world.
Ode by Afanasy Fet on the occasion of the wedding of Grand Duke Pavel Alexandrovich and Princess Alexandra Georgievna
Palace of Grand Duke Pavel Alexandrovich on the English Embankment in St. Petersburg
Festive decoration of the palace in honor of the wedding of Pavel and Alexandra
Alexandra with her mother, Queen Olga, and daughter Maria
Alexandra with Ella, Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna, wife of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich
Ella and Alexandra in Ilyinsky
Ella and Alexandra on "giant steps"
In August 1891, Alexandra, who was expecting her second child, was vacationing on the estate of Sergei and Ella Ilyinskoye near Moscow. The holiday was wonderful - Alexandra, although she was seven months pregnant, walked a lot, danced, played outdoor games, rode a boat... There were no signs of trouble, but the young woman suddenly began having a difficult, premature birth. After several days of torture, Alexandra died. Her newborn son, named Dmitry, was saved and went out... (Dmitry Pavlovich went down in history as one of the conspirators who killed Rasputin).
Pavel Alexandrovich, Sergei Alexandrovich and Ella with children left without a mother
Alexandra's children - Maria and Dmitry
The death of young Alexandra plunged into grief not only the House of Romanov, but representatives of other royal dynasties who were related to her, who knew and loved her well.
Afanasy Fet paid tribute to the memory of the Grand Duchess in poetry.