The Fairy is a fantastic polyantha rose, that has stood the test of time. It is so easy to grow and over the years forms a dense shrubby mound, that completely covers the ground.
Bred in 1931 by Ann Bentall in England by crossing Paul Crampel x Lady Gay (The latter being a Wichuriana hybrid). The Wichuriana ancestry is clearly seen by the small shiny leaves and lax growth, that in warmer climates almost makes the rose a small climber. It is extremely disease resistant, in fact I have only seen it getting a little mildew some places.
It has become one of the most popular roses here in Denmark. So popular that many are beginning to get tired of seeing this 'landscape rose' everywhere. I really like using this dependable work horse rose for low rose hedges, as ground cover rose and even in mixed borders. The flowers are small, but it is not for the individual flowers people grow this rose, but for the mass effect of the many small flowers. It also only has a very light apple scent.
It starts blooming a little later than most roses, but blooms continuously until frost and snow cover the roses. In spite of this, the rose is very hardy (USDA zone 4). And also does well in warmer climates and stands hot weather. The rose hangs on to its petals, but it is not necessary to deadhead the wilting dried flowers. Just use a broom and shake flowers off a few times during the season. The Fairy is very easy to prune, in fact a hedge trimmer is very useful, to trim it a bit every spring, if needed. The first 3 years I don´t prune it since I want it to cover the ground. After that I prune away the top third of the canes each spring.
4 years ago I used fairy roses to landscape a small front garden belonging to a elder couple, who because of health problems found it hard to work in the garden as much as they used to. They wanted something that flowered all summer and was very low maintainance. The small area underneath the red japanese maple tree was full of perennial weeds that they had given up fighting against. I suggested using Fairy roses for ground cover, used a landscape fabric to cover the ground (And kill the perennial weeds), planted 7 fairy roses and mulched with 3 inches of wood chip mulch. 4 years later it looks like this:
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13 comments:
You had me at "Easy to care for". I love pink roses, this looks like a great one.
I have a Fairy and a JM, but not together. They soon will be, however. I like the results photo.
I once saw a number of fairy tree roses in large urns at the ARS in Shreveport, LA. They were magnificent.
I love our little fairy. It is so pretty and hardy.
I have this polyantha. One of the very few roses I tolerate here. It is so easy and beautiful. Hedge trimmers work good on it too. Just wish the breeders could do something with those durned thorns! Just got stuck this morning!
How beautiful, and perfectly named.
I like the Fairy very much; it's pretty and it starts to bloom when many other roses already have given up. Even though it's a common rose, I think the Fairy is a breathtaking sight - especially when planted next to a gravel or stone.
/Katarina
That was a very thoughtful plant selection for that couple. I am sure they must have been delighted with this colorful and easy plant. As always, you provide such great information on the history and habits of this rose.
Regards,
Philip
I grow Fairy Rose and had wondered about deadheading and pruning! Thank you for this post about my favorite rose!
gail
clay and limestone
Niels, I was just looking out my back door and saw 'The Fairy' this morning. It is so dependable that I sometimes forget it's there. I love what you did for the older couple. Very natural and beautiful.~~Dee
Hej Niels!
Du har just gett mig ett bra tips på marktäckare! 'The Fairy' kommer att bli jättefin i slänten tillsammans med lavendel, nävor och kantnepeta. Har även planterat 'New Dawn' och 'Awakening' där. Kanske att det blir så himla fint som jag tror?!
I have just planted four & wait in eager anticipation,.:-),
I have The Fairy - Shrub in my garden for the second summer and do not have flowers. I use compost and mulch and the plant gets plenty of sunlight and water. I think I have a dud. Help. Linda
I used fairy roses to half encircle my japanese maple. The deer love the maple but now need to get over the roses which helps a bit. Eileen
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