Margaret - Re your photo of February 9. It is really good you have captured those orange yellow center tones that only appear for me, sometimes, in summer.

“Mrs. Frances Pickles” was given to me by Mrs. Helen Hall of Manjimup, Western Australia. Her first mother-in-law was Mrs. Frances Pickles and I have given the rose a study name of the original owner. Mrs. Pickles gave the rose to the Mt. Barker Police Station Historical complex garden. I was unable to find the rose there and believe it may have been lost. My cutting came from the daughter-in-law, Mrs. Helen Hall, who took a cutting herself of Mrs. Pickles original rose and it still grows in Helen’s garden. When I have called in there, it is not a vigorous rose but the Hall’s are often away, and the rose has had to care for itself. The family story that came with it was that it was “growing in 1912”. It grows quite well for me in Northcliffe and is an upright bush of four feet high. It flowers in repeating fashion, and is not continuous. The first flush in December usually balls and it looks disgusting. The summer flush, at the end of our second month of summer, is superb. This rose has a fleeting yellow, or orange flush in the center of the bloom – sometimes. It may be just after a heatwave when things cool down a bit but I have never really studied what brings on the orange. Mostly it is a luscious creamy blush colour. It is mostly thornless on the upper part of the bush with some large and smaller prickles on the bottom foot of the bush. The thorns do not break off cleanly. Occasionally I have seen large clusters of blooms. There are very few under-midrib of the leaf prickles, if any. Foliage is mid green.

I am still wondering if it could be ‘Antoine Rivoire’ 1895, however the 1902 photo shows sepals reflexing right back down against the stem and I don’t think “Mrs. Frances Pickles” reflex like that. Can anyone confirm for me that my rose is / is not 'Antoine Rivoire'

I don’t think it could be 'Monsieur Joseph Hill' 1903 as that had dark bronzy foliage.

Perhaps it is not 'Lady Greenall' 1911 as the one bud picture available shows sepals which are not quite foliated enough.

I am stuck on 'St. Helena' 1912. The family wording may have been distorted with the years from “bred in 1912” to “growing in 1912”. There are a few references on Helpmefind in which I see similarities to my foundling, particularly the orange/yellow which sometimes appears.

I am also wondering if “Mrs. Frances Pickles” could be the same as “St. Helena Cemetery Very Double HT”. It may be possibly, even likely, that someone living in the town of St. Helena, would buy a rose called ‘St. Helena’. Are there any more pictures of “St. Helena Cemetery Very Double HT” available.