I just came across and uploaded a pretty good colour photograph of 'Souvenir of Stella Gray' from 1917. Anyone who grows "Stiff Lady Roberts"/"Lady Roberts (NZ)" might like to take a look and compare. In my mind 'Souv. of Stella Gray' is the most likely candidate for this rose, and the 1917 photo does nothing much to contradict this for me. The only thing in the photo that I haven't seen on my plant or on any of the photos here is the zig-zagging formation of a couple of the stems. Otherwise, pretty much a match. Hoping others might weigh in.
"Stiff Lady Roberts" is one of the few Teas you could realistically put on top of a stick. That said, not all gardeners or nurserymen are realistic. Receptacle are variable, leaves are variable, flower colour is variable. Not an easy one to pin down. My young plant does have a bit of zigzagging. Let's hope someone visiting Araluen will check the established plant there.
Margaret, thanks for replying. Yes, I agree it would make a good standard. I also hope someone photographs the Araluen plant. I got my "Stiff Lady Roberts" only last year, so now that we have a good early photo of a whole plant of 'Souvenir of Stella Gray' I'll watch my plant over time and see how it compares, especially the foliage.
From the description page: 'The scent becomes unpleasant as the flower ages.'
I haven't noticed that on mine. The scent just fades, but doesn't seem to get unpleasant as such. It starts to smell more like vegetation than 'floral' the more it fades, but it's not what I would call unpleasant.
OK, that's definitely not what mine does. No trace of carnation/clove as the bloom ages, or not that I have noticed. Mine seems to go more like lawn clippings. The rose/Tea/floral notes fade out, and it just smells like vegetation.
Although it is interesting that SoSG is supposed to have mildew-proof foliage. There has been quite a bit of milge rampaging around my place recently, but I haven't noticed any on Lady Roberts's stiff. Will take another look tomorrow.
(I can't help thinking that Stiff Lady Roberts is an unfortunate choice of study name.)
"(I can't help thinking that Stiff Lady Roberts is an unfortunate choice of study name.)"
I'm glad I wasn't the only one thinking that! :-D
On a more serious note, the more references I read about 'Souvenir Of Stella Gray', the more it seems to me to match "Stiff Lady Roberts", or at least there isn't anything in the references to serious contradict such an identity.
I have a vague memory of a conversation that when the tea ladies first saw this rose at Ruston’s labelled ‘Lady Roberts’. someone commented something like “stiff cheddar” on the impertinence of this incorrect labelling. Adding Stiff before the name allowed one to distinguish the correct and the incorrect 'Lady Roberts'.
HubertG, I am fairly convinced too, but we need to sit and wait for others to add their thoughts. I have put a Note in both the "Stiff Lady Roberts" and 'Souvenir of Stella Gray' files.
Thanks, Patricia. Even though I do think that 'Souvenir of Stella Gray' is the most likely contender for "Stiff Lady Roberts" true identity, I'd hate for anyone to start calling it that, in case it isn't.
I do want to return to Rookwood after the covid lockdown and reassess this orange foundling Tea growing there, as going by my memory of it and looking at the photos of "Stiff Lady Roberts", I don't think they are the same rose, and there were never too many orange Teas.
Lastly, I found the following 1939 newspaper article interesting. From the 'Townsville Daily Bulletin' 21 Feb. 1939, page 5:
"ROSES OF MANY YEARS AGO. [...] There is before the writer a rose catalogue of 1915.[...] Tea roses were once grown extensively, but of the 40 varieties listed, only Lady Hillingdon, Mrs. Herbert Stevens and occasionally Souv. de Stella Gray are asked for today."
It goes to show that 'Souvenir of Stella Gray' must have had enough appealing qualities to survive the classical Tea period in the company of those other two great survivors.
The 1907 reference for 'Souvenir of Stella Gray' from 'Gardening Illustrated' mentions purple stems and handsome dark foliage something which seems to match "Stiff Lady Roberts". That reference also calls it a Hybrid Tea, although 'Souvenir of Stella Gray' is usually classed as a Tea, so perhaps it was a HT with a lot of Tea blood. In any case, the photos of "Stiff Lady Roberts" do seem to show some characteristics of both a Tea and a Hybrid Tea. It does look like a lovely rose.
