Kathleen Harrop

I would like to introduce you to Kathleen Harrop. The story of this wonderful rose begins with a Bourbon rose by the name of 'Zephirine Drouhin', a thornless Bourbon with vivd pink and sweetly scented blooms which was raised in 1868 in France by Bizot. It is most often grown as a climber and produces blooms continuously through summer into autumn.

Kathleen Harrop is a sport of Zephirine Drouhin and was introduced in 1919 by Dickson. She has wonderfully scented double blooms of soft pink which are much lighter than that of Zephirine Drouhin. The plant as a whole is less vigorous but much more attractive to my eye, and when in bloom will stop anybody in their tracks with its sheer beauty and a perfume that carries gently on the breeze. The flowers are also continuous into the autumn and I would highly recommend putting one in your garden if you have the space. Here at Mottisfont the best place to see Kathleen Harrop is in the Frameyard where she grows on a west facing wall directly to the left of the large white gates. It can also be grown as a large shrub if pruned well and given enough space.