Growing ‘Madame Plantier’ or ‘The Bride’s Rose’
The Mister and I like to play a game where we describe, in great detail, our “someday” home. Of course, I have the Someday Garden designed down to the square foot. 🙂 It’s a fun way to pass the time, and it never hurts to dream, right? The thing that keeps me lying awake at night, though, is what on earth we’ll do with our roses when the time comes to leave our little rental and our makeshift garden. In the past, I’ve vacillated between the idea of leaving them behind to the other extreme of renting a moving truck just for them but I’ve finally decided that unless we move out of the country (not out of the question) I hope to find a way to bring as many as possible with us. (Although our collection of roses is still very small, it’s truly an excellent bunch and most will be difficult, if not also terribly expensive, to replace.) Some days I feel a bit like a curator of a fine art collection. Do you ever feel that way about the plants in your garden?
But enough about me, let’s talk about ‘Madame Plantier’: a lovely Alba blend described by Vintage Gardens as “a favorite of Vita-Sackville West” is rapidly becoming one of my favorites, too. ‘Madame Plantier’, also referred to as The Bride’s Rose, was introduced by Plantier (France) in 1835 and, typical of Alba roses, can withstand less-than-ideal sunlight conditions so for us, it’s perfect for an area of our garden that gets morning sun and dappled afternoon shade. Ours is still young, only in it’s second year, but this season has produced lots of healthy new growth and last May (when these photos were taken) was covered with pretty white blossoms. I’ve read that ‘Madame Plantier’ can get very tall and wide with arching canes. I’m starting to see that kind of habit already (so, again, can’t wait to move her into a more permanent location.) ‘Madame Hardy’, another one of my favorites, was blooming at the same time and I was surprised to see how similar their flowers looked, although the habit/foliage/buds are different, so I photographed them side-by-side. (see below) ‘Madame Hardy’ has slightly larger blossoms and the petals are arranged more “quartered” but both have the green button eye which I love so much.
Do you grow ‘Madame Plantier’? Any tips you’d like to share?
I got very sick a few years ago and had to sell my home, leaving behind my garden. Now that I am finally recovering, I dream of filling a new space with new plants I can cherish and tend to. Just last month, I put on my big girl panties and took a drive past the old place, and was stunned to see that not only has the young man who bought my old house taken very good care of the plants, he has added to it, and put far more effort into the property than I was able to muster. Finding that was an answered prayer.
I’ve never tried my hand at roses. Yours are gorgeous, and certainly inspire me to make an attempt.
Thank you for this wonderful comment, Mimi! It’s a such a beautiful reminder that although we may be sad about leaving a garden behind, it may very well be the light and joy for it’s new caretaker. 🙂 Wishing you the best of health and a happy space for you to tend your new garden. Definitely do try roses!
Very beautiful roses! I myself moved into a new home last year and have wanted to plant some roses. I have been looking around for the right roses to plant. Once I think I know what I want, I see something else like these that catch my eye. I think I may just have a big rose garden by the time I’m done! 🙂
Hi Anita! Be careful, once you’re bit by the rose bug, there is no known cure. 😉
Interesting love mdm plantier I have an idea for a shade corner is the scent interesting too? Vsw ❤
I know it’s classified as a “strong fragrance” but to me, it’s a light and sweet scent. 🙂
Hi I’ve been planting roses of different kinds in the front, side and the back of my home which we bought about a year and half ago. Like you said, once the rose bug infects ya, you’re pretty much affected by it for life. Nothing else will do.
Question is can Madame plantier take a lot of sun like most roses do? I know it can handle shade but the area I want to saturate it with gets lots of afternoon/evening sun.
Now Imagine a 30feet by 10feet dirt patch next to the front of the house entry way with only madam plantier and a couple of lavender bushes for accent not forgetting the 4 feet tall 2-3 feet wide water fountain that has doves on top.
Hang in there. Photos will be available soon I hope 🙂
Hi Stam–yes I’m imagining it and it sounds awesome!
I’m sure Mme Plantier would do beautifully in full-sun, and since her blossoms are already pure white you wouldn’t need to worry about them bleaching out as some roses do. Ours is only in it’s 3rd (?) year and is getting pretty big even in it’s shadier spot so in full sunlight I could see her reaching house-eater size very quickly. 😉 I love this old photo from The American Rose Annual; you get a real sense for how big this rose can get. Thanks for stopping by!
Hi, and thanks for the description and beautiful photos. I am contemplating buying a specimen of ‘Mme Plantier’, but I am worried about mildew and blackspot in my very enclosed little walled garden. As you garden organically, I’d love to know how you are getting on with her healthwise, after a few years of growing?
Thanks!
Hi there! This is one of the roses in our garden where I have seen ZERO disease. No mildew, no blackspot, nada. The leaves are spotless (even growing in a semi-shaded area.) So definitely one I would recommend if that’s a concern! 😀
We planted our Madame Plantier about 8-9 years ago and it is a MONSTER (in the best sense of the word). Seriously, the bush sends out canes that grow 4+ feet, and flop over onto the ground. We have to brutally cut it back each year in order to control its legginess.
That being said, it is my absolute favorite: the bush is covered with the sweetest smelling gorgeous white blooms. Just a few in a bud vase perfume a whole room. The leaves are an attractive “leaf green” all year long, and the canes are virtually thornless. And NO disease – ever. I’ve never sprayed. I don’t even think they get bothered by Japanese beetles. My only complaint is that it only blooms once a year – from late may to about mid June.
Hi Shannon! I love your description of Mme. Plantier! It sounds like how mine is looking now, too, and that was only in about 4-5 years. Crazy! Never had any problem with disease, pests, etc…it just grows and grows. I wish the flowers lasted longer in a vase but boy when it blooms it’s a real showstopper. Thank you so much for visiting and for your comment! 🙂
Have grown Madame Plantier in my old home; now moved to a bigger ( 1 acre) garden and am running amok with roses ! Madame Plantier and companion rose Charles de Mills (gallica) will be subject to an experimental pegging & training I’ve got planned for the Autumn. I used to live near Sissinghurst Garden & noted the way they trained their roses around bent hazel ‘ cages’. I also have Madame Hardy (damask) which seems even more vigorous than Madame Plantier in growth habit. Madame Plantier has no button eye to speak of, whereas Madame Hardy has a distinctive geen eye which looks very pretty. Have brought roses from Kent up to North Wales as I couldn’t bear to leave them behind. If anyone is looking for a truly lovely and unusual rose, I would highly recommend ‘ Baron Girod de L’Ain’ – a hybrid perpetual of deep red/puple colouring with frilled petals edged in white. The flowers are well-formed in a cup shape, last for ages and bloom in profusion; it also boasts a strong old-fashioned perfume reminiscent of the old favourite ‘Crimson Glory’.
Sue thank you so much for sharing your experience with us! It sounds like you have a beautiful garden. I’ve added Baron Girod de L’Ain to my wishlist! 🙂
Mme Plantier will often flower again if cut back fairly strongly immediately after the first Bloom
This is really interesting! Can you tell me what hardiness zone you’re in?
Auckland NZ.
I think it depends on how early the first flowering is and how soon I get round to trimming them. (Hedge clippers down to about half to three quarters of a metre at the moment) I have three bushes that are just now flowering or in one case starting to flower.
I think I must have trimmed them late this year so I don’t expect they will have time to flower again in the new year, but I will let you know if they do. For comparison the two Jaques Cartier roses are nearly over their first flowering already, ( clipped to 2/3 of a metre at present) but it’s been a very late and cold spring this year.
I’ve been getting rid of a lot of my old fashioned roses as I’m getting too old to look after them all, but I’ve just moved my favourite “Crepuscule” into the front border to keep me busy.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experiences with us. That’s super helpful and I just might give that a try this year with my Mme Plantier for a second round of blooms. 🙂 Crépuscule is definitely a keeper!
12th of February. Re the Mme Plantier reflowering.
The largest of the three which is only about a metre tall at the highest cane has five buds. Of the other two, which are much smaller (I think cuttings from the larger one) there is one flower just now in bloom.
Thank you, Mike, good to know!
I moved the Crepuscule to replace the most beautiful elegant white rose I’ve ever seen, Dupontii.
A single rose strongly musk scented and creamy white which flowered in large petalled musk rose like clusters which grew into a large over six foot bush when trimmed to shape, but which unfortunately only flowered once a year in the spring, and only very sparsely even after quite a few years growing in the same spot in my garden.
I don’t think it’s classified as a Musk rose, but it obviously has strong musk rose heritage. For me it was everything a musk rose should be. I still miss it. If I’d had more room I’d have kept it if just to see those exquisite flowers once a year.
I was not familiar with Dupontii but I just looked it up on HMF and it is a real looker. I just love those open-faced roses so much. Thank you for sharing it with all of us and I hope you are able to get another one someday! 🙂
I just got three small pint-sized container Madame Plantier roses planted late yesterday afternoon. They’re from High Country roses in Colorado. They came a few days ago and I watered them a little and kept them in a sunny window until I could plant them.
Joe, central Iowa
How wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Joe! 🙂
Hi there from NZ. I have Plantier. She was grown many years ago from a cutting we took off a neglected section across from ours. Every time I have moved (3times) I have taken a cutting or two. Where I now live the soil is heavy and wet in the winter and roses do really well (I have ended up with more than I ever thought I would) Again my ones have come from a couple of cuttings I took as I left my last house. They strike easily , and its such a great doer that I have it in multiple places all from cuttings , if I have to many there is always someone happy to be given one. All I ever do is give it a copper spray in winter when I am doing the stone fruit and a couple of feeds a year (if i remember ) that’s it, its an easy one to care for. Mine are in flower now as we head into summer. A lovely rose.