Introducing ‘Félicité Parmentier’ Alba Rose

I’ve been debating with myself for the past few months as to whether or not to share ‘Félicité Parmentier’ with you. Let’s face it, these photos don’t really show this rose in her best light; that is, she can be susceptible to powdery mildew and her blooms ball in wet weather which you can see here. I didn’t want these photos to give you the wrong impression, though, because in spite of her “flaws” I absolutely love this rose. ‘Félicité Parmentier’ blooms in the perfect shade of pink, deeper in the centers and fading to just a whisper on her outer petals. The leaves are very serrated, appearing as though cut from tiny fairy scissors, quite charming really. Even though ours is still small (less than 3 feet at the time I am writing this) she bloomed heavily last June with strongly scented blossoms and for the rest of the summer put out healthy new growth (the powdery mildew resolved itself) even in a less-than-ideal sunlight condition. This is one of our roses where I am very excited to see what she does next year after having another season under her belt. And next time, I will be sure to take better photos!

PS: You may be interested to know that the American Rose Society rates ‘Félicité Parmentier’ as an 8.6, that is, a “very good to excellent rose…one recommended without hesitation.” So there you go!