There has always been a debate of how far back the history of roses go, but fossil evidence found in Colorado in 1962 suggests that roses were on earth as far back as 35 million years ago. 

Roses originated predominantly in the Middle East and Asia, with smaller numbers in North America and North Africa. 

The cultivation of roses is thought to have started in the Middle East and China between 2000 and 5000 years ago, but these roses bare very little resemblance to the roses we have grown to love today. 

The original roses tended to have unruly, scrambling branches while producing a simple, five petaled, fragrant, open faced flower in early summer and hips in winter. These were deciduous but hardy plants, being very resistant to pests and diseases.

It is believed that the first roses to be hybridised to enhance repeat flowering and fragrance were bread by the Chinese in the 19th century, making China the birth place of the modern rose. 

And so, all roses that have been known to have existed prior to 1867 are classified as Old Fashion or Heritage Roses.

Here at Wagner's we are committed to preserving the Old Fashioned varieties and making them available to our customers year after year. 

Wagner’s features favorites such as Blanc Double de Coubert - a Rugosa Hybrid with large white semi-double blooms and many thorns (like all Rugosas!). Crisp white blooms with strong fragrance makes her still a popular choice. 

(top right picture)

Rosa Mundi is an old Gallica rose from the early 17th century: pink and white striped in a bushy compact shrub, flowering in Spring time only.

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Souvenir De La Malmaison, which has the prestige of being inducted into the ‘Old Rose Hall of Fame’, and was named after the palace of Empress Josephine Bonaparte to honour her garden and the largest collection of roses in the world. Her large soft pink double blooms unfold in a quartered rosette and repeats well throughout Spring and Summer.

(bottom right picture)

2023 will see the addition of more varieties to our catalogue such as:

Mrs Dunlop-Best, bred by Elisha J Hicks in 1916

Baron de Wassenaer, bred by Victor Verdier in France in 1854

Felicite Parmentie, bred by Louis-Joseph-Ghislain Parmentier in Belgium before in 1836

General Kleber, bred by M Robert in France in 1856

Joasine Hanet (Damask), bred by Jean-Pierre Vibert in France in 1847

Lady Penzance, bred by Lord Penzance in the United Kingdom in 1894

Mme Driout 1902 – discovered by J Thiriat in France before 1901

White Rose of York – discovered by an unknown person before 1629

Plus many more exquisite and rare gems that will always have a place in any garden.

At Wagner’s Rose Nursery, we have the largest collection of Old Fashioned Roses, that will increase each year as Brian sources hard-to-find varieties.

Brian simplifies the process for pruning bush roses to three basic steps.

1.  Remove half the height of each stem.
2.  Cut out any old, dead wood.
3.  Prune the rose bush to shape.

He is confident that this process will result in beautiful blooms and a healthy bush, without any need to worry about pruning to outward facing buds.

For older bushes, cut out any central canes that look too close to each other or are spindly, and remove spent leaf matter from the middle of the plant.

To watch Brian prune according to these principles, click to our tutorial videos:

- how to prune a bush rose

- how to prune a standard rose

Pruning climbing roses can seem a bit daunting.

When you’ve finally trained the plant to the height you want, it’s important to make sure you don’t undo all the hard work by being over-enthusiastic!

It’s important to train the rose in the direction you want it to grow, encouraging the central canes to grow towards the trellis or support.

Canes that don’t easily follow this pattern should be pruned away, as should any dead or old wood, as well as canes that are diseased or crossing over.

Just be sure not to remove the vigorous new growth.

Flowers will be produced by the canes that grow laterally.

Ideally, these should be spaced 30-40 cm apart, and can be secured by a soft tie to maintain their shape.

Whether you’re pruning a bush rose, a standard or a climbing rose, please remember to clean up all the old leaf matter and debris from the surrounding area, as this will minimize the chances of disease.

Our sales season is getting very busy and we've already sold out at least 30% of our rose varieties. 

Among the roses still in stock, this month we'd like to mention these beauties, that we are sure could perfectly fill that empty spot in your garden...

Bordeaux

Great for mass plantings or for a splash of colour. This wine-red floribunda has abundant, large double-cupped blooms accompanied by a subtle fragrance. Gold and Silver medal winner. 

It's Brian Wagner's favorite border and hedging rose.

Life of the Party

This is a unique variety, that brings joy and fun to any garden. Old style blooms grow in clusters showing different colours and shapes as they age: they start as cupped flowers in soft yellow that change to light pink when fully opened, with many petals and yellow stamens.

Kindred Spirits

With a blend of pinks, oranges, apricots, yellows and creams, Kindred Spirit has ever-changing characteristics. Subtle colour changes along with differing heart shaped formations at its centre make this a truly remarkable floribunda rose, that grows in a compact bush.

Elodie Gossuin

This beautiful French rose is extremely healthy, producing very full, ruffle-petalled blooms deep pink in colour. 

It grows upright, it has a powerful, tea rose and vanilla fragrance, with notes of citrus, and it's a great cut flower variety. 

(pictured on the right)

Strawberry Daiquiri

Strawberry Daiquiri is a profuse flowering floribunda capable of producing in excess of 20 blooms per stem. Rich strawberry in colour, it is ideal for mass planting providing a brilliant display of colour. The blooms have a mild fruity fragrance of nectarine as a bonus. 

(see images below)

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Our nursery is closed to public in Winter time, as we are busy digging plants, but you can always contact us during our office hours:

ph 08 87393321

[email protected] 

Office hours: 

Monday to Thursday, from 9am to 3pm

Friday, from 9am to 1pm