“What I need most of all are flowers, always, always.”

The great Impressionists painters emerged in 1870’s France and were known for rejecting the strict rules of fine art and looking at the world in new ways. Instead of realistic portraits in a studio, these painters thought they could use the light’s fleeting nature from the sun in front of their subjects, outside. This brought about more awareness of light and colour. The brushwork became quick and in short dabs to depict light and sun.

The painters Camille Pissarro, Henri Matisse and Paul Cézanne, used little touches of pure colour, their individual brush strokes blending to produce the colour they desired when their work was viewed from a certain distance. This was the inspiration of French rose breeder Monsieur Henri Delbard in creating new roses that blended several colours, almost like a hand-painted rose. The result is a range of magnificent roses that almost look unreal because they are so beautiful in their multitude of colours.

“There is nothing more difficult for a truly creative painter than to paint a rose, because before he can do so he has first to forget all the roses that were ever painted” Henri Matisse

Today the French Delbard family, George and Chabert from Paris have released a range of roses that grow well in Australian gardens, even though rose growers have had Delbard French roses since the 1950s. These are the current painters series in my garden. I must admit when I first saw these roses; I didn’t like them. They have grown on me, so to speak, and I love the striped look and contrasted colours now.

Painters Series in my garden 2020 and 2021

Alfred Sisley Camille Pissarro, Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Henri Matisse, Maurice Utrillo , Paul Cezanne are the roses named after Impressionist painters. There are also other roses that look like impressionist painted roses in this range such as La Vien Rose, Mitsouko, Guy Savoy, Grimaldi and Pink Intuition.

“The painter unfolds that which has not been seen.”
Paul Cezanne

In Winter 2019, the remaining Delbard Painters selection not previously planted has gone in. I hope to add more photos of Mitsouko, Grimaldi, Guy Savoy, Pink Intuition and Henri Matisse very soon. Bring on spring.

“My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece“
Claude Monet

The Claude Monet rose has a delightful painted appearance of pastel pinks, yellows and creams on large, double full blooms. It is a hardy hybrid tea rose that gives a soft fragrance and repeat blooms. One of my favourites. Bred by Jack Christensen in the USA 1992 and introduced through Delbards as Claude Monet.

The Paul Cezanne rose is also one of my favourites -so beautiful with a soft hand-painted look to the large double blooms. It features a crinkled edged flower in dusty yellow, with splashes of pink and a touch of white and each bloom has its own unique pattern. A truly hand-painted flower. Bred by Delbard France 1992.