Abraham Darby, an old rose born in 1985, remains a dominant figure in the world of roses, where countless varieties bloom. With its stunning appearance, strong fragrance, abundant blooming, rapid growth, and robust vitality, this rose firmly holds its place as a top contender.

Blooming in early summer, the flowers are quite large, with a diameter of up to 13 cm. The deep, cup-shaped blooms resemble a big, soft bun, with petals layered delicately, gathered together just right—not too tight, nor too loose.

The plant is adorned with large clusters of apricot-pink flowers, which transition from light pink at the edges to a warm apricot color at the center in a gentle gradient. Compared to the fresh, elegant light pink of the Queen of Sweden, Abraham Darby's apricot-pink carries a warmth of life, like treasured old photographs tucked away in a wardrobe, the sweet apricot flavor from well-water in early summer, or the scent of sunlight in a grandmother's garden...

At the same time, her fragrance is incredibly rich, with a sweet, fruity scent that makes your taste buds tingle just from the smell. It's the kind of scent that makes your heart skip a beat~

Because of her outstanding fragrance, she has appeared multiple times in various "Most Fragrant Rose" rankings and was even voted the number one most fragrant rose by flower enthusiasts.

Now, let's talk about Abraham Darby’s inner qualities, after discussing her appearance.

Just like how we often fall for someone—"it starts with looks, but you fall for the talent"—our devotion to a particular rose variety is often not just because of its stunning looks, but also due to its remarkable characteristics.

Abraham Darby is an incredibly prolific bloomer, a true "flower machine." Each bloom lasts about 4 to 5 days, and the plant keeps flowering throughout the entire growing season. It also has very strong vitality; even if you cut it back to the ground, it will quickly sprout new shoots.

It can be planted as a shrub or used as a short climbing plant. Simply having it crawl over a low fence or wall can make the scene beautifully stunning.

When planted in the ground, its branches tend to be stiffer, but if grown in a pot, the branches will be relatively softer.

It is also quite balcony-friendly—just a little pruning and shaping with your scissors can make it compete with ground-planted ones.

Moreover, Abraham Darby is highly resistant to disease and incredibly robust! Its cold tolerance is outstanding, so gardeners in the northern regions should definitely pay attention to this variety.

At the same time, it's not sensitive to high temperatures, and summer doesn't have much of an impact on it.

On a scale of 1 to 5 for heat tolerance, Abraham Darby would score about 3.5, which is relatively good and should safely survive the summer.

The advantages are clear, but so are the disadvantages.

Abraham Darby tends to droop, like an old man with his head down.

The flowers are large and heavy, and the stems are soft, so it can never quite hold its head up. This has earned it the nickname "Octopus" among rose enthusiasts. Of course, with a little extra support and training, diligent gardeners can help it stand tall.

Another downside is that its petals aren't very rain-resistant, and they tend to get ragged edges in wet conditions. Apart from that, though, it really doesn't have many other downsides!

Excellent rose varieties are often given rich symbolic meanings.

The naming of 'Abraham Darby' is a tribute to the inventor Abraham Darby, who, along with his descendants, played a crucial role during the Industrial Revolution.

In 1709, Darby successfully experimented with using cheap coke as a substitute for charcoal, which was becoming increasingly scarce in Britain, in the blast furnace for iron smelting. This breakthrough not only increased the yield of pig iron and reduced costs but also greatly improved the quality of the iron. Darby's innovation was of groundbreaking significance and is often regarded as the spark that ignited the global Industrial Revolution, as it completely transformed the landscape and development trajectory of British industry at the time.