Our story begins in 1893 when Charles Turner of Royal Nurseries, Slough introduced to England a new thornless novelty from Japan. It had been known as The Engineer, after the professor of Engineering in Tokyo who sent it to friends in Scotland. It was to become famous as Turners Crimson Rambler.
In the last decade of the nineteenth century, no man's home was considered complete without a 'crimson rambler'. Its large panicles of crimson blooms, although without fragrance, were novel and fashionable. Today it has vanished from our gardens, but its influence lives on.
As with all new plant discoveries, the hybridists were soon hard at work to exploit the opportunities presented.
When crossed with the Setigera Erinnerung an Brod by German hybridist J C Schmidt, the famous Veilchenblau was produced in 1909. This literally 'Violet Blue', with clusters of small blooms that have an amazing range of colours, from purple, to mauve, lilac and eventually leaden grey.
The golden stamens contrast wonderfully with the vibrant purple of the first bloom, while occasional radial streaks of white further complicate the picture. As the stamens disappear, the white centre of the bloom can be seen.
Veilchenblau has an attractive fragrance, is thornless and tolerates shade. It is capable of 4 or 5 metres. Like many multifloras, it has the stiffer more upright growth habit of a climber rather than the lax growth of a rambler.
Erinnerung an Brod (In Remembrance of Brod, an Austrian town) was produced in 1886, and sounds a stunner. A tall grower, producing clusters of good-sized scented violet purple-red blooms, with healthy foliage. Like the other parent, it has disappeared from commerce.
The merit of Turners Crimson Rambler as a parent did not escape the German hybridist Weigand, who crossed it with the polyantha Mlle Blanche Rebatel to produce Non Plus Ultra (can't be exceeded) in 1902. This was judged to be a darker and superior version of the crimson rambler.
In 1911 the French nurseryman Nonin introduced a sport of Non Plus Ultra, calling it Améthyste. (There is some doubt as to whether this was a sport or a cross with R. multiflora) Blooms borne in tight bunches are small, without fragrance and any hint of white. Colour ranges from pink buds to deep crimson-violet, fading to a pleasing soft greyish-purple. Within a bunch, there are many colours as the blooms gradually age.
The rose is erect, with stiff canes. Foliage is typically multiflora : long elegant glossy pointed leaves.
