The Ultimate Guide To: Buff Beauty Rose

The Hybrid musk class of roses was created by the Reverend Joseph Pemberton (1852 – 1926) at his nursery at Romford in Essex. As a young boy he was given his own patch of garden to cultivate roses and taught how to propagate them by budding. As a young man he began to exhibit roses with his sister Florence. They travelled across the country winning prizes and building a reputation among the horticulture community.

He loved his grandmother’s roses that tended to finish flowering in July. Pemberton’s ambition was to develop roses that would survive until Christmas, blooming until all others had withered. 

He developed a new group of varieties of rose which he called Hybrid Musk. These large bushes, in bloom more or less continuously, bear flowers of varying size and doubleness. They are mostly white, pale pink or pale yellow, in opulent clusters. He chose Trier, a hybrid multiflora offspring of Aglaia as the base for his breeding. In 1919 he began calling his roses Hybrid Musks after Courtney Page, the then Secretary of the National Rose Society used the term in his review of Joseph Pemberton’s new rose ‘Pax’ in 1917. Hitherto they were still being called Hybrid Teas.

He bequeathed his rose fields to his gardeners. One named John Bentall was married to Ann Bentall, an experienced rose breeder.  Despite Joseph Pemberton and John Bentall frequently having the rose attributed to them, today Ann is credited with creating Buff Beauty in 1939.

Soil

Moderately fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained.

Toxicity

None reported

Hardiness

RHS rating of H6 indicating a minimum temperature range of -15C to -20C

Diseases and Pests

Good disease resistance. Be vigilant for the most common diseases such as powdery mildew and black spot. Signs of insects such as aphids and mites should also be monitored.

Treat mildew by pruning affected leaves.

Treat aphids by growing plants that attract insects that prey on aphids. See companion plants below.

Treat blackspot by pruning affected leaves, destroying fallen leaves.

We do not recommend using chemical fungicides as they risk reducing soil health and negatively affecting biodiversity.

See our help guides for more details.

Position

Grow in a sunny position. Grows well in shade and tolerant of a northerly aspect. Trellis, arch or wall. Heat tolerant.

Cut Flowers

Excellent for vases.

Watering

Keep the soil consistently moist, especially during the growing season. Water at the base of the plant to prevent fungal diseases.

Feeding

Slow-release feed early in the season followed by foliar feed during the growing period. Read our feeding guide here.

A granular, slow release feed such as English Roses Protect & Grow Slow Release Rose Feed supports all round health, and nutrients are released steadily over the course of a few months. Combine this with a foliar feed such as English Roses Protect & Grow Rose Foliar Feed in the summer months, for a quick burst of nutrients that encourage beautiful blooms.

Pruning

Hard prune in February or March. Regular deadheading during the season promotes new growth.

Propagation

By hardwood cuttings in Autumn or chip budding in summer.