Not to put a damper on things, but if there is one rose I've planted this spring that has been absolutely decimated-the leaves are already gone-it is lavender lassie. Might be because it is Hybrid Musk?-Buff Beauty is also having a hard time, but not as bad as LL. On the other hand, entirely clean so far is Madame Isaac Pereire. Others that are completely clean at this point include Baltimore Belle, Compassion, Cinderella Fairy Tale, Morning Has Broken, Folklore, Illusion, Belle de Crecy, Heritage. Dead=from Hortico=Canary Bird.

Hi Kate, I do not think you find much written about it. Vintage Gardens carries it however. It was given to me by a grower who tends to have more than few roses that are not normally grown/sold. It has been just a delight in the garden. Good luck with your new project! Hi Jeri, I really do not know what is involved. I did ask a grower once about imported some teas and was told to forget it. I think I know someone else who has imported recently, so will put a bug in the ear about Jeri Jennings, it is certainly worth a try!

lilyfinch -- I'm glad I was able to help! If I can offer another suggestion, consider a Type-3 Clematis with dark flowers to grow into 'Renae' as it matures and is trained onto the pergola. The Type-3s are normally pruned hard each Spring and bloom on new wood, allowing you to prune and train 'Renae' without worrying about maintaining any particular rose cane as a "trellis" for Clematis stems which must remain from year to year. Typically, the Type-3s start blooming after the main rose flush, continuing until late Summer. You'll have some overlap of bloom between the two (I don't know how much 'Renae' blooms during July/August). Two Clematis that come to mind as possible companions are 'Gypsy Queen' and 'Negritjanka' -- I think they'd look stunning against 'Renae' and the pergola if you intend to paint it white (I think you mentioned that...). There are plenty of others in the purple range which aren't quite as dark but will also look really good. If you haven't already done so, look through Brushwood Nursery's website -- and check the box to show "out of stock items" to see their full inventory. "Secret Garden Musk Climber" is relatively new for me. I first received it as a band in Spring 2013, but last year's horrid Winter was too much for such a young and only moderately cold-hardy (in NJ) rose. So this Spring I purchased it again, this time as a gallon plant. It has a few canes substantially more mature than what the first one achieved, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it makes it through this Winter. I have mine planted in a bed with limbed-up arbor vitae, in a bit of a tight spot but which gets plenty of sun. I know it will eventually spread wide as well as tall, and I already have one cane weaved into an arborvitae. I'm hoping that this provides a little extra protection as well as support -- and I look forward to seeing its white blooms poking through the evergreens. It's not overly thorny, but those it has are substantial -- large and hooked, perfect for snagging itself onto a support. From what I've read here, 'Mme Alfred Carriere' can get rather large -- and I mean tree-climbing large. True, this might not be the case where you are, but I'd still consider carefully if you want it on your pergola. If you are able to train it against your house, that might be a better spot -- if you don't mind it reaching the second story. I was actually considering it for the Japanese maple in front of my house after my 'Jaune Desprez' didn't survive last Winter. Instead, I decided to use the 'Baltimore Belle' I already had instead of ordering another Tea-Noisette which might not be able to handle Winter here in such an exposed location. :-) ~Christopher Here is a link that might be useful: Brushwood Nursery

The system is designed for the preferences of some plants -- namely those which do just fine in gravely or sandy soil, like citrus, and which are easily "drowned" in pots. If a plant's instructions say "let dry out completely between waterings" then it'll likely do well in these gritty mixes. It's a bit like mimicking Florida soil (fast-draining) and conditions (frequent rain). Rose growers in Florida find themselves having to amend their native soil with things to slow drainage (like clay-based kitty litter, for example) and add organic matter to keep roses happy. If I was to use these "gritty mixes" in pots here, I'd be doing a lot of work to prepare a mix that would then require a lot of work (i.e. frequent watering and fertilizing) to keep roses happy in it. Other plants would do just fine -- say, Lavender, for example -- but I think the adage of roses being "gross feeders" would indicate that these lean, fast-draining mixes would not be to their liking. Unless, of course, one were to set up something like a hydroponic system for supplying nutrients, which I feel would be akin to reaching over one's head with one's right hand in order to scratch one's left ear. If it works for others, kudos to them. But I find that my roses in pots -- be they permanent residents or just new bands growing-on before being planted in the garden -- put out lots of rapid growth in mixes with far more nutrient-rich organic matter. And all I have to do is give them plenty of sun, let them get their fill of rain, and give a drink from the hose once or twice a week or so. As far as keeping the soil aerated, earthworms always seem to find their way into my pots, and they do it for me. :-) ~Christopher