Masha, these are equally gorgeous and thank you so much for thinking about me re Romaggi Plot Bourbon. It really is lovely. I had Mrs. Bosanquet once; it's not spectactular but it was a pretty little rose. I've fallen in love with George Cuvier. What a sumptuous color and form. Thank you for calling it to my attention. Ingrid

I see that many Roses rarely found here in Europe are fairly common in the States... lucky people!! :o)) I have in the garden many Roses rarely seen in the nurseries and which aren't widely grown here. Teas, like 'Mme Falcot', the beautiful, creamy white 'Lady Mary Corry'and 'Mlle La Comtesse de Leusse'. Another little beauty is 'Baby Albéric', supposed to be an Albéric Barbier's sport. Bushy and repeat flowering, a really goo Rose. Maybe the two rarer Roses in the garden are climbers, the inusual Rosa multiflora 'Watsoniana', easily mistaked for bamboo LOL, and the quite rare, beautiful Rosa chinensis 'Spontanea'. This is a pic of the last one, taken in Mrs Helga Brichet's Garden. Flowers open blushy pink, and darkens to dark cerise-pink as they age, sweetly scented; a mature plant in full bloom is completely covered with pink butterflies, early in the season (early-mid april). Growth is pure, 100% twiggy China :o)

One part that interested me from the article is the identity of Arthur P. Howard - obviously he had his hands in the rose business to be able to have these large roses moved and to be aware of them So, from a book on the history of Los Angeles and southern California that came up when I googled the name "Arthur P. Howard" it seems that the Howard brothers owned a company known as "Howard & Smith" the "largest nursery devoted to ornamental horticulture on the Pacific coast" They had 75 acres of plantings in Montebello, with 40 acres devoted "entirely to the culture of roses." So, he was an enthusiast but also a grower and seller of roses. The link is to hybrid tea roses he bred listed on hmf. I'm not familiar with any of these ht's.

Good question to ask here on the Antique Rose Forum, Aimee! I enjoyed reading the answers of other ORG lovers and discovered some really exciting roses this way for myself! Here is my input: Hybrid Teas: Anna Pavlova. This one is a real gem in my opinion that found its way into my garden by accident. I do believe it is a rarely grown HT even though it was just released in 1981, that deserves more attention. Very beautifully formed, pale pink, full bloom and a surprisingly strong damask fragrance to die for. Frederic Mistral. A winner in my garden, light warm pink color and strong fragrance. Vigorous grower. Memorial Day. Deep pink color, huge blooms with a very intense perfume. Moonstone. Huge and I mean really huge classic white HT blooms with a pink edge. Very good cut flower. Unfortunately I only can smell a very faint scent. Mr. Lincoln. Dark red, that fades to blue-ish red, which I love, with a super strong fragrance. If you are looking for a red rose to give to the very special person in your life, this is the one. Pope John Paul II. My favorite white modern HT. The flowers are humongous and the fragrance knocks your socks of and is wafting. Vigorous rose in my garden that has been never without flowers since the first flush this year. Floribundas: Iceberg and Iceberg, climbing. I love them because they are so floriferous here in SoCa. Always give you a reliable punch of white color, where you need it. Only flaw in my garden susceptible to mildew at certain times of the year, but the advantages outweigh this drawback. Nimbus. Very unusual flower color. Brownish-mauve at times. It is a very special interesting rose, that I am sure will not be loved by everyone, but if you are into unusual colors it might be the one for you. Our Lady of Guadalupe. Silvery shine on cool pink flowers that open in a very elegant way. Grandifloras: Sweetness. Relatively new introduction. Produces very beautiful lavender colored blooms with a strong fragrance. What stands out for me is that this rose is completely healthy in my garden. That is very rare for a lavender colored rose, which are known to be disease prone. Shrub Roses: Belindas Dream. Very awesome, full pink flowers. Strong fragrance. Cymbeline. Older David Austin rose with a very unusual elegant almost pink-grayish color, that is hard to describe. Eden Rose 88/Pierre de Ronsard. To me one of the most beautiful modern roses with an old-fashioned look. Flowers are large, cupped and very full. Color is a creamy white with pink in the center. Even though many people claim that this rose has no scent, I can clearly detect a pleasant, mild, fruity, fragrance. Pretty Jessica. Small bush with exquisite, clear pink, very cupped, flowers. I like that this rose doesn't get the monster size of many other David Austin roses. Scepter'd Isle. Very elegant, pale pink, cupped shaped, flowers with a strong myrrh fragrance. It shows it yellow stamens in a very charming way, when the flower gets older. My plant is still very young but so far I love it. The Ingenious Mr. Fairchild. Also new to me, but already won my heart over with its strong citrus fragrance and beautiful, pink (darker in the center), cupped shaped, blooms. The Prince. Another new arrival in my garden, but boy the very dark crimson flowers fading to a wonderful dark purple color of this rose are just outstanding. It looks almost like velvet and the intense fragrance is another nice addition to the already very impressive blooms. Christina