cramoisi superieur

I was just telling another rose member here how much we love our Alexander MacKenzie(s) because we don't have to spray them like we do all our other roses. Alexander M is a prolific bloomer, with raspberry red hybrid tea type blooms, although it is an Explorer shrub.
:0) Phyl

Frances Dubreuil (sp) maybe
FD has more scent than Craomisi

Carla

Alexander MacKenzie is an Explorer rose, bred to withstand the Great White North (eh). The weather down there would probably make it faint like a Southern Belle.

len511
why do you like this rose, cramoisi superieur? I checked it out and it does seem to be a good size and boy is it pretty. It is a bit more pink than I think he would like though. How long do the blooms last?

I also checked alexander MacKenzie and this one would be nice for my own garden, think I will add it to my wish list.

Here is a link that might be useful: cramoisi superieur

Homerun

There is a picture of Craomisi in this post:
'Rose Unlimited shopping list' located on antiques forum

Carla

I believe Southern Georgia is Zone 8B. Too bad his favorite color isn't pink, I'd suggest Belinda's Dream.
Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: Belinda's Dream

I love Cameron Bohls, it comes from Chamblees. It is not a well known rose, but by a fairly new hybridizer named Ray Ponton. I have several of his roses, love them all. This rose is a tough cookie - stands up to Texas heat, forms a shrub type bush and blooms all the time, little disease problem. Also recomended is Cadenza, from Antique Rose Emporium. Both of these are boot leather tough and bloom lots. Oh, and also......Valentine and Dame de Couer. All good reds, tough and bloom lots.
Judith

It is difficult to come up with a large red rose that is maintenance free. I tried to come up with some good suggestions than I chickened out.

Now I decided to try. Please my recommendations for what I intend it to be. I try to list a few red rose names and let others to chime in.

I assume that you want to give a big plant as a present to your father not a small band. I may be wrong assuming that.

In any case, I don't think that Francis Dubreuil would fit the bill. Don't get me wrong, Francis Dubreuil is very nice and extremely fragrant but it is a small rose and takes time to get going. The flowers are small and burn even in morning sun; mine is in a pot and if I keep it in the porch protected from sun, it doesn't bloom a lot; on the other hand, placed even in morning sun the petals burn in no time. One also needs to find a good clone like Carol's is; mine is certainly not that good and several times seemed close to dying. I would not call it very blackspot resistant either.

I am not sure that a man who wants a "red, fragrant rose" but is not tuned into Chinas would consider Cramoisi Superieur's blooms big enough and fragrant enough.

If it could be a climber I would recommend Fields of the Wood: it is fragrant, dark red and no spray. Mine is not a great bloomer but I know that I didn't plant it in the right spot. Maybe it can be grown as a large shrub - Lisa at Countryside could advise you if it is a good idea or not.

Maggie is another possibility: red (not a very dark modern red though that men tend to prefer), fragrant and grows big. Again, mine is still a baby so I don't have a good idea if it is low maintenance or not but many forum members grow it so a lot of people can give you better info on her than I can.

Very fragrant dark red is Crimson Glory. I was told that it needs diligent spraying but having missed spraying last summer I can say that this rose fared much better than I expected.
I am told that either Chrysler Imperial or Oklahoma is pretty healthy but I do not know which one yet. I have a lot of dark red roses but these two I am not familiar with: one of the two I planted last year but last summer was not one which could help a new rose to grow and shine; the other I will get in a week or so.

I tried to make a search at Rogue Valley's website for disease resistant reds and check if they have any in 5 gallon pots - that is a very good size for a present and they ship them soiless-potless, so the shipping coast might not be so astronomical than for potted roses with dirt but the sites search engine didn't work right tonight.

You can also check out Pickering's website for disease resistant red roses focusing on rebloom and fragrance.

I made a quick checking on Pickering's website searching for red, disease resistant roses with strong fragrance.

Here are those that came up:
Royal William- HT, High Flier - climber, Red Fountain - climber, William Shakespeare 2000, Isabelle Renaissance- shrub, Hansa -shrub, Skyrocket- hybrid Musk shrub.

At Palatine you can make a separate search for fragrant reds and very fragrant reds (dark purples included) but you should check the roses.

If your father lives in part of Georgia where the soil isnÂt clay but sandy, You may try to get a rose grafted on fortuniana -those do grow big and flower a lot.

Let me add that disease resistance depends a lot on local microclimate.

How about the floribunda shrubs Lavaglut or Europeana? Nice reds, nice bush, great blooms.
K

I didn't see a mention that the choice of rose had to have big blooms or had to be fragrant. I thought the only request was red, low matienence, free flowering and a large bushy rose. Hence why i recommended Homerun, since it fits all of these requirements. Knockout too would be a good fit, but I find Knockout more pink than red. Homerun is a true red.

Thanks everyone,

Yes, his soil is sand, he is not all that good at keeping a spraying schedule. I was thinking something BIG, BOLD to catch his eye! Fragrance is not important to him, just low maint. as he bad knees and hips and walking & bending are a challange for him.

I just spent the afternoon looking up all your GREAT suggestions and boy I'm more confused now than ever. I think I have it narrowed down to 3, from these 3 what would you choose?

Homerun
Europeana
Cameron Bohls

Thanks
Karyn