They are similar, tho WRS may be even larger than Maman Cochet. Same dinosaur prickles, same Saturday Night Fever growth habit.

I'm glad to hear this. Between these two cochets and clementina carbonieri, I'm going to have a rose wall.

One day I'll have to prune them. That may have me singing a different song.

duchesse, I see that you're in zone 7 too...I am noticing in my second February with Teas, that some of them seemed to be doing fine through the winter until it warmed up, then got really cold again (below freezing). Now, some have canes that are dying. Will the Teas outgrow this as they mature?

Robert

Robert, I do not know the answer to this; I think we started with teas about the same time. None of mine have canes that are dying, but you all have had colder weather than we've had in north Alabama; I'm about 90 miles south of Nashville.

Can you post pictures of the canes? Maybe someone can give you an answer or point you in the right direction.

Best wishes with those hydrangess; Ilove them. The yard I inherited had a number of the mopheads; I've added some more of those and some oakleaves and the limelight.

Oh, Robert, that happens to us as well in Alabama, when we get cold weather and then we get that warm up and the mushy canes that turn black. If they don't fall off, just leave them until mid Spring and see if they are dead or just blackened. I have some teas whose canes just turn black and does not affect them. As they grow out, I just cut them back.

Patricia, something else Ihave to look forward to. I keep waiting for rrd, mites and all the other hazards that everyone posts about.

Patricia, I think you're right about my Teas...it's not the cold so much as the warm cold warm cold warm cold warm cold....
I'm hoping that as they build up "woody" canes, they'll survive this better.

Robert

Oh, don't even think about RRD. It is so awful.

Robert, I think they will.

Patricia, Our weather tends to do that kind of flip flop thing too, just not as severe as yours. RRD is totally awful Duchesse, just as Patricia said. RRD also has a horrible affect on people.

Carla

Carla

Carla, I read your posting on another thread about wanting to sp her "scrawny butt" - at least, that's what I think you said? I guess she didn't shape up? I bought one anyway (your words ringing in my ears).

Duchesse, I just gotta ask, what's the source of your WRS? I've seen several from ARE and they're totally different from the one that Ashdown sells. ARE's version has a creamy yellow color as the buds open and develops some blush as the blooms age. All the pics I've seen from the Ashdown version never have this yellow tint. Just curious.
Hamp

hmm, that's interesting, Hamp. So far they've been almost all pink. Sorry for the not so wonderful picture from last year-

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Mine came from Lisa at Countryside, if I remember right and I'm not sure where she got hers. But both descriptions of the ARE and AShdown clones describe a pink rose with a yellow base. So far I have only seen pink with a little cream. No bs or any problems so far and she still has all her leaves from last year.

Interesting to read the comments on hmf about WRS; I guess there's some disagreement about its parentage:

Maman Cochet x Mme Hoste
white maman cochet x hermosa
k. aug. viktoria x maman cochet

Some on hmf describe it as a white rose with pink. Makes you think there's more than one of her around. Or maybe it's the location.

Anyone else have thoughts?

My William R. Smith just bloomed and the blooms are exactly as Hamp describes them. They are gorgeous, full and a slight tea scent.
My William R. Smith came from Vintage as a small band and I nursed it into being a 4 x 3 ft bush so far.
As the bloom ages it does get that blush tint.
Even in the dead of summer my blooms are a creamy yellow with a slight tint of blush on the edge of the petals.

Deb

Took this pic yesterday morning. These are the best blooms I've seen in its 5 year history.
Clint

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What a lovely rose. I'm fairly sure that's a different William R. Smith than I grow. That rose has about a third of the petal count. Climate difference couldn't make that much difference in the blooms form, could it? This was shot in September. I've been fooled before. Looks like we have another mystery on our hands.
Here's our William R. Smith:
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