Our Oldest Grandmother's Hat Bush

jerijen

11 years ago

This one's been in the ground about 20 years -- we used to prune it, but no longer do. It's happy either way.

It's really just starting to reach full flush, because it grows under a huge seedling avocado tree.

Jeri

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Comments (20)

ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9
11 years ago
Oh my gosh, I cannot believe how tall and large this is! I had no idea it would grow that much. Very impressive!

Ingrid
lou_texas
11 years ago
That's really interesting. Looks like it will get as large as my pink crepe myrtles. I'm sure glad I finally ordered mine and one for my son-in-law. Lou
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Yes. She is an extraordinary rose. So much so that it seems inexplicable that she should have been so completely forgotten. Fred Boutin said that, when he found her in the San Gabriel Valley in ?1979?, he called it "Altadena Drive Pink HP." He said that he didn't bother to give it a memorable study name, because " . . . it was so good, I was sure we would identify it very quickly." Only, of course, it was NOT identified quickly. And then, Barbara Worl found it in the Bay Area, and called it "Grandmother's Hat". And then a good many other people found it in other parts of the Bay Area (we even found it on Mare Island) and a certain San Jose nurseryman decided to rename it "Barbara Worl". But we STILL don't really know what it is!
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Ingrid makes a really good point. The HABIT of the plant is one important key to identification. I haven't really looked at 'Louise Odier' for -- well -- decades. It and other Bourbons were unsuccessful in what used to be our cool, mild, coastal climate so we swore off them. (We have a few, now, as our climate is altering, but not L.O.) All that said, yes. 'Louise Odier' was a rather lax shrub, sort of halfway to being a low climber. Take a look at: http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=21.267628 "Grandmother's Hat", by contrast, is sturdily upright, and will eventually make a generous freestanding, self-supporting BUSH.
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Today I suddenly spotted rust on a young plant of La France. I removed all the affected leaves and put them in a closed garbage container. The roses around it are all very close together and I hope the rust doesn't spread. I suppose it's the yin and yang of rose growing; for all the joy there must be some pain. Well worth it though, to have so much beauty in one's life.
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Grandmother's Hat is killing off Dr. Huey!
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Jeri, Carol, those are all good ideas for underplantings--thank you. It's not really that I don't care for the leggy look -- it's more that my plant is so very sparse. She was at @ 6.5 feet tall, with greenery only above @ 4 feet; and there are only a few canes. When she's blooming -- seems like a nice quantity of bloom for the greenery, but I want to see more leaves. That's really the issue. I think the snipping back will do the trick, tho--she's really leafed out. I really don't know much about pruning and such and have mostly avoided it -- but only about a week ago, I did a lot of cutting to the rose that's been winning the "Most Miserable in My Collection" prize -- Dupuy Jamain. And -- incredible -- that rose is already showing a LOT of fresh new growth, after doing next to nothing for the past 2 years except mildew and blackspot and rust! Going to try this on a few of my other struggling/loser plants and see how they manage.
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praties
11 years ago
How lovely! It certainly doesn't seem to be minding the shade at all and the flowers are beautiful.
jerijen
Original Author
11 years ago
No. It seems just as happy in the shade as it is in full sun. And you can prune it as you might a grandiflora, or let it get big.

This plant has a really nice shape, in large part because we did used to prune it like that. Now, un-pruned for several years, it has kept its bushy shape, and just gotten larger all over.

There is another one behind it -- almost as large, now. It was a sucker from this one.

Jeri
jacqueline9CA
11 years ago
Jeri - that is SO helpful - I have a one year old GH in the ground, and another in a large pot (took your advice and just stuck a pruning clipping in the dirt - and it rooted!). I had no idea it got this big. I was about to plant the second one way too close to the first one - re-thinking that bed now - thanks!

Jackie
Alana8aSC
11 years ago
That's beautiful Jeri! I hope one day my roses are as beautiful as the one's ya'll post on here!
TNY78
11 years ago
oh beautiful!!!! I think I may have to rethink where I have mine planted!!! I only gave her 3ft on each side before she has neighbors :(

Tammy
catsrose
11 years ago
Gorgeous!!!
bluegirl_gw
11 years ago
that is just luscious! I can't believe the sizes of CA roses!
seil zone 6b MI
11 years ago
What a grand lady she is!
jerijen
Original Author
11 years ago
Here's a look from slightly up the hill. :-)

Jeri
zeffyrose
11 years ago
Beautiful-----I love to see roses that just do their own thing-----

Florence
kittymoonbeam
11 years ago
The structure of this bush is really beautiful. It looks wonderful there as a natural plant and I could see it as a feature in a formal garden by a pool surrounded by low clipped hedges.....with a view of lake Como. It would look better in this bed with that view than these swan topiaries and more romantic.
jerijen
Original Author
11 years ago
I suspect more roses than we have realized could be a plant like this. We're just not encouraged to think of them that way.

John Walden said the most beautiful Fourth of July he'd ever seen was grown as a freestanding fountain.

Jeri
jerijen
Original Author
11 years ago
I suspect more roses than we have realized could be a plant like this. We're just not encouraged to think of them that way.

John Walden said the most beautiful Fourth of July he'd ever seen was grown as a freestanding fountain.

Jeri
roseseek
11 years ago
That's what I did with a Grandmother's Hat in the old garden. I kept her whacked at about 6' so she was full and spreading, providing shade as the sun shined from behind her, uphill. She was at the top of an uphill path with a white plastic bench beneath her, slightly down hill. It was my homage to the iconic photograph of Constance Spry at Montisfont Abbey where she's grown on the brick wall with the white wooden bench at her feet. Only mine flowered year round without mildew and my bench never needed painting. Kim

Here is a link that might be useful: Constance Spry at Mottisfont Abbey
jerijen
Original Author
11 years ago
Yes. That's a great image -- and you're right Kim. You CAN duplicate that in SoCal with a rose appropriate to our conditions (which Constance Spry ain't). Grandmother's Hat can do it easily. Many of the Teas can do it, too -- but GramHat has so few prickles, it's an easy rose to get close to.

Jeri
zeffyrose
11 years ago
Roseseek---thanks for posting this picture of Constance Spry---It was this picture that convinced me I just had to have this rose-----it is a lovely rose
{{gwi:226019}}

Florence
roseseek
11 years ago
That she is Florence, and she remains one of my all time favorites of his offerings. Partly due to the person the rose is named for and partly due to the rose itself. I've always loved how the stamen and anthers darken in my climate which results in the flowers appearing to wear mascara. And, I love the scent. It's just too large and too prone to mildew here for such a scant spring bloom. The combination of our "winter chill" (or lack thereof) and the intensity of our summer heat work to limit her flowering. But, yes, that photo encouraged many of us to give her a try. Beautiful photo and rose! Kim
zeffyrose
11 years ago
Kim---I love this picture of CS with New Dawn peeking on the right--I use this picture as my background so I see it every day
{{gwi:206082}}

Florence

Our Oldest Grandmother's Hat Bush

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ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9

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