'Garden Party' has red stamens and a strong, sweet fragrance as I remember. Also long lived. Swim, 1959.

Though I could be wrong about the red stamens, it's been a while...

Thanks hoovb - I looked on HMF, and it does look like it, including the red stamens. The only pictures that did NOT look like it were two buds that were really bright yellow with fire engine red edges - this one is light pink to light yellow to white. I will have to wait until I can get pictures of a bloom that is open but not too open to compare with the many many pictures on HMF. The date of 1959 makes sense too. Thanks again -

Jackie

Jackie...

This is just a wild guess, but it kind of looks like 'Garden Party'. Maybe Seil can confirm my guess as she grows the rose. The link below is a photo posted to HMF by Seil.

Smiles,
Lyn

Here is a link that might be useful: Photo of Garden Party

Jackie...

While I was writing my post, I had to stop and answer the phone, and finished the post about half an hour later. In the meantime, Hoov posted his post about 'Garden Party'

The red stamens really kind of identify the rose.

Smiles,
Lyn

I always read your stories of mystery roses with great anticipation. It is like opening an unexpected present!

Rosefolly

Thanks rosefolly - the neighborhood I live in was originally developed in the 1880s - 19teens, and then there was another building spurt in the 1920s. Many of the old gardens were treated to "benign neglect" over the years (including ours!). Our climate is also benign, and so many of the old roses have survived, sometimes to this day, without much care since they were originally planted. I was looking from my second story window yesterday at my back neighbor's back yard. I know they do practically nothing to anything back there, but it was abloom in huge old roses - a Cl Cecile Brunner which has always been there is growing on 3 different trees, and there is what I now know is a huge old Lamarque blooming its head off. Also, when I was visiting with my next door neighbor yesterday (to take pictures of the 'Garden Pary'), there was a really nice looking bright red climber coming over the fence from that yard into hers. It was very large and healthy, completely covered in bloom, and had really gorgeous flowers. It took me a while to realize that it was Dr. Huey! All of the other ones I have seen in our area are covered with mildew and miserable. It has probably been growing there for decades - perhaps it "outgrew" the mildew, or is just such an old cultivar that it is healthier? Anyway, our neighborhood's old mystery roses are proof that you do NOT have to fuss endlessly with roses to get them to be successful!

Jackie

Hmmm...it could be Garden Party but yours looks much more pink that mine ever gets. Mine is a more yellow/creamy color with just the pink/red on the petal edges. I'm in a much cooler zone though so that may make the difference. And I see there are other photos on HMF that show it having more pink too. So it could be Garden Party.

Thanks seil - it does look like the pinker pics on HMF. Also, the medium sort of bug eaten flower in the picture with the leaves, etc laid out flat was actually yellow on the inside when I cut it off just now (I like this rose so much, going to try and root that cutting). So, I think this is a good an ID as I need.

Jackie

The fragrance is also pretty distinctive, sweet and fruity. I miss my 'Garden Party', but it needed a slightly cooler climate than I could give it.

It sort-of looks like Garden Party, to me....the bloom looks more like Secret than GP, in my opinion, but by the time frame listed I don't think Secret is remotely possible.

It also doesn't seem to have enough thorns on the stem--but the description of very thorny main canes is spot-on. In heat & sunlight, mine loses all of its pink and looks like a solid off-white or ivory rose. (It does the opposite of Gemini & Secret, where the pink blush deepens in sunlight.)

Flaurabunda - here is a pic of the large canes - thorny enough?

Jackie

{{gwi:267856}}

lol....yes, it certainly is. I went home last night & doubled checked what I posted, and I'm totally off base, so I wanted to get on here first thing this morning & correct myself.

The long stems under the bloom really ARE pretty thornless. The main canes look exactly like my GP. The leaves in the very first picture look identical to mine as well.