It is a large, VIGOROUS climber.

We have two over an arbor, and they spread out onto trellises on each side.
It can be pruned fairly hard (they do that at Descanso Gardens) but I don't think there's a chance in Hades of keeping it to three feet in California.

{{gwi:237582}}

It would, in such a situation, probably sprawl 10 ft in every direction, and arch laxly.
You might could train it on a tripod, but it is rather prickly, so that would be a job for a brave gardener.

Jeri

Oh crumb!

Maybe I'll take it back and see if I can exchange it for Mrs. Oakly Fischer (my second favorite) or Nigrette... although it's a full sun area so I'm worried Nigrette will fade.

Are there any Noisettes that can be kept smaller? Or are they all climbers?

Thanks! :)

Some noisettes are smaller, particularly Placerville White Noisette (Vintage carries it) and Roseville White Noisette (only through the Sacto cemetery). Vintage has Placerville in stock - they show it as "1", which is pretty big - for us, it's never gotten bigger than the "2". They don't have Aimee Vibert (not the climber, 'Scandens,' but the bush form) in stock - I am crazy about this rose, for its sweet, lily-of-the-valley fragrance, beautiful flowers, big clusters and repeat bloom. It might be worth putting an availability request to Vintage for it, or trying to get one from us at the cemetery sale next year.
Anita

Hi, Vintage -

I have Nigrette, although I've only had it since last Spring, in a container. It has an odd sun situation: shade until about 1:30 - 2 PM, then full afternoon sun until about 6 PM. Hardly ideal, but it's doing OK. The blooms crisp a bit in that sun, but it still has a lovely bloom. It has taken a while to get going, but that's largely my fault.
I'm in Sacramento, if that helps you.

Hi, I just read Anita's reply to your post, and realized I hadn't given you info on size of Nigrette. Mine is small, with small blooms, and I believe it is meant to stay that way. I have a feeling that Anita's advice on Aimee Vibert is the one for you to think about. I volunteer at the Cemetery Historic Rose Garden with her, and I worked on deadheading that rose - it is wonderful! And not huge, like your Secret Garden Musk, but not container-small like Nigrette.

I fell in love with that Aimee Vibert at first sight.
The LAST thing I need is more white Noisettes, but I sure wanted that.
In our current drought, I'm willing to dig up our old Blush Noisette to make room for Aimee.
It's just an Arena plant, so not important to me.

Jeri

I can trade for Aimee Vibert Scandens here. We have it. But it is described as only "some repeat" bloom and he has the size down as 9-15.

Would Penelope be better? That says 4-8... although the scent is described as moderate... I'm hoping for strong scent.

I'm trying to make a scented garden. I have Poet's Jasmine (with an early blooming clematis) on my porch and I *could* possibly plant a noisette to grow through it, but I'd need one that didn't "eat up" my jasmine.. also, I was thinking of putting a Madagascar Jasmine with the Poet's Jasmine... so then I'd have waaaay too many vines together!!! Also how would the jasmine and clove scent mix????

Decisions descions!!!

Hi vintage rose,

The smallest white Noisettte I've ever grown is one of my favorites "Nastarana". It grows to be just under 5 feet tall where I live, near Oakland, Ca. and at the Berkeley Botanical Old Rose Garden.
Why I love " Nastarana" from vintagegardens.com (the East coast appears to have a climber of the same name)
-short enough for the smallest rose garden, and has been thriving for more than 7 years in a pot.
-delicious clove and old rose scent.
-inherited the wafting trait from R. moschata which allows it to waft its' fragrance from several feet away from the plant, in the right conditions.
-when promptly deadheaded it repeats as quickly as a China class rose cultivar.
an earlier edition of vintagegardens rose book, said that some think "Nastarana" is the most fragrant rose in the world.
I would say the most fragrant rosebush, when in full bloom, when the air is warm and humid. FFFFF from me as a wafting rose.

'Secret Garden Noisette' at S.J.H.R.G. was only c. 4 feet tall by 5 feet wide when I last visited 3 years ago. Although it could be much larger now. I ruffled one small blossom with my fingertips and could still smell a strong scent on my fingertips after several hours. It is a creamy white rose with edges that are a bright vivid pink. Old rose and clove fragrance, FFFFF from me, for each individual blossom.

Lux.
P.S. I hate to bruise the petals of anyones' feelings and so I apologize to 'Aimee Viberts' adoring fans, because I don't like its' particular floral scent at all, to me it smells like my Grandmas' worst old perfume that had gone off and I am grateful that I didn't buy it before smelling it. Again, my apologies.
L.

Unfortunately I can't trade for Nastarana, he doesn't have that one. There's Natchitoches, but that one says 3-15' so that sounds like it has potential to be large.

There is Caroline Marniesse which is suppose to be 6x6. Perhaps that one could be kept small???

Actually, if you want SMALL, you need "Roseville Noisette," which is (to my knowledge) only available from the Sacramento City Cemetery Historic Rose Garden.
If it were ever to make 4 ft. here, I would keel over from shock.

Jeri

Isn't it odd how differently we all perceive fragrances? To me, Aimee Vibert smelled like very old-fashioned cold cream, and quite lovely, although not strong. This kind of thing makes me wonder what a particular rose REALLY smells like - maybe we can never know, because everyone responds to the fragrance with their own individual olfactory nerves, plus with their own memories of fragrances from their particular pasts and the emotional links that are entwined with those memories...

Well, my sense of smell is not great, so it's not surprising that I perceive things differently. But I think what makes me love Aimee Vibert's scent so much is how it evokes lily-of-the-valley, which I adored as a girl in Ohio and can't grow now. It could smell like cheap (off) perfume, I guess - but not to me!

Nastarana does smell wonderful. I grow what is supposed to be Narrow Water, but I think it's just Blush Noisette. I have only seen Nastarana grown as a climber.

I have a scented corner of my garden. I haven't blended fragrances with any skill, just thrown in everything that smells good (to me). Regal lilies are blooming now. Cleveland sage is, too. Alyssum and various herbs cover the ground. Heliotrope and lavender are in there, too. Roses include Fair Bianca (I like myrrh), Barbara's Pasture Rose, Bubble Bath, The Prince, and Crested Moss (which is my most favorite fragrant rose, opening over six weeks of delectable bloom). I have Rev Seidel there, but it hasn't ever bloomed so I can't rate its fragrance. The idea is that you get the fragrance of the garden as you walk up the driveway and enter the gate, and that the fragrance pools all around you when you walk in. Don't know that it works, but that's the notion!
Anita

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but like Jeri I'm in love with Aimee Vibert, and I've only seen it in pictures. No one has the short form in stock which is what I want.

I have cuttings of Archiduchesse Elizabeth d'Autriche that look like they're going to root. Just putting the word out that I could trade rooted cuttings of the Archduchess if someone with the shrub form of Aimee Vibert would be interested in her.

Oops, forgot. Question for Jeri:

What's an Arena plant?

How about Mrs. Wood's Lavendar? Will that grow huge in the So Cal heat?

Belle, Syl Arena ran Arena Roses for some years out here in Southern California.
Syl is a talented photographer, which made his catalogs true Rose Porn.
(Syl's still around, working as a professional photographer. He spoke to our rose society last year, and it was a GREAT evening.)

He carried an interesting list of roses, but eventually got ground up in the financial maw of the industry.
I was sorry about that, because he is a lovely person, and smart as a whip.
The downside was that he was using a contract grower who was budding on Dr. Huey Rootstock.

Jeri

I have Caroline Marniesse, which in three years so far has not exceeded 3' tall. It has exquisite small, very double blooms, about the size of a large coat button. It looks somewhat like Mary Washington, but I do not think they are the same rose. It is in my yard a slow grower, and could probably be maintained in a pot.

I have Aimee Vibert Scandens and I absolutely love it. It begins to bloom later than other roses, which means for me it avoids the rose chafer infestation, and blooms continually in my yard from late June until about Nov. It is not as covered with blooms as Alistair Stella Grey, but always does have a few sprays. The bush is big and beautiful--did I mention that I LOVE roses with attitude? It has foliage nearly impervious to mildew and requires very little water. The foliage is a nice shade of green, and I think AVS would be a good addition to a mixed hedge.

The Aimee Vibert in the Sacramento Cemetery does not seem to be Aimee Vibert Scandens.
It appears to be the original bush form of AV -- which makes it pretty special, to me.

Jeri

Jeri stop teasing me! I want that rose.

Thanks for your Arena reply. I was wondering if it had something to do with Blush Noisette.

I have a story about BN. I recently made a visit to my old place and after nearly a year with no care whatsoever, Blush Noisette was the best looking thing around, completly cothed in dark green disease-free foliage. It was also the only rose in a pot, and I know it wasn't getting watered regularly, so that made it all the more amazing. Maybe I just caught it on a good day.

We had only a couple of 'em for this year's Open Garden.

I sure hope there will be more next year, as it's not something you can get just anywhere.

Jeri

I'm in the SF Bay area and my Mrs. Woods Lavender Pink is quite huge...at least 15 ft. Love her. Shade tolerant for me.

Diane

Sorry to put a twist on this subject, does anyone know where I can purchase the climbing Aimee Vibert rose? I have searched the internet and I can't seem to find any. I found the shrub kind at Ashdown Roses but I would like the climber to climb up the kids playhouse (would that even work?). and act as a barrier to my secluded garden next to the playhouse.

Thanks Lisa