The droopiness seems to be its habit and there's not much you can do if a rose is the type that hangs on to its dead flowers unless you can find a cutter with very long handles. If it doesn't please you I'd move it and I doubt that it would kill it, only set it back for a year. I've never grown this rose because of these two problems, even though people rave about it.

Ingrid

The Cochets, along with many other Old Roses, "nod."

It's not "drooping."
It's what they are supposed to do, and I think of it as graceful. :-)
If you grow Teas, you're going to have nodding blooms.

You see that habit here with White Maman Cochet:
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In my coastal climate, the Cochets do often fail to open, but where the air is warmer, they open beautifully, and don't turn to brown goo:
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She may just not be the right rose in the right place for you. You may need something with fewer petals -- tho she does have disease-resistance to recommend her.

Jeri

Jeri, mine does not droop/nod that extremely. She looks out at her "eye level" or a tad down, and some even look up a bit. That's why I was thinking about it the other day. Her habit is surprising in light of what I have read and made me wonder why she's not nodding. Mine aren't brown goo either even with our humidity. They are crisp, brown skeletonized versions of the original. And with this current bloom (her second) they all disappeared. Very interesting. They teach me stuff everyday.

Sherry

Well, roses don't always follow the rules.
Not even their OWN rules.

But still, enough Teas do nod in "proper Tea Rose fashion" to surprise gardeners who are used to stiffly-upright HYBRID Tea Roses.

(My DH says Hybrid Teas all look like they went to Military School. )

Jeri

What a gorgeous picture of the inside of Maman Chochet. I don't think I've ever seen it other than nodding where the inside part is hidden, but that view is really incredible.

Ingrid

And this was taken in an un-tended cemetery in the Sierra Foothills. Sadly, that plant is gone now.

On a happier note, a group of dedicated rose-lovers is now tending the roses that remain in that place, and re-planting the roses that have been lost.

Jeri

I'm on the fence about Maman Cochet, too, for the reasons you mentioned,... but when she's in bloom well, she looks so gorgeous and I like that the teas are DIFFERENT from other roses I have. Slight color changes, different leaves, nodding flower. My main problem with them is the crispy post-peak-bloom flowers. So we'll see when mine is older whether I grow to like it or not.

a picture of climbing maman cochet (pink) on an arbor at Descanso Gardens
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... and then the same plant bloom at a so beautiful point:
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What I like best about Maman Cochet and her clan is the large, heavy, high petal-count flowers. So many tea and noisette roses are lightly double or less than double. They don't thrill me. I love fat flowers so I'll put up with the other stuff.

Sherry

I like a climber that nods its flowers downward, particularly if the flowers are large and fragrant.

But if the rose doesn't thrill you then by all means chop the hussy and her dried up bloomers into mulch.

La Madame de Shovel demands satisfaction!

Well, I'll trade Lauri her Cl. Maman Cochet for TWO stubbornly-upright, disease-free, massively-blooming, fragrant 'Flower Girls.'
Probably the ultimate "backdrop" rose, we unf. planted it where it obscures our view of the valley, and no amount of ruthless whacking will persuade it to reduce its size.

One rosarian's ceiling is another rosarian's floor.
:-)

Jeri

I'm about 1.5 inland from the beach in the Los Angeles area and we get a lot of cloudy conditions here, but Maman Cochet was extremely healthy and in our garden. THe huge drooping blooms seemed a plus hanging down from a structure. The only real problem we had with this rose was its extreme vigor! It grew so very wide, thick and tall that it became an obstacle in our yard -- we had it planted on the main entrance from the driveway to the yard, really a mistake because of how dense it grew. We tried pruning it back for a couple years, and that unfortunately resulted in its decline in flowering and vigor, and after a few years, we took it out. If I had lot of room, I'd let cl. Maman Cochet grow freely and just enjoy its wonderful beauty.

Hi Everyone--
Thank you for the pictures and discussion and humor!! I've really enjoyed your views, and you've helped me to view Maman Cochet differently, and appreciate what is special about her. I feel alot better knowing her drooping is actually her desired and distinctive habit, not due to my bad habits! So sorry Jeri, I think I'll keep her. :-) I'm going to notice if the brown flowers disappear with the next flush (like Sherry's--also I love how you are open to learning from your roses Sherry!). I might decide to move her later, but for now, she stays where she is.

Sherry, if you love tea roses stuffed with petals, and with flowers that droop very little, try Souvenir d'un Ami. The dry flowers do hang on but since it's not a climber they're much easier to deadhead.

Ingrid

Ingrid, no doubt Souvenir d'un Ami is a beauty - right up my alley. I need to find a nearby source. But how can an 8' to 10' rose NOT be a climber?

Laurili, I try to keep learning since I'm never quite sure I'm doing this rose-thing right. :))

Sherry

laurali;

My neighbors cl. "Maman Cochet" does the same thing your plant does,
-produces outward facing blooms that turn brown.
However this only occurs in summer, when higher heat causes smaller blooms, which is not unusual.
Those smaller rose blossoms are lighter in weight and lack enough weight to cause the pedicle to nod downwards from gravity. This is why, I believe, the smaller roses face outwards.
The browning is also, I think, probably caused by hot temperatures and the fact her cl. Maman Cochet is in full sun in a southern exposure. I noticed her roses turn brown first on the edges of the petals, which leads me to think these smaller roses are dehydrating more quickly.
Her garden is only 3 blocks away from mine, where my white "Maman Cochet" , which is growing in half a days shade, watered well, produces large blooms that nod perfectly and the petals drop off cleanly with no browning.

Luxrosa

>>> But how can an 8' to 10' rose NOT be a climber?

*** Think: Justa REALLY big bush!
'White Maman Cochet,' in a small NoCalif town.

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Jeri

OK, Jeri, thanks for the visual. Souv d'un Ami wouldn't be happy in my garden. It needs a lot more space than I can offer. But my question was prompted my HMF's usual inability to get the sizes right, but then maybe they've actually seen one that big. They should have mentioned the width, too, I think. Nevermind, I get it.

Sherry

Sherry, there are some VERY experienced growers of Tea Roses working at HMF, so I suspect that, yes, they really have seen one that big.

Jeri

Wow, that' a big rose Jeri!!! So, thanks for the tip, Luxrosa, I'll try watering my Maman more, she already gets half day sun down here is summer-hot El Cajon...

You've just had advice from The Best, Laurili, but I have to add my two cents: Teas are my favorite roses, and the "nodding" is part of why I find them so romantic. I have to say, though, that I didn't feel that way at first. Like you, I thought "What is wrong with my roses?". Now I love that look, and my roses aren't even mature enough for the blossoms to be above eye-level! It's like falling in love...