I don't blame you for having those thoughts, Rosefolly. I've grown Snowbird for thirty years, not simply because I like it and it's a wonderful, old-fashioned looking rose here, but R. Marion Hatton, who created it, was excellent in his duties for the ARS for many years and was highly respected and loved by those who knew him. Enjoying Snowbird in my garden is my way of honoring him for the kind of man he was and providing him my small measure of immortality. I grew Dainty Bess for years, both because I liked the rose, but also because it was Archer's tribute to the woman he loved and eventually married. I grow Leonie Lamesch because I find her beautiful. Now, after this adventure, she is even more important to me. Peter Lambert, who created both Leonie and Eugenie, was the force behind the creation of Sangerhausen and accomplished many rose-related good works. The year after he introduced Leonie and Eugenie, he married Leonie Lamesch, so that rose has taken on greater value in my mind. I maintain several Jack Harkness roses for many of the same reasons. I respected him for his creativity, writing and for the well loved gentleman all who knew him proclaimed him to be. The same for Edward LeGrice. There are many others, including Ralph Moore, for whom I grow roses for the same reasons. So, yes, the "romantic streak" is strongly at work here, too. Kim

Thanks for all of your nice comments. I just wanted to comment on Ingrid's, re disliking red roses, but liking this one because it tends towards the purple side - that is exactly how I feel! I only took a cutting of the original of this because I also like climbers very much (solves my deer problem). I know that rose hybridizers spent decades trying to develop red roses that did NOT fade towards purple, but I don't like those kind nearly as well - boring. This one goes great with the purple clematis (which was a total accident - I had planted the clematis years before, and forgot about it, because it didn't bloom, until it suddenly burst into bloom on the arch one Spring) because of its color. It wasn't until it rooted that I realized what a marvelous fragrance it has - really strong "old rose". To answer Nancylee's question, I never cut that clematis back (I am lazy, and therefore cannot be bothered to remember which clematis is a I, or a II, or a III, or what the different pruning instructions are for those different types - I just let them grow without pruning) at all until last Fall, when we had to seriously prune the Sombreuil, as it was lopsided, and was threatening to bring down the entire large arch, and/or snag/injure passersby. So, I pruned the clematis down to about 2 feet, not realizing that clematis, like roses, have growth nodules along the stems...Anyway, it showed no signs of life early this Spring, so I decided I had killed it. To my joy it eventually re-emerged from its roots, and by now has achieved about 5 feet in height, and climbing still - I have managed to direct it so that it will climb up the arch again to join the Sombreuil and the CG. Here is a pic of a bloom of my CG which was taken before we knew who it was. Jackie

Thanks for the additional problem solving, Beth! I used to have Gypsy Fire from Eurodesert but it wasn't particularly hardy in my zone and has been long gone. As tough as this little plant has been for 4+ years I don't think I realized reading my notes that I can't guarantee this rose was a free RV rose however, since I don't remember what I planted there. I appreciate the advice to ask RV, but while I love their roses dearly I don't find that the folks answering the phones or emails are typically all that knowledgeable about the roses. This spring they sent me Ingrid Bergman (a dark red rose) instead of the Ingrid that I'd ordered (orange with yellow hilites Mander rose), and it took some discussion to convince them these weren't the same rose. They did give me the credit for the error, but I don't think distinguishing among possible striped roses would be likely from the staff I've encountered. Theoretically Ebharvey may be correct that this could be a seedling, but I've never had any other seedling grow in my yard in 10 or more years and 1000+ roses, so it would be odd if the only seedling I got was a nice striped one like this. Far more likely given the planting frenzy that happens in my yard in spring is that I planted this and forgot to label it some years ago. I remember trying to replace Gypsy Fire from someone but that was unsuccessful, and I wouldn't have put it in an out of the way place like this. I don't recall ever ordering JH Pierneef, but given your lovely photos I certainly would if the opportunity presented itself. I seem to recall the color being on the crimson side of red rather than orange tones, but the photo you see from back in (gasp) 2014 was the last bloom picture I have and the last bloom I remember seeing. Well, I suppose if it doesn't bloom I can call it Cynthia's Darling (or whatever I want) and no one will be able to contradict me. It's unobtrusive and stays tucked in some clematis most of the season so it stays by default. Still, it is a nagging little mystery that surprisingly after 3 years still isn't resolved. I'll keep a special eye out for it this season and see if I get any new blooms. Thanks as always for the problem solving! Cynthia

I, too, love Jacqueline's exuberant garden. I don't think my garden is big enough to accommodate most grasses, and anyway most would be too vigorous to plant near roses, probably. (I admire anyone who can tell grasses apart, though, especially the wild ones.) I do grow the Japanese golden grass (Hakonechloa macra 'AureolaâÂÂ) in front of Rose de Rescht and also a miniature golden carex. One year I had a lot of self-seeded dull pink bleeding heart on that side of the garden and some very saturated-dark-red pansies (with a touch of brick red). I thought it turned out very well. Except that the bleeding hearts often finish up before the roses get going. I am now trying to re-do that bed. The grass, which took ages flourish, and even died and had to be replaced, now is too big and needs to be divided. I don't think it has flowered for me. But I saw some flowering in a container in Manhattan and it looked enchanting. I am going to try the Emilia Irish poet there, too. My garden faces north east and shaded by buildings, especially when the sun is low in fall and winter. In summer the hot morning sun blasts the mini-hostas and other shade-loving things I've tried, though. My miniscule front garden has similar issues. It's too sunny when it's sunny and too shady a few hours later when it's shady. Our urban weather tends to the extreme. As far as colors clashing. I was brought up to think "blue with green should never be seen", "orange clashes with pink" and so on. But it's a funny thing about how tastes in colors as in other things can change 180 degrees. I knew someone who worked for a well-known Institute of Taste and Smell, who said they were asked to do research to find a scent that manufacturers could use to put on toilet paper to make it more attractive. The trouble was that whatever they used, after three months people stopped liking it and started hating it. (For toilet paper, give me scentless, thanks.) With children and breakfast cereal it was the same thing. After three months, they got tired of the new shape or flavor, or name of cereal, whatever it was that the cereal companies were marketing. So we tend to get tired of whatever we liked sooner or later, but then, after a due interval, we may come back to it. So far, however, I haven't gotten tired of Rose de Rescht!