Uh oh, more roses appeared on the back porch...

10 years ago

I took a trip to Chamblee's again today and walked out with four Duchesse de Brabant, a Charlotte, a Sharifa Asma, and a Souvenir de la Malmaison. The Austins are going to my grandmother (she's a big fan), and I will probably include a Duchesse de Brabant as well. This leaves me to figure out where to put everything else.

But while I am here I would like to take a minute to relay a story about Mr. Chamblee accommodating myself and my friend today. We drove the nearly 2 hour drive out to Tyler to Chamblee's Rose Nursery without checking their hours and day schedule. When we pulled up, the nursery was closed. I did not have the foresight to check the website before we left, and if I had I would have seen that they close on the weekends during the hottest part of the summer.

We couldn't believe that we did not check before setting out on our little trek to East Texas. But as we were walking and trying to figure out what to do in the greenhouse just off to the right, Mr. Chamblee himself pulled into the nursery and asked if he could be of help. It turns out that he was just stopping by to water some cuttings they had rooted and were propagating. We explained we had driven a bit to get there, and I offered to pay cash and not worry about the difference in change since we were inconveniencing him. He was happy to assist us, opened the greenhouses, told us to take our time, and was very patient as he helped my friend (who is new to roses) pick out some of her first true roses. We talked about Austins, Teas in the south, Earthkind roses, some of the trial gardens which are prolific in my area, and some of the new varieties he was excited to offer when the new stock arrived for the fall.

He wrote me a paper receipt for the purchase, thanked us for stopping by, and even joked around with us, saying, "See what y'all started now!" when we realized that a few other people had arrived and were shopping in what were supposed to be closed greenhouses (for the record, I felt SO GUILTY that we put him in that situation).

I was a fan of Chamblee's before, as they have great customer service, fair prices, and excellent plants. But after today I will be a life long customer. And I will be sure to check the website hours from here on out!

Josh

Featured Answer

zeffyrose

10 years ago

Josh---that is a lovely story----and what a nice man----his love of roses and people is inspiring----my son has a small Perennial farm and he works hard but loves what he does ---sounds like Mr Chamblee also loves his business---sure wish I lived closer ----
Florence

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (17)

mendocino_rose
10 years ago
That's a nice story Josh. I hope all the roses do well too.
alameda/zone 8/East Texas
10 years ago
I plan to go Wednesday - I sure forgot about their summer hours! Were there alot of blooms in the greenhouse? Now you have whetted my appetite - I have been really wanting to go.......Wednesday is the first day I can get free. What about the sales area, is there alot there? I always buy too much, no restraint at all! And all these bands I bought from Vintage, Heirloom and Northland Rosarium I just got in........Which roses did he say were the new ones he will be offering in the fall?

Chamblees is the best! It is always a special treat when I go to Tyler and go there. Have you been to the big Municipal Rose Garden in Tyler? It is gorgeous, and they have 2 "idea gardens" with so many lovely blooming things - the big pine trees provide a cooling respite from the heat - you can bring a picnic or a cold drink and sit and admire the beauty of the roses and the roses and the fountain. Next time you go, you should make time to visit.
Judith
Related Discussions
uh-oh...sawdust in potting mix
Q
Comments (6)
How much sawdust by volume was the final mix? unless it was something like walnut sawdust (unlikely) I wouldn't worry unless the sawdust is acounting for a substantial volume of the mix. That said, I am no expert in potting media. Maybe Fruitnut will come along with a more solid answer
...See More
Uh-Oh! Just want to be sure.
Q
Comments (4)
Black is dead and will never be any other color. Remove them to where the pith is the color of the inside of an apple. George Vancouver and Morden Blush are both hardy Canadian roses that are bred to survive your winters. The Dream Rose series were advertised to be hardy and disease resistant but most failed to live up to the hype. You can wait on Golden Cascade for a while to see if there is new growth. In your area, I'd only buy proven hardy varieties. WalMart sells roses, any roses, regardless if they are suited for your growing zone or not. If there are no reputable nurserys in your area order on-line from Pickering oor Palentine roses. They list if a rose is hardy or not and sell good roses. In your area, unless it's a Canadian Explorer rose of some type, expect a lot of winter cane dieback that will have to be removed each spring on any rose you grow..
...See More
Uh oh, any ID on wilt disease on Cornus Controversa
Q
Comments (13)
IMHO, has nothing to do with Verticellium from what I see. Just doesn't look like the pattern. The leaf spots are likely due to wet weather IMHO, giving something an advantage over the tree. Leaves are rarely perfect this time of year, so unless it gets allot worse, I would not worry about the spots at this point. While I don't know if jean has the right pathogen (would require more extensive testing(, I do think they have the right ideal. Namely that it is something that got into a small wound etc. Your pictures seem to chow that it is working top downward. As for what to do about it, as indicated before, it looks like your doing exactly what needs to be done. That is pruning out to well below the affected area, with proper disposal of pruned material (i.e. burned or in the trash, but not in compost). As for the mulch, it probable has nothing to do with it. However I will say this about cypress mulch. From what I have been told, in many cases this mulch is obtained by removing entire tree from the swamp ecosystem for no other purpose than to make mulch. At this point the ecosystem is often so disturbed that seedling cypress do not survive. It is for this reason I don't use cypress mulch any longer. Arktrees
...See More
Uh-oh...Hafele trash pedal failing...Anyone ever deal w/Hafele se
Q
Comments (10)
I have the Hafele pedal and every once in a while it won't stay closed. This used to happen more frequently when I first installed it but now only happens once in a great while. What I've found is that the reason it won't stay closed is because the magnet isn't making good contact with the steel plate. I have to just scoot the magnet which is attached to the underside of the cabinet up a fraction of an inch. I think as I kick the pedal sometimes, the magnet can sort of get kicked back. For some reason I'm not able to tighten the screws which attach it to the cabinet - probably need to get someone with some muscle to do it. But like I said, it happens so infrequently that it's just easier to scoot it forward with my hands. I'm not sure if that is your problem, and I've never dealt with Hafele customer service so I can't help there. I've had my pedal for about 4.5 years and cannot live without it. I've gotten so used to it, I found myself trying to push an imaginary pedal in other spots in my kitchen! As for the soft close, I have that on all my drawers as well, and it WOULD be cool to have it on the trash, but for me, it's MUCH cooler to have hands-free opening on the trash. There are so many times my hands are wet/dirty/grimy, etc. from handling food and the foot pedal is indispensable.
...See More
Lynn-in-TX-Z8b- Austin Area/Hill Country
10 years ago
Oh, Josh what a great story!

My husband, I know even though he has not said it, must in one respect be so glad we are still here in hot vegas instead, of Portland or Austin. He's a smart guy and I know is fully aware that he would really have seen the rose addict in me that is tamed by my lack of gardening space and no places like Chamblee's, RVR, or Heirloom within a reasonable drive.

You folks are really fortunate and/or highly enabled :)

Lynn

This post was edited by desertgarden561 on Mon, Aug 12, 13 at 0:29
michaelg
10 years ago
Thanks for a nice story. Of course, people don't start nurseries so they can maximize time on the golf course.

I can't believe the hours that Pat Henry of Roses Unlimited puts in, and she has been at it for a long time.
bluegirl_gw
10 years ago
Wonderful story, Josh. But I'm not surprised by it. When I used to be able to go on a regular basis it was always like visiting another rose-lover's huge garden. We always enjoyed visiting with Frank--dunno if he's still there but he was great.
He knew my tastes & climate zone perfectly & would recommend or counsel against plants with great accuracy. It was such a treat to go to Tyler for a "rose vacation".
ms. violet grey
10 years ago
Josh, it might be too far for you.........but The Antique Rose Emporium is a nice day trip.

Texas is huge!
alameda/zone 8/East Texas
10 years ago
Sadly, Frank passed away several years ago [Chamblees]. He was a wealth of information and he used to spend so much time with me discussing roses. His favorite Austin was Sophys Rose. His niece Maria has learned so much from him and now works there - I always hang out with her and talk roses when I am there.

Antique Rose Emporium is a sight to behold with its gorgeous gardens - it has lovely perennials for sale there also. We love to take a picnic lunch and sit on the little hill under the pecan trees where the breeze is always blowing. I usually go spring and fall without fail.
Judith
bluegirl_gw
10 years ago
Ohhh, I m so sorry to hear that. Maybe because we were always there on weekends or whatever, it was always Frank we got to visit with. Dang, I hate to hear that. What a nice man, how generous with his vast knowledge. I hope he has roses on his grave.
altorama Ray
10 years ago
Not even surprised, they are all so nice there.
You are so lucky to be able to go there. I have ordered quite a few from them, always very healthy. Where I live only some variations of 'Knock Out'..for sale-1(nothing against them. But there ARE other roses out there!!
I have had Charlotte-beautiful rose, and SDLM, I LOVED that rose but it didn't like my climate. If I lived that close to them I would be bankrupt!
kittymoonbeam
10 years ago
Take the extra time to dig and prepare a huge hole- spare no expense on the ammendments for SdlM. I have planted this rose 5 times now and the extra work you do to plant this rose will pay off x10
ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9
10 years ago
I was interested to hear that Sophy's Rose was Mr. Chamblee's favorite Austin. That's really a recommendation considering it's not really one of the most beautiful ones. I have two in my hot backyard and they seem to tolerate that position quite well, and are overall easy and steady bloomers. It's not only beauty of flower that a true rosarian will consider, and this rose has many attributes that make it a winner in a hot and dry garden.

Ingrid
shellfleur
10 years ago
Wow, I love hearing great stories like that. Next time I am looking to buy, Chamblees will rank that much higher on my list. I also think you are soooo lucky to have a nursery that specializes in roses that you can actually visit. There is nowhere like that near me. There are only high priced nurseries that have just the basic roses or Home Depot/Lowes that have really basic roses. Anything better must be bought through mail order.
alameda/zone 8/East Texas
10 years ago
Ingrid, sorry if I wasnt clear, Sophy's Rose was Frank's favorite - not sure what Mark Chamblee's favorite Austin is. Frank was a valued and long time employee of Chamblees - he was always there to give advice, propogate and what he didnt know about roses probably wasnt worth knowing. He passed away several years ago [maybe 8-10, I will have to ask his niece Maria when I go on Wednesday] from complications of diabetes. I would always ask him what he thought about this or that rose and he would tell me honestly. I have found his advice about Sophy's Rose right on - I have 2 of them and they are healthy, well shaped and bloom lots. I sure miss Frank - but Maria was his protege and learned so much from him and now with her experience at Chamblees is filling his shoes with great capability.
Judith
altorama Ray
10 years ago
Embarrassed to say....I actually put an umbrella over SDLM because I didn't want to ruin blooms.
strawchicago z5
10 years ago
Hi Josh: I agree with Judith that Chamblee has the best customer service, they are always pleasant when I call. I put additional info. in your thread "Strawberryhill", with research from Texas A & M on calcium and plant growth.

Chamblee's roses are the most solid & heavy gallon-size root ball. The sheer weight is worth the shipping cost to my Chicagoland.
kittymoonbeam
10 years ago
I have a big box of umbrellas and stands stashed away for bad weather ( mostly heat waves ) They work great. I have also gone out and bagged roses with bread bags and twist ties to spare them from overnight rain. Perfectly sensible.

Uh oh, more roses appeared on the back porch...

zeffyrose

Comments (17)

mendocino_rose

alameda/zone 8/East Texas

Related Discussions

Lynn-in-TX-Z8b- Austin Area/Hill Country

michaelg

bluegirl_gw

ms. violet grey

alameda/zone 8/East Texas

bluegirl_gw

altorama Ray

kittymoonbeam

ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9

shellfleur

alameda/zone 8/East Texas

altorama Ray

strawchicago z5

kittymoonbeam

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US