I bought Mortimer despite the name. :) :)

If I really loved a rose, I'd buy it regardless, but yeah... I do think the names some how make them more romantic. I bet choosing a good name is hard!

I'm trying to get the rose "The Doctor" simply because I love "Doctor Who" tv series. How's that for silly. But, It's not a huge rose...

Some of the names seem bigger than the rose blossoms! LOL

My little Excellenz von Schubert and Gartendirektor Otto Linne (I hope they're spelled correctly) both have small, but pretty, little rose blossoms. I picked them, despite their names and call them Excellenz and Otto. They're both very sweet little roses :)

Sometimes the name has something to do with having or not having a rose. I could see it particularly if one were trying to have a collection of roses with something in common such as a Peace group containing Peace, Pink Peace, Chicago Peace, Flaming Peace, Glowing Peace, and even Lucky Piece because I think it is related to Peace also. Another could be a group of roses with names of Hollywood stars, artists, or musicians. There are possibilities here.

I'm sometimes attracted to a rose by its name. That may be one sign of a naive novice :-) I can be drawn in if the cultivar's name has some special significance to me. I do try to research whether the rose will do well in my zone and garden microclimate, and I'm in compiling a list of more logical prospects for next spring. So far my roses have had a great season, but I made one pretty blatant mistake. I loved 'Angel Face' when I grew it in So. California. We called one of my daughters 'Angel Face', and I had planted it when she was a young child. Naturally when I saw it for sale here this spring, I grabbed it. It languished until July and was one of three really bad black-spotters among my roses. The only time it did really well was when we had our terrible heat wave in early/mid July with temps hovering at 100 or more. Then the darn thing came alive, exploded with blooms and was the epitome of health! So apparently it is a real heat lover and I'm debating whether it's worth trying to keep in 6b/7a.

I have wondered at times at the wisdom of marketing roses with names that may be unattractive to a significant demographic. Eg. personally, I'm not attracted to religious or political namesakes John Paul II, Laura Bush etc. even though I may have heard positive reviews about the roses LOL! I just don't care for the image of Laura Bush giving me her Stepford stare from a prime spot in my little garden ;-) (Personal opinion only folks, don't jump on me please.)

-Maeve

Not that I'm interested in either rose, but I refuse to have a rose in my garden named Chuckles or Betty Boop or some of the cutesy-silly names that some of the miniatures have.

Ingrid

ahahaha CHUCKLES. XD

Nope. I'd buy one named Stinky Poo if it was bushy and fragrant and beautiful. But with that name it would probably be a modern and those die from the benign neglect in my garden!

Absolutely yes. I have Betty Boop just because my mother loved her. Kent is for my brother Kent, The Claire Rose is for my friend Claire, Purple Heart is for my father, Hunter for my nephew... and all my cats have their own roses: Buff Beauty for buff Mia-Nina, Rose Eduard for Ned, Comtesse du Cayla for torti Rebecca, the Black Prince for Giddeon and the Prince for Aidan, Lili Marlena for Marlena, Bengal Tiger for Pablo, Ghislaine de Peligord for Gilli, etc. And Robin Hood for me.

Sometimes. I will never grow Sexy Rexy, whoever thought it was cute? I love fancy long names, although I have to say that Anna de Diesbach does put me off:-)...

Masha

Thanks for all the replies. I loved reading all your answers. It's funny how we can sometimes have aversions to certain names.

I just wanted to clarify that I wouldn't buy a rose that is not viable in my area just because of its pretty name. I'm actually quite obsessive about researching which roses will do well in my are before I purchase anything.

Aimee, Mortimer really is pretty. If only I can get over his name. lol

Lavender_lass, I also grow Excellenz and love it.

Maeve, your comment about Laura Bush's stepford stare made me laugh. Thanks! :)

Catsrose, that's so sweet that you have roses relating to the names of your loved ones. I would probably do the same except my kids have obscure names.

Masha, I wouldn't choose Anna de Diesbach, either! It might live up to its name. lol!

I like Mortimer's blooms, but I'm on the fence about the bush health. Its leaves seem to burn easier and just don't look quite as nice as my other austins, but I'll give it a year or so to see. : ) :)

Does the name of a rose affect your decision to grow it?

Well, I'm never a fan of those celebrity roses..(i.e Ian Thorpe, Barbra Streisand etc.) Don't get me wrong, they are wonderful people...it's just that it seemed like those roses are quick to make money and they haven't been fully trialled in the garden.

Perhaps with the exception of Pope John Paul. I read that it has a really strong fragrance..so I might think of having one.

Forgot "Cuisse de Nymphe Emue", which I might consider because it is such an imaginative name. However, I am not sure I like "Tipsy Imperial Concubine".

"White Pearl in Red Dragon's Mouth" is a lovely name, and makes the rose very tempting.

Happy Butt and Little Huzzy - not so much...

Masha

I'm going to be buying Tispy Imperial Concubine.
I do happen to think the flowers are gorgeous and it's a smaller tea which is fabulous and supposedly does well in pots.
but I have to admit the name is amusing.

I have Miss All American Beauty, even though I don't like the name. I don't like roses named after politicians or celebrities, but I can overlook that if they are recommended for this region.

Oh, you have already listed the names I really dislike: Sexy Rexy and Chuckles (the clown).

Happy Butt? I just looked it up on HMF because I couldn't believe it--sure enough!

It is an influence, but only rarely a deciding factor.

Rosefolly

I have looked at Napoleon for years, and won't buy it. There is also a roses that is the name of his close friend that I won't buy. If I ever do buy the roses, I will change the names for my garden. ha ha

Sammy

I have looked at Napoleon for years, and won't buy it. There is also a roses that is the name of his close friend that I won't buy. If I ever do buy the roses, I will change the names for my garden. ha ha

Sammy

I don't know how that happened. I was in a hurry, and didn't write it out twice. Odd

I make all kinds of excuses for buying roses including the name. I once bought Princess Michael of Kent because my husbands name is Michael.
I heard that Mortimer Sackler is the toilet paper tzar. It's a nice rose.

Just for fun , it's interesting to note that a couple of the names people dislike were the affectionate nicknames of real people. 'Sexy Rexy' was the nickname of actor Rex Harrison. 'Happy Butt' was the nickname of someone breeder Bill Carlson knew whose actual name was Gladys (Glad *ss).

Rosefolly

Interesting! Good trivia, rosefolly.

hahah toilet paper tzar what does that mean? :D

Masha, Given your love for those long fancy names, I am very sorry to report that the Tea rose 'Madame la Princesse de Bessaraba de Brancovan' is apparently extinct. However, the Hybrid Perpetual 'Madame Berthe du Mesnil de Montchauveau' is still available (only not in the U.S. -- yet).

I'm wondering what the longest rose name might be . . .

Thank you, windeaux, for informing me about these wonderful roses. I will wait for the release of Madame la Candidate pour le Shovel-Prune instead:-).

As for a really long name, how is this: Souvenir de la Princesse Alexandra Swiatopolk-Czetwertinski. Can you say it?

Masha

Gosh, no. But I wish I could.

When I as a little girl, I had an elderly neighbor who spoke Grannish as her first language. She was a sort of courtesy grandmother to me and my sister. I believe that Grannish was a dialect of German, possibly now extinct, and possibly with a Slavic influence. Once upon a time there were a number of different versions of the German language. I read that some of them never had a written form. Anyway, she was born in Slovenia, and she and her family came to Pennsylvania to work in the coal mines and avoid the German draft in the days before World War I. My mother used to tell me that I spoke a little Grannish myself when I was little, though I don't remember any of this at all, not even one word. Anyway, I'll bet that when I was five years old I could have pronounced Princesse Alexandra Swiatopolk-Czetwertinski.

But not now.

Rosefolly

I love french rose names. My favorite right now is Rhodologue Jules Gravereaux. Even though a rose name should not influence my decision to buy a rose, in my organic no-spray garden health is really much more important, I have to admit this one did :-)!. I got one very, very beautiful flower so far, but besides this rose is a mildew mess. The mildew is bugging it so badly that it hasn't grown much. Hope it improves, just for the lovely names sake!

Christina

Rosefolly, I have never heard about Grannish (and I am a linguist by education). I googled it but nothing much came up. Was this a version of German spoken by Slavic immigrants? In any case, I learned something new today:-)

Masha

Catsrose -- Please tell me about 'Kent'. Unexpectedly, it arrived here as part of my final (and thoroughly disastrous) order from Ashdown. How tall does it get? How floriferous is it? How long do the blooms last for you? Any other observations/opinions will be appreciated.

Rosefolly -- In jest, allow me to say this: Thanks so much for the info re Grannish. Now I have a retort when I'm quizzed about why I'm ALWAYS late for my book club and garden club meetings. From now on I'll simply say, "Because you speak GRANNISH for the first half hour! I don't understand it myself, and I find it boorish, boring, idiotic, unintelligible . . . ".

Personally, I've no interest in relating to (or relating tiresome, rococo tales about) my grandchildren until they're old enough to listen attentively as I attempt to undermine their parents' (VERY conservative) sociopolitical views.

OMG, how in h*ll did this happen? Where, oh where, did I go so WRONG . . . ?