OGR nurseries

10 years ago

I thought it might be useful to gather the names of OGR nurseries that continue to serve us.

We don't often hear about Greenmantle Nursery in Garberville, California, a vendor of heirloom roses and heirloom apples, but they have been in business for a long time. Anyone I know who buys from them seems to be quite pleased.
http://www.greenmantlenursery.com/roses/

A little more widely known is High Country Roses in Denver Colorado, http://www.highcountryroses.com/. I have ordered from them myself and the roses were healthy and robust.

Just today I ran across a vendor new to me, Azalea House Flowering Shrub Farm in Voorheesville, New York, http://www.floweringshrubfarm.com/. Doesn't sound much like a rose vendor, but it is. They sell lots of lilacs, blueberries, rhododendrons, and azaleas, but also a rather impressive list of European once-blooming OGRs. Their website says that they will sell small plants by mail order and have larger ones available for pick up.

Please add your own to this list. I'm hoping we will find that while we have lost some valuable sources, many smaller treasures remain.

Rosefolly

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Comments (12)

Poorbutroserich Susan Nashville
10 years ago
Roses Unlimited in South Carolina has an amazing inventory! I always receive the most beautiful and healthy plants. I'm very happy with them.
I feel the same about Antique Rose Emporium.
I am currently waiting on an order from Linda Loe with Long Ago Roses in North Carolina. It will be my first.
She has quite an inventory too!
Susan
floridarosez9 Morgan
10 years ago
Rose Petals Nursery in Archer, Florida. I just got a great order from Cydney. Angel Gardens Nursery in north Florida and Cool Roses I think in West Palm, Florida. They used to do custom budding on Fortuniana and still do as far as I know.
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Flowergirl, I understand wanting to see the roses in person before you buy. That's why I take at least one trip per year to Roses Unlimited. For me, it's about 3 1/2 hours away. If it's early, they let me wonder through all their greenhouses. I know the plants are babies but I can still see the bloom on most of them. If I go later, they have many roses planted around. It's fun and I learn alot. If you can ever get to somewhere like Rogue Valley Roses, I would think they would let you visit the nursery. They have been VERY helpful to me on the phone. You could call and ask. PLUS, if you are thinking about a particular rose, post here and you will get great input from folks in your area about how it performs for them. Even though I prefer to see before I buy, I've grown to trust the folks on this forum. Hope you find what you're looking for.
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Andrea, I prune my mature HTs to around 18" every spring when growth starts. For tall-growing varieties like Frederic Mistral and Elina, I may spring-prune to 12" once they have developed a whole lot of basal canes. However, I understand most California growers prune to 24" or 30", so I guess they find they get more flowers that way. Understand that I don't have experience in California--but, If you think Pristine's bare knees are unsightly, I think you could cut her back to 18" at the end of spring or summer flush, but then she'll be bare for three weeks. The caveats that occur to me are that green bark could sunburn if it is very hot, and, if you don't irrigate much during summer drought, that could interfere with refoliation. Of course early next spring would be fine.
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Comments (53)
There were many miniature nurseries all over the country back in the early 80s. So many old minis, historic minis, and as difficult to figure out what to order from whom. At that time, there weren't as many specialty OGR nurseries as there were toward the late 80s and into the 90s. As the world changed and money began to tighten, more and more began disappearing. Quite a few were due to the owners aging, retiring or dying. There weren't nearly as many sources for OGRs and older modern roses then. There were a few, but the selection was quite limited compared to a few years later. OGR and specialty nurseries swelled and life was good! There is a cycle to it. Lean times followed by a flush time where virtually anything you want there is a source for. It was thrilling watching more and more old, rare and obscure roses begin to fill the pages of the established and new sources. It's been quite scary watching valued sources dry up. It's even scarier thinking of the "Dark Ages" we face before us.
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I think rather than that consumers "pushed" nurseries to sell own-root roses, nurseries opened up and promoted own-root roses as an alternative to budded roses -- because that's what they were set up to produce. That people have come to prefer many -- but not all -- that way indicates that the change had some merit. Personally, I think that own-root makes for a better growing most garden roses -- note I'm not speaking of HTs for showing, or other more "finicky" roses. I mean your average "flowering shrub" rose, either modern or old. Areas with particular climate and/or soil conditions which dictate preferences for particular rootstocks would be better served by specialists. If your "average rose" is budded, will that "average rootstock" be the one recommended everywhere? Nope. So if you're in a specific region where 'Fortuniana' is what needs to be below the surface, own-root would be just as inappropriate as one of the other rootstocks. If the big producers put everything on 'Dr. Huey' as a default, you're just as out of luck as if the default was own-root. So perhaps the answer would be more smaller nurseries set up for those regional specifics. Anyone willing to learn custom budding could become very popular with their local ARS chapter. :-) ~Christopher
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cramoisi
10 years ago
Burlington Rose Nursery in Visalia, California

Heirloom Roses in St. Paul, Oregon

Rogue Valley Roses in Medford, Oregon
zeffyrose
10 years ago
Great list----thanks

Florence
rosefolly
Original Author
10 years ago
That is a dozen so far, and I'm sure more to come. When I bought my first OGR back when I was 19, Will Tillotson's nursery was the only game in town. I was so excited to find Roses of Yesterday and Today in Watsonville, California, http://www.rosesofyesterday.com/. It is smaller now than it once was, but still in business.

And Pickering Nurseries in Ontario, Canada has just been restored to us, http://www.pickeringnurseries.com/.

We are up to 14 in our count.

Rosefolly
joshtx
10 years ago
Though it is not solely an OGR nursery, Chamblee Roses provides a good variety of OGR, Earth-Kind, as well as Austins.

www.chambleeroses.com/
Alwayzbgrateful
10 years ago
I was simply passing through as I heard many OGR do well in our climate. As I read the OP a sudden question struck me. Ive seen many (one is too many in my book) small business go out of business. I realize there are many factors that contribute to a company having to close its doors.I have my own (very small) mobile grooming business and have walked the line of closing down many a time, But what can we do to help those that are still around? I much rather spend my hard earned money @ a small or locally owned business rather then help stuff the pockets of BIG Companies.Example Horitco and J&P,Ive heard a lot of negitive about both. It seems to me that a smaller business is more willing to go the extra mile to ensure customer satisfaction, excellent products,and communication.Most people buy plants at big box stores that are not meant for their climate,plant it, it dies, they take it back for a refund,believing they killed it, and "round the merry go round they go again.But as my grandma always says "when you know better you do better". What can we do as individuals,and as a collective to help those small struggling comp's stay in business?is there anything that can be done? Thanx to all and sorry for the long off topic question, This just got my wheels turning.
-Lyna
rosefolly
Original Author
10 years ago
Lyna, you make a good point. However serious rose growers already buy their roses mainly from specialty nurseries. The big box stores are simply not a high quality source. Given that much of the general public buy their only roses there, this contributes to the idea that roses are just too hard, and that unless you work really, really hard, you are doomed to fail at growing roses.

Actually I believe that even larger rose nurseries such as J&P and Hortico have struggled in recent years.

Rosefolly
alameda/zone 8/East Texas
10 years ago
Hortico is going to lose a loyal long time customer with me before long. I made a fair sized order last fall - 5-6 of them were absolutely NOT what they were supposed to be and I am noting now that "Cressida" is looking like some sort of rootstock - thorny, totally a monsterous giant even in a pot with nary a bloom this year. They are giving me "free" roses to replace what was incorrect but I have to pay shipping. Why is that fair? I will probably pick out some roses to order this fall for my "free" roses and not order any extras. I have supported them on this forum with kind words, but no more.

I live 2 hours from Chamblees and 3 hours from Antique Rose Emporium and HIGHLY recommend both nurseries. Also, would like to add Northland Rosarium and Palatine Roses to the list.
Judith
rinaldo
10 years ago
As I posted elsewhere, Palatine Roses has an excellent selection of old garden roses on multiflora and their service is superlative. I've never bought budded roses anywhere that have grow so fast or so full.
zjw727
10 years ago
I really REALLY love Rogue Valley Roses. The selection is incredibly broad, including species roses, lovely Gallicas, Teas, Chinas, Noisettes, Bourbons, H. Perpetuals, H. Teas, moderns, David Austin...EVERY category is represented. Even if their stock isn't quite as loaded with ultra-rarities as Vintage Gardens' was, there are still plenty of things that aren't easily obtainable. I've placed three orders with them in the last year and ALL of the plants have been incredibly healthy. I especially love the selection of early Hybrid Teas- in fact, I just ordered "Shot Silk" and "Mrs. Lovell Swisher"

I also received an order of superbly healthy plants from Roses Unlimited, in South Carolina. Fantastic customer service. I'll be ordering from them again in the Spring, with pleasure.
paparoseman
10 years ago
Long Ago Roses has EXCELLENT roses. Unfortunately they do not ship to the West Coast anymore but the roses I have came in last late summer looking fantastic and are growing like gangbusters in my garden now. Rose Petals Nursery also has very nice roses and I just placed another order for four more today.

OGR nurseries

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Poorbutroserich Susan Nashville

floridarosez9 Morgan

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