Palatine is the place to go for Kordes' "Freelander" roses. Quite a number of those roses have been around for quite a while now. Why do so few of them show up on HMF?

Personally, I'd like to have more information before adding them to my garden.

I think they don't show up in HMF or even on this forum much because not that many people have them yet. Palatine is one of the very few places to get them and they've got a limited supply. I like the ones that I have and I don't mind a gamble so I pick the ones with the pretty pictures and let other people know how they do for me in another year or two.

Tell me more about the Freelander roses. Are they more hardy than hybrid teas are typically known for? What are their biggest draws?

"Freelander" is just Kordes-speak for roses that make good cut flowers. With the exception, perhaps, of the few Freelander roses that were added to the Palatine website in the last week, the Freelander series roses are mostly already on HMF without the "Freelander" suffix. For example, the rose Palatine sells as "First Gold Freelander" is just "First Gold." Or "Las Vegas Freelander" is just "Las Vegas," which is how that rose has been sold for many years (i.e. without the Freelander suffix).

Here is a link that might be useful: Discussion of this on HMF

Regardless of whatever explanation/rationale/excuse we can come up with, the fact remains that there's very little info available on many, if not most, of the Freelanders. 'Laguna Freelander', to cite but one example, has been around for almost 4 yrs now, and there's no info on it that I can find.

With Kordes' maddening penchant for using the same name over and over and over again, perhaps I shouldn't be surprised that their new introductions sometimes don't get much attention. Search on HMF for 'Laguna' & you'll find more than one Kordes rose that bears no resemblance whatsoever to their 'Laguna Freelander'. Anyone here grow LF?

There have been a couple of Kordes rose enthusiats on this forum, but from the ratings and reviews I've read about Kordes varieties they are like many other roses, good and not so good. I sure wish there was a hybridizer that we could say with certainty always produced exceptional roses for a wide range of zones and uses, but if there is I don't know of him.

I plan on getting most of my 2011 roses from Palantine. The roses I got from them have done so well this year!

Jaxondel -- that Laguna Freelander is missing from HMF is easy enough to fix. I just gave them a heads up to add this rose, which anyone can do with the "missing plant" tab. I could only put in the info that is listed on the Palatine site however, as I don't grow this rose. Anyone who does grow it will now have a place to add their insights however. And someone will have to upload some pictures also.

Just finished my Palantine order. The previous Kordes plants I've rec'd from them ---Sister's Fairy Tale, Kosmos, Orange Veranda, Caramel Antike, Escimo--have done so splendidly I want to try more. So here come Herkules, Laguna Freelander, Sweet Antique Freelander and Zaide.

Colleen

I see lots and lots of really tempting roses there! :)

Debbie

I just checked the Palatine web site. There is no mention of how their roses are shipped. Are they bare root, how old are they, and what are the s/h charges?

I just ordered 20 new roses from Palatine. They do wonderfully for me here in the PAcific Northwest where I have struggled with Dr Huey in my acid clay soil. I started with a few Freelander roses 4 or 5 years ago, after reading about Palatine here on GW. I now have an Ice Girl rose that is over my head tall and loaded with beautiful white fragrant cutting roses. (She was specifically recommended by Rahel). Others that are doing great for me are Safari F, Caramel Antique F, Safari F, And Bonanza F. Leguna F was new last year and produced just a few lovely blooms this year. I look forward greatly to its further growth and production! I lost my favorite, QUeen of HEarts, last year and have ordered a replacement.

One thing I have discovered with these is that they seem more tender in the graft area then other roses. Although I planted them deep enough, the new bed compacted without me paying attention and I have lost several of my original ones after last years weird winter weather. I will be careful to mound dirt over the crowns this year, something I never bothered with in our 8B maratime climate before.

I was utterly taken with my fairytale roses this spring...Lion's, Sisters, and Caramel...TOtally healthy leaves and loaded with beautiful blossoms on big plants. THis fall I am adding Brothers Grimm FT and will add others as room opens in the garden...the perfect roses for aging Gardeners!

I am gradually replacing all of my old failing Dr Huey roses with these from Palatine. Where as some of the flowers look miserable in June here, by late summer they are fabulous! Karamel Antike Now called Caramel Antique) is one that really doesn't like June's rain but when it blooms in August it is heart stopping and worth the wait!

Here is my list for this year:]

First Gold Freelander
Honey Freelander
Lovely Antique Freelander
Queen of Hearts Freelander
Mandy Freelander
Red Queen Freelander
Belle Epoque
Domina"
Janet Carnochan
Osiria
Grimm Brothers Fairy Tale
South Africa
Water Lily
Memoire
Anne Henderson
Summer Fashion
Pompom Veranda
Jubille Celebration
Jude The Obscure
Baqi Billah Maulana Shaykh Nazim

Why do people insist on making posts like this? Don't you know I just got into roses in the past year and have purchased 15 already? Now you got my attention and I want to buy more! When will this madness end?

For the person asking about how they are shipped, Palatine roses are grafted to Multiflora, bareroot, and very large for bareroot roses. I've had to buy a big plastic tub to soak them in since they don't fit in the garbage can that I usually use. For me the Palatine roses take off quicker than most other roses and do well even in the first year. Some of my first year Palatine roses look better than roses that are two or three years old. The shipping and handling charges are reasonable enough that I didn't notice how much they were - maybe $15-20 on a $100 order.

I do have Laguna Freelander, but I can't give much feedback on it since it was new this year. The flowers are more mauve than lavender, they are nicely sized, the plant seems vigorous and grows well, it is somewhat resistant to blackspot (in other words, it hasn't completely defoliated when I stopped spraying this summer like most of my roses). I believe it has a scent but I'm not certain. I haven't cut any flowers from it yet.

I don't think the Freelanders are hardier than other roses. They just make good cut flowers. Because they're only bred for how long they last, a lot of them don't have scent and they aren't as disease resistant as some of the other Kordes roses.

I placed my order last night. I wasn't supposed to order hardly anything this season, but I've lost soooo many due to lousy watering situation, that I have many I can replace. Plus, I'm expanding a couple of my beds and squeezing in last season's pot ghetto members so I'll have lots of room in the 2 main pot ghettos!! Isn't it something how we rose-obsessed can always manage to find room for more, come bare root season? LOL

I ordered ANNIE DAVIDSON, BONANZA FREELANDER (got one this season, but it died for some reason), COPACABANA, GARDEN DELIGHT, MARTINA MONDADORI, NICOLE FREELANDER, PAULA SMART, and SAMBA FREELANDER. I almost ordered LOVELY ANTIKE FREELANDER and HERKULES, but I just had to stop! Also almost ordered ELIZA FREELANDER, which is what I originally thought the other just ELIZA was supposed to be back when I got it a couple seasons ago. But I just need to wait and see what Pickering will be offering next too, so didn't do more than the 8 I did order.

For some of you wondering what to order, I highly recommend SAFARI FREELANDER, SOUTH AFRICA and GOLDEN FREELANDER. I got those last yr, and they are all wonderful roses. I'm not thrilled with QUEEN OF HEARTS, The blooms are so small and sometimes don't open all the way. It reminds me a lot of a rose I got from Hortico called CIRCUS DAYS. Very similar, small coral blooms that ball and take forever to open. Got LAGUNA this season, like many of you, and I haven't been very impressed with it. The color is way more mauve, just like athenainwi mentions. I expected it to be much more "purple." But maybe we shouldn't judge it on the first season.

One of the most gorgeous new roses they offer, I highly recommend for those of you who like the whites or blends thereof, is JANET CARNOCHAN. I got her from Hortico many yrs ago, and I just love that rose! She's a really unusual one. The coloring can tend towards a pale lavender-white, or sometimes a teeny bit of a beige in the center, but it always has a slight greyish cast to it, which of course, I love!! The form is lovely too.

As for some of the other Freelanders, I have MONDIALE, FANTASIA, CHARMANT, CHERRY.... let's see... what else? MONDIALE is a nice rose, but it puts too much energy into growing really tall. It also looks almost identical to a rose called LOIS WILSON. Same blooms and same 7-8ft heighth. I wonder if they are related? FANTASIA is a florist ht I've wanted for yrs. But it does the same thing as MONDIALE. Grows really tall and doesn't bloom much. CHARMANT and CHERRY I got this season, and both have been pretty nice. CHARMANT tho has had better repeat, but the thrips like it, unfortunately. Nice unusual beigey-cream coloring.

Oh, a really great constantly-blooming yellow is PHAB GOLD. Stays nice and short, like 30" or so, spreads wide and blooms its head off. OMG, I just looked at the website, and many roses are already selling out. SUMMER SONG is one of them! Whoever snagged that one, you will LOVE it!! One of the best DAs out there!

I LOVE Palatine roses! Last year I bought the climbers ROSEANNA and ROSARIUM UETERSEN, the white shrub rose SUMMER MEMORIES, and CINDERELLA FAIRY TALE. All have been blackspot free for me during this very heavy pressure BS summer, and all have been excellent rebloomers. SUMMER MEMORIES is just the most beautiful super-full white rose - large roses that look like an English rose. This week I ordered THE THANKSGIVING ROSE (apricot blend shrub rose), Austin's SUMMER SONG, ALOHA HAWAII(peachy pink climber) and RED RIDING HOOD FAIRY TALE. The Palatine owners are so friendly and helpful.

Here's SUMMER MEMORIES - the cane in the picture is actually just one cane, with the main shrub behind it - lots of growth for just one season!

{{gwi:224924}}

uh...YUM!

athenianwi,

What time of year do you order and plant? When I lived in CA, autumn was the best planting time. In NY, most of my neighbors seem to be planting in late spring. OTOH, I was startled to read in Svend Paulsen's book that the best months for planting in Denmark are October or November "when growth has ceased", or else in April or May before growth begins again.

Nastara -- the time to order is NOW! As soon as the order window opens. If you go to the site, you will notice that some varieties have sold out already.

Placing an order is a completely different issue than when to ship or when to plant. Once you order a plant, they put it aside for you and will ship it to you whenever you want them to, even late next spring, if, for example, that is needed for a cold zone.

Kathy

For those looking for "disease resistant" roses, I highly recommend Caramel Fairy Tale. It has not been sprayed all season, and it is really clean and full of leaves. A beautiful bloom and a great plant!

I love Palatine, the largest, healthiest, bareroots that I have ever received, and excellent customer service.

Karenforroses

Dang! Had to go back and add Summer Memories to my already large order after contemplating your picture for a few days!
I'm creating a new bed in crimson red, and white and silver and I obviously need this rose in it!

Liza, you won't be sorry. Summer Memories has been a wonderful addition to my garden - healthy, disease free, great bloomer, robust grower.

Nastara - order now. They let you select when you want them shipped. I'm having mine shipped the first week in April. You want to plant bareroots early in the spring - earlier than you would a potted plant. But with the spring rains I usually can't plant until April or sometimes May (it will be too wet). So I ask for the roses at the beginning of April and I keep them in the garage until I can plant them. They hold up fine for a few weeks if you keep them hydrated.

I will agree with Diane that Carmel Fairytale is quite disease resistant. It and Elina are taking over my garden while my other roses look like sticks. I will warn you that Carmel Fairytale gets quite large even in a cold zone where it will dieback every winter.

Just a word to let the buyer beware, here.....tried to order Rock 'N Roll yesterday, and I'm not sure from the link which rose I'd end up getting. I wanted the red & white Grandiflora, but clicking that link & adding it to my cart gives me the red & yellow shrub instead.

I am currently notifying Palatine of the weird link.
---Laura

Talked to Rahel @ Palatine & they fixed the website. Now when you click the Grandiflora Rock 'n' Roll, you'll actually order that rose & not the shrub by mistake.

I've ordered several Kordes roses from Palatine, one of my favorites is Caramel Antique Freelander. Good fragrance & cut flower. The pic on Palatine's site doesn't do it justice, link to a better pic on hmf.com below. One confusing thing about this rose---ARS classifies it as a floribunda, hmf.com as a HT, & Palatine sells it as a grandiflora.

Here is a link that might be useful: Caramel Antique pic

Thanks to those who reported on experience with 'Laguna Freelander'. I appreciate your guidance steering me away from yet another Kordes lavender/mauve/or whatever.