I know where you can steal cuttings of a really really good Red Radiance. :-)

FWIW, Linda, we grew MAC for years, here, and it never didn't mildew slightly.

Jeri

I'm want to replace a pair of rowdy New Dawn for the kinder and more civilized Annie McDowell (I'm enchanted about the possibility of dead heading with a hose! ;) ) The New Dawn can go live on the back fence line if I can get them there without being scarred for life.

Build a Tea garden with, among others, Duchess de Brabant, Clementina Carbonieri, Mrs. B.R. Cant, Mrs. Dudley Cross and Lady Hillingdon.

Find a place to put a Crepuscule that isn't against my yellow house!

Lady Roberts and Lady Hillingdon.

Floridarosez9, we have a climbing Lady H and just LOVE those blooms! For some reason bush LH didn't do well here for us. I should add Lady Roberts to my list - I've been wanting Anna Olivier and her sport Lady R for a while...

subk3, your tea rose garden sounds wonderful. Love all those roses.

Linda -- You should watch to see what's offered at next spring's Sacramento City Cemetery Open Garden, in April. That could be your best bet for Lady Roberts.

She's disease-free, here.

Jeri

lbuzzell, I've had exactly the same experience. I tried the bush Lady Hillingdon in two different gardens with underwhelming results. Cl. Lady Hilligdon is so much more leafy and vigorous, with lots of bloom, and I'm on my second one. It's against a wall but I've decided to grow it as a bush of 6 to 8 feet.

Ingrid

Rain. Lovely, lovely rain...

Rain, dispensed in the appropriate doses to actually do some good, rather than just run off; something to EAT these blamed moles, rabbits and squirrels!; Dr. E. M. Mills and Hugonis flore plena, both being propagated at Burlington as we speak; an American source for Louis Len's Pink Mystery; something really spectacular from this years over abundant seed set! Kim

Sun. lovely, lovely sun ...

More roses for my fragrance garden,
I've been considering whether to risk buying a rose I have never seen in person, I am nearly always dissapointed when I do this and yet, I have read such good things about
'Deuil Paul Fontaine', and the members rating at helpmefind averages Excellant for that rose.
or William Shakespeare 2000, which I've seen in my neighbor Luannes garden, and covet it when I see its' large crimson-purple blooms in a vase.
the 'Reine d'Anjou' I planted last year has been a bit of a dissapointment, it grew to be 4 feet tall within a few months and then produced a lot of lettuce shaped leaflets similar to Bullata, and a tiny singular bloom cycle of only 5 or 6 small light pink flowers, that had a bit of moss, and the blooms were rather shapeless and scentless, I wonder if it is the true cultivar because Graham Stewart praised it greatly. I bought it without ever having seen one in person, the roses I like least in my garden are those I have bought without seeing bloom, in person because of someone praising it.
To paraphrase;
the grass on the other side of the fence is always greener,
the rose on the Internet is said to bloom sweeter.
I probably will get a 'Sombrueil' because it is a very beautiful rose, I'm thinking of what to plant beside it, I like the foliage and purple color of bloom of 'Purple Skyliner' I wish I knew what it was bred from,it intrigues me because the lealets look ultra-glossy and a bit exotic in appearance.
Jeri, any ideas?

Oh Jeri, that Lady Roberts is gorgeous! And to hear she's disease-free is wonderful. All our teas have been wonderful here in terms of disease resistance. My only complaint is that it's taken many of them quite a while to get going. The exceptions: Gilbert Nabonnand, which virtually leapt out of the ground, M. Tillier, Mme Lambard and "Angel's Camp Tea" which we can see is a real winner for us. But for some reason even the usually-robust Mrs B R Cant is taking her own sweet time...

Ingrid, yes, we should probably get another cl. Lady H too - she's such a beauty.

Not a clue.
Perhaps Kim does?
Sometimes, it almost looks like a Cl. version of 'International Herald Tribune.'

As an immature plant, it is remaining clean here, where mildew can be troubling. That's encouraging.

I would like to plant it to blend with Sombreuil. Not sure I can sell that to DH, but I like the idea. My other thought would be to blend it with Cl. Cramoisi Superieur.

Jeri

Doing some extrapolation here...Perennial Blue is quite similar to Purple Skyliner and is a cross of Super Excelsa X Veilchenblau. Karl Hetzel has raised several "repeating" ramblers, Super Excelsa, Super Dorothy, Super Elfin and Super Fairy among others. My impression is probably one of these was used with Veilchenblau or one of the other purple multiflora ramblers as Skyliner is VERY multiflora. It repeats better here in my climate than Perennial Blue did, appearing to require less winter chill. I wish I had more suitable accommodations for it as the flowers fry in the heat where I must grow it. I fear it's going to have to go to someone else's garden to be happy. The plant is fine, the blooms are very unhappy. Kim

More roses like Annie Laurie McDowell ... she's the only one that hasn't harm me with her being 100% thornless. Even Marie Pavie pricked me really bad when I made a basin around her base to collect water.

I've put myself on Burling Leong's wishlist for another Annie Laurie McD. I planted the first one and it just -- died. No idea why. Not gophers, it was in a basket.

But what I really want this winter is rain, glorious rain. Our yearly rainfall can vary from the single digits up into the low 20's, averaging around 15 inches. I'm hoping for a well above average year. This is a big planting year for me. I'm putting in the new tea bed when I get a chance. I have also been assembling a collection of deer-resistant natives for a bed outside the fence designed to attract birds and beneficial insects. There is already a respectable number of birds in the garden but I would like to improve on it. So far I have collected manzantas, toyons, ribes, ceanothus, and native sages, as well as an incense cedar, northern California black walnut, and several native oak tree seedlings. Lots of planting to do this winter -- now nature needs to cooperate and send some rain!

Rosefolly

If you have a hot, sunny spot where other things suffer, I'll happily share seeds of Caesalpinia mexicana with you. Yellow Mexican Bird of Paradise BASKS in dry, hot sun. The rabbits eat the seedlings when they're small, but once established, they and the gophers ignore them. In extreme heat, they appreciate one weekly watering, but they happily accept much more if offered. I started mine from seed two years ago. I put them out on the dry, hot hill as gallon seedlings and they have flowered continuously for the past year and a half.

You can whack the heck out of them and they spring right back, or pull them out easily. Want some seeds when they set? Kim

Here is a link that might be useful: Yellow Bird of Paradise

Hi Rosefolly: I'm sorry to hear that Annie died on you, and also on Bart in Italy. We forget that Annie is own-root, rather than grafted on Dr. Huey. Own-root band-sizes are all wimpy ... like William Shakespeare 2000 that gave me hell the 1st year. He was in a pot, full sun, didn't like that ... until I put him in partial shade. He gave me 3 blooms the first year. The second year he surprised me with tons of blooms, still in partial shade.

Annie is the same way, but at least she bloomed tons in full-sun. She was in a pot, didn't grow much in full sun, until I put her in partial shade and gave her acid-nitrogen fertilizer. She tripled in size in 1 month ... I notice she does better when I fixed my alkaline water with used lemons. Growing Annie follows the same principle as rooting roses: fluffy moisture-control potting soil is best, alfalfa meal and chemical fertilizer to encourage growth, and PARTIAL SHADE for best root growth... Even I have problems sprouting brocolli and beansprout with my alkaline water, and roses can't root well with alkaline tap water. When her rootball was more than 2-gallons, then I put her in the ground, and the acidic rain water will take care of her.

I was foolish to put all 14 bands in pots but full-sun this past summer. Paul Neyron, Comte de Chambord, and Annie did not like that. Next year I'll put band-size in pots and partial shade until the rootball is at least 2 gallon. Besides alfalfa meal before all-night rain, the acid fertilizer I used for Annie is Lilly Miller NPK of 10-5-6 for acid loving plants, which made her grew fast. It's sold at Lowe's. Below is a link for the product.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lilly Miller 10-5-6 for acid loving plants

Well, I guess I better switch to Cl Lady H, but if anybody has her on this side of the country, I haven't noticed.

Jeri, that picture is sumptuous. How big is she for you?

I just noticed two gorgeous blooms in my pot ghetto. I couldn't figure out what it was as it was in a group I had rooted. It was Madam Charles, which I thought had died in the infamous rose drowning episode of 2010. She looks very promising, especially since she's still in her original gallon pot she almost drowned in.

Hmm, my two plants of Mrs. B.R. Cant have also been very slow to fill out and grow, and I've resorted to disbudding them to encourage them, but they are laggards compared to La Vesuve, Miss Atwood and Mrs. Dudley Cross. I wonder if they're not as fond of a dry climate as they seem to do well in Florida. They're willing bloomers though, so I'm just going to be patient and let them go at their own pace.

Ingrid

My Lady Roberts is less than 3 ft. tall, I think. She's still in a 7-G.

But, here is the more-mature plant in the Sacramento City Cemetery. This one was over my head in April 2011, so I guess it's easily 6 ft. tall now. Very well-shaped -- and of course, covered in that beautiful clean foliage, which sets off the pretty flowers.

Jeri

Kim, what a generous offer! I live in an urban hillside fire zone. For fire safety reasons I'm not allowed to have plants that turn brown in the summer if not watered, and I am not going to water this bed after the first year. The plants I selected all either stay somewhat green, or they go dormant and drop their leaves, which is considered okay. There is also the matter of the herd of deer, though if gophers leave it alone, I suspect deer may as well. Since I am not familiar with Caesalpinia mexicana, I don't know if it would fit all these parameters. Can you tell me?

Rosefolly

As am I, Rosefolly. Part of the Santa Monica Mountains, not far from "native" growth and subject to the FD whims for "cleanliness". The deer remain across the street on the city side of the hill. They can't get in to my land locked back yard. It remains evergreen here, and honestly has not stopped flowering since being planted on the hill a year and a half ago. I've not found anything suggesting whether it is a fire proof plant or not, but it doesn't add much fuel as it's not a densely wooded plant and remains open and airy. These grow just up slope from well established salt and quail bush which are huge, having been planted by the Theodore Payne Foundation nearly thirty years ago. LAFD saw these when they inspected for fire abatement this year and said nothing. So, who knows? Kim

Given what you say, I'd love to try. Thanks! I've sent you an email with my address for seeds whenever they are available.

Rosefolly

3000 english bluebells 'in the green'.

More ramblers and climbers...bring them on.
We have a long drive way with fencing on each side which gets full sun. The challenge: must be one tough rose. There is a limited amount of time for watering. Forget about weeding. I do mulch this area with horse poops. The horses are fed alfalfa so the area is fertile. Last year I planted about 1/3 of the area. I'm thinking of adding 6 more: White pet, Baltimore Belle,...help?Maybe some of the species roses? Double chestnut?
Any good roses?
Thanks Jeannie

Strawberryhill, I love that tip about putting used lemons in alkaline tap water before putting it on our roses - I'm definitely going to try that! Jeri, what a great shot of Lady R and Barbara Oliva! I definitely want that rose :-) And rosefolly, that planting of drought-tolerants sounds scruptious...

3000 english bluebells 'in the green'.

And someone to plant them for you, I hope! :)

Sonia Rykiel, Frederic Mistral, Annie L McDowell and Neptune for sure. I also plan to pick up Memorial Day and Pope John Paul II during Lowes body bag sales post Christmas, and who knows what else I'll find. Still pining a bit after Red Intuition, but not sure I'll add a non-fragrant rose to the clan. I might have to see it in person first.

Welllllllll....besides hoping (and praying...I have that habit) for more "normal" weather for all of us, I had my heart set on several Austins. But after hearing the dire warnings from Campanula, et al, about Summer Song, and seeing Jeri's pix of Lady Roberts, Mr Austin has lost at least one sale, lol. But Gosh...where am I going to put another huge tea?????? Hmmmm. No worries; I'll just move the fence farther out into the pasture...

I'm hoping for the people who got Weeks to be kind to us and keep sending out top quality plants. And also more French roses please. They seem to love So. CA

fig insanity -- if you go for Lady Roberts, please also make room for Anna Olivier. It's so similar -- only a lighter shade -- the two would make terrific companions.

Jeri

I KNEW there was a reason I was so drawn to Lady Roberts, besides her obvious buxom beauty: I HAD Anna Olivier (LR is a sport "sister", or a "daughter"??? Anyway, the family resemblance is there), for all of two years, before the deer decided she was as tasty as she was lovely. They pruned her down to a nub, which the rabbits finished off when she tried to re-sprout. You've done a bad, bad, thing, Jeri. I think I WILL wish for both...just in time for Christmas.

*With visions of sugarplums and roses dancing in my head*

John

This post was edited by fig_insanity on Sat, Dec 1, 12 at 12:58

Jeannie,
How about one of the Ayrshire ramblers? I have been rather falling in love with 'Venusta Pendula', which is a very vigorous once-bloomer with pink-edged white semi-double blooms and dark pretty foliage. We have summer heat, which you folks do not, I know, but I hear VP does well in Germany, another place with cool summers. The Ayrshire ramblers, bred from Rosa arvensis, one of the few European members of the Synstylae group, have a reputation for doing well in poor conditions. I don't know if they would have disease problems in your area: mine are healthy until late autumn, when the older leaves get black spot. I can handle that.
'Venusta Pendula' is generally considered to be not fragrant, but mine is decidedly myrrh-scented: either other gardeners can't smell this fragrance, or they're listening to each other rather than going out and smelling the rose. Or I have the wrong rose, but I don't think so. Another Ayrshire rose, I believe similar, 'Ayrshire Splendens', is definitely myrrh-scented. I have this variety too, but am still getting to know it. The myrrh fragrance is thought to have entered the English roses through an Ayrshire ancestor of one of David Austin's founding roses, 'Constance Spry' I believe. If you can get cuttings, by the way, the Ayrshire roses root very easily, though this is true of ramblers in general.

The chief item on my wish list is that the 78 or so roses that make up our definitive order from Petrovic in Serbia arrive reasonably promptly and in good order, and in a period when it's not raining hard or snowing. That's a fair amount of wishing, but not totally unreasonable. Mr. Petrovic told me he'd be sending the order out around the end of November, but I haven't heard anything from him (I need to get in touch), but it's been raining here for the last week, and perhaps they've had weather equally unsuitable for digging over there.
It's been raining abundantly here this fall--and we have so far no slides and no signs of slumping on our land--and temperatures are forecast to begin dropping next week after a very mild fall. So, so far, so good. I've done most of my planting and taking cuttings, so my main task after the Petrovic roses are planted is pruning and maintenance. There are a lot of roses, but I have three months. I am looking forward to the sun coming out, as it's been raining for the last week.

Melissa

Melissa, your Serbian order sounds fascinating. What are some of the roses you're hoping to get?
Linda

I would love a meaningful amount of precipitation this winter, and more room so that I can acquire Tantau's Augusta Luise and Austin's Munstead Wood. Diane

Mel's Heritage and some "blue" roses like Blue for You.

Hi Diane: Chippendale is similar to Augusta Luise, and lots of people praise Chippendale, includine Niels, who posted a great bush shot in English Roses Forum, perfection in shape, leaves, and flowers.

There is now nothing more I want. :-)

Jeri

Oh, wowy, Strawberry, Chippendale is gorgeous! Thank you for the tip. Now, I just need to find a seller. Augusta Luise is available from Hortico. HMF listed Angel Gardens as having Chippendale, but they don't have it now. Both roses are incredibly lovely and have lots of favorite votes on HMF, and come from one of my favorite hybridizers, Evers. Thanks again, Diane

So, I know this is an old forum, but since Super Elfin was mentioned earlier by one of you, I was wondering if you could tell me anything about this rose. I was sent the wrong rose from Heirloom. I'm getting my Eden still, but I don't want to kill this rose and I cannot find much information on it.
Thanks,
L'Origan