Reine des Violettes was one of the first three roses I planted, and we grew it for 20 years.
It was, of course, virused, but didn't show it until the last year of its life.

In Southern California, RdV is a lovely rose.
It can make a low-ish climber, or a big arching Shrub.
If your conditions are alkaline, you may have to supplement to bring conditions to a more acidic level,
since this rose shares the Multiflora's distaste for alkaline conditions.
It can go SO chlorotic that the leaves are ivory white.

The blooms are truly lavender in our cool coastal conditions, making swirls of different shades of lavender.
In hot weather (like many poiple roses) the blooms can go shocking pink.
The vase life is negligible, but the fragrance is wonderful.
And the thornless canes are a joy to work with.

Part of our original plant lives on, at the Stagecoach Inn Heritage Rose Garden in Newbury Park, CA. Still going strong, too.

Jeri

Whoo Hooo, that's quite a nice haul!
Of those, I grow Francis Dubreuil, Thomas Affleck, & Reine des Violettes.
And I'm currently trying to root a cutting of Ducher.

Chamblees seems to frequently get in and out of Reine des Violettes. I'm not sure what they're thinking or doing regarding that rose. With it being in their clearance area now, apparently they are once again deciding to not carry it. The last time I visited there in person was a couple of years ago, and the RdV they had at that time looked somewhat different than the RdV that I grow (mine is from The Antique Rose Emporium). Anyway, I love my Reine des Violettes. RdV may need a little more pampering than the other roses you got, but it's very much worth it.

Thomas Affleck is also a great rose. Mine is several years old and is tough as nails. Blooms a lot, and the blooms always have large petals, even in the summer. I found that it roots very easily, so you can make Thomas Affleck babies some day if you want. This rose is sometimes marketed as being "thornless", but that's not true. Mine has a light sprinkling of thorns throughout.

Francis Dubreuil is a really nice rose too. Fragrance is really good. And the plant itself doesn't get huge. If you can, plant it in a spot that gets some protection from late afternoon summer sun, so the edges of its petals won't burn.

Randy

Great choice in roses, I guess you went for the green friday over black friday.

Lance

Thanks for the info Jeri- I do have alkaline soil, so I plan to really amend it. We also have searing summer heat- so I expect RDV to 'pink out' in the heat. I love purple shades so much I will baby it more. I plan to plant it in my purple section with (Ebb Tide, Midknight Blue and Wild Blue Yonder).
Thanks for the info Randy- I look forward to growing these. I'm glad that Thomas Affleck roots easily-

Isn't Thomas Afflect an offspring of Country Dancer and Basye's Blueberry?

Randy, how large does your Reine de Violette get? That sounds like one I should order.

Sabalmatt, I love the color of Francis Dubreuil. I have two of them together, and the color is rare, in my opinion - it is such a dark red. My camera cannot pick up the darkness of the red.

I regret having purchase Cinco de Mayo. It could be that the bed where I planted it has poor soil, but the soil around it is very good, so I think it should have thrived for a couple of years.

I have had Louis Phillipe (2 of them) for about 10 years. They were damaged by a tree limb, and are coming back. Some people confuse them with Cramoisi Superieur, but mine have never had that vigor. I will be anxious to hear how yours do.

I have a Ducher and think it is very pretty. Arethusa is very pretty for me.

I think you got some good deals.

Sammy

I love TA!- Healthy and blooms generously. My RDV is slow to mature but I bought it on Randy's rec. I've only had 2 blooms so far (in 1 yr.)FD smells divine on the bush but "crisps" badly here. Mine is in a pot and has done better b/c he is in the shade from 1 pm on in the summer.
My town is on I20. Although I'm in Louisiana, some describe our climate as more like east Texas.

Hi Sammy- I read that Thomas Affleck is a cross of Carefree Beauty x Basye's Blueberry. It should be hardy, disease resistant and low maintenance. I'm glad to hear about FD and Ducher.

You're right, Thomas Affleck is a cross between Carefree Beauty & Basye's Blueberry (I've grown both of those). And I have noticed both parents are evident as I have watched this rose perform over the years:
Large petals: from Carefree Beauty
Health: from Carefree Beauty
Shape of bush: from Carefree Beauty (but with the slightly smaller size of BB)
Fast repeat throughout the season: from Carefree Beauty
Fragrance: from Basye's Blueberry (although not nearly as strong or fruity as BB's scent)
Low thorn count: from Basye's Blueberry (although not completely thorn-free as BB)
Big-time hip producer: from Basye's Blueberry
Big/Beautiful yellow stamens: from Basye's Blueberry

Sammy, my Reine des Violette is a large plant, 7 ft long, thornless, arching canes. If you get this rose, be sure to plant it in your best garden soil (it's uniquely beautiful and highly fragrant, but it's no china or old tea rose as far as southern soil adaptability).

Randy

Randy, you might watch out for Bayse's Blueberry, or I should watch out for Carefree Beauty. I have 3 Bayse's Blueberry, and they grow over my head. (Well, over 5'3"), and they are quite large. Mine had an infection last year, and I cut them way back. They may not be too black spot resistant. They didn't make the cut for Earthkind, and I had hoped that it was because of the no watering thing.

My Carefree Beauties are new this year, and not too large. Do you grow Katy Road Pink White? It is not too impressive yet.

Sabalmatt, you are correct. Simon Estes is the one that is from Country Dancer.

Randy, I have never grown a Hybrid Perpetual before, but the Handbook says that it is characterized by heavy blooms, so I must have it. Do you support it with rebar, use it as a climber, or just let it go? Do you have a picture of it?

Sammy

Sammy, I'll keep an eye out on Basye's Blueberry, since yours have gotten rather large :')
This is the second time I've grown Basye's Blueberry, and although I like it a lot, it's not as blackspot-resistant as my Carefree Beauty was or as resistant as my chinas & teas. It's very worthy of growing in my garden though due to its excellent fragrance & zero thorns. By the way, the only reason I removed Carefree Beauty years ago was because it got way to large for the space where I planted it. Great rose though.

Regarding Reine des Violettes, in my opinion, it is of a different character than the other hybrid perpetuals I have grown. It does not have the really large "heavy blooms" that many of the other hybrid perpetuals do. For example, it's nothing at all like 'Paul Neyron'. Reine des Violettes' blooms are medium-sized and although they have lots of petals, the bloom depth is shallow like a gallica rose, with a perfect button-eye like some of the old European roses have. And unlike most hybrid perpetuals, Reine des Violettes does not make a good cutting rose at all, because the petals fall cleanly to the ground after about two days max on the bush. The major attraction of this rose to me are the gallica-like form, the button-eye, the consistant fragrance, the arching canes that make it usable as a "short" climber, it is full yet NEVER balls on me, & mine has never had a single thorn on it. Although it blooms more than many hybrid perpetuals, it in no way compares to the frequency of a china, tea, or shrub rose. I get a heavy flush or two in the spring, sporadic blooms all throughout summer, and very, very few blooms in the fall. I completely love it, but I also recognize it's not for everyone. Just want you to know what you'd be getting if you got one.

Randy

Reine is probably not for me, then. THanks for the warning. I want many blooms, and the spring bloom does not impress me too much since my school is in session.

Sabalmatt, I hope you enjoy it. My garden has become smaller, and I want to see color all the time, or as much as possible.

Sammy

I grew RdV up north in zone 4/5 WITHOUT protection (!) and I really liked it. It had a better June showing up there than later in the summer. The flowers shatter only after a couple of days but they are lovely and will turn purple if you cut them and store them in a cool spot over night! I did this the evening before a show and won Dowager Queen the next day. :-) I grew FD in pot up there and I love his fragrance. The flowers fried even up there (Wisconsin) so I've been hesitant to get it here. I tried Ducher in a pot up north too (I've only been here in FL a couple of years) but I didn' care for his flowers. I found them formless and small. Maybe I got a dud? I recently bought LP from Chamblees too. I have it in a pot here and it doesn't seem to mind me pruning it to keep it small. It blooms a lot and some of its leaves spot but I just remove these and it keeps on going. The flowers don't do much for me (no form or fragrance) but in Florida I figured I had to get the 'Cracker Rose' and it really produces a lot of flowers. ;-)

What is a cracker rose?

A cracker is a native Floridian, supposedly named for the mule (or some other draft/draught animal) drivers who cracked their whips.

Sherry

That's interesting. So now which rose is the cracker rose, one that is tough and hardy? LP, RV?

I am not too good on expressions, but I don't think I had ever even heard of a cracker rose.

Sammy

Sammy, local Floridian names for two well-adapted roses there:

Florida "Cracker rose" = Louis Philippe
"Key West Thorness" = 'Mrs Dudley Cross'

Randy

that was a typo ... meant to say "Key West Thornless".