You're really shameless, mike_rivers. I did receive such a lovely Rosa hugonis from Rogue Valley that I couldn't pass up that Rosa primula. And I really needed that Duchess of Portland, too.
I have been working on an order for Rogue Valley, and it's sitting on a scratch pad on my desk. When I got the notice of their new web site, I resisted looking, since I have SOOO much on my plate and WAAYYY too many roses still to plant ... you have NO IDEA how many roses I still have to plant. I'm making progress, and I may treat myself to an Austin or two ... perhaps a classic HT to fill out one of my new beds? Perhaps, I should keep to myself and plant my roses, then reward myself with a Rogue Valley shopping trip? I'm weak when it comes to roses.
Roses still to plant? Hmmmm.....at least a dozen..... Space to plant them???? Hmmmm.....another Buddleia or two to dig out. Gopher baskets??? Okay, there's finally a while pile of them in the shed....
And 8 more roses coming this month and 8 more in March....
I've been waiting and waiting for them to update. Now they have... and I don't see but one rose I really wanted. I was expecting lots of new stuff and some of the out-of-stocks back IN-stock. Bummer....
I read through the entire website. The photos are nice. Two photos were mislabeled, or accompanied the wrong roses. There was a white rose shown with the description of Marguerite Hilling, and the picture with Tropicana shows a bright pink HT.
I am also wondering, what happened to the roses RVR bought from Ashdown? Many of the extremely rare OGRs which Ashdown used to offer seem to have disappeared altogether. For example, where are Lady Emma Peel, Sophy di Marilly, Capitaine Dyel de Graville? I know there is a market for such rarities, as I have watched while those, and others equally rare flew off the Ashdown and Vintage websites.
Email Janet, the owner, and find out if she got them from Paul when she bought the stock. Perhaps, if they didn't have them propagated, she may not have gotten them. I don't know if she got stock plants or just propagation. An email should allow you to find out. If she did receive them, knowing someone wants them might help determine what to propagate the next go around, too. Couldn't hurt!
I hate to say it, but I really preferred the old format. The pictures to me seem uniformly lackluster (and there are misspellings), and I don't find the new format more helpful. I liked being able to look up roses by their classes, and this was a feature I used most often. I may be missing it, but I don't see it now. I'm sure lots of work went into changing everything and I applaud their intentions, but I was very happy with the old site.
Wonderful. Great rose selection. I have many roses in my garden from RVR. They all are healthy and happy :)
I also noticed several misllabled roses, but I assume it always happens when there are so many roses and pictures. I believe Camaïeux and Tricolore de Flandre pictures are mixed, should be switched. Olga
I kinda like the new website's format better, however it isn't functioning properly. I tried to search by class, but it doesn't work. It just gives you the alphabetical list. That can be very time consuming to go thru.
Aha! I discovered the advanced search only works when you start in the "All Roses" section. When you try to change to the advanced search from the alphabetical section, that's where it doesn't work.
Hmmmmph. My first order from them arrived on Thursday. It was pretty badly packaged and the Climbing Talisman which had originally been quite tall was broken off to a 3" twig. I have emailed them twice .... and had no response at all.
There is still the opportunity for them to pull themselves out of the proverbial dog house, but it will take some work....
I love the new website -- the old one was interminably slow to get around on my computer (and I do have a fast cable connection). I immediately came across about 10 roses that didn't have pics at all that I have in my collection, and promptly sent them some decent pics of those roses. I, for one, applaud their efforts to bring that old website up to snuff.
I haven't ordered anything from it yet, but it's just a matter of time . . .
Based only on my experience to date, I would try to source the roses you want from Vintage Gardens or EuroDesert or Burlington Nursery first. All three of them have significantly better customer service than what I have experienced at RVR. On the other hand, if you can't find what you want from one of those places....go for it....:-))))
I've never ordered from Rogue Valley, but I must confess I'm enjoying my thorough perusal of their offerings!
(I'm getting ideas, and I just might actually, finally, have some spare $$ to purchase something for spring planting! The condo property has a 3' high cast iron fence on it with what appears to be Dr. Van Fleet and City of York growing along it. I want to replace those with an honest to goodness New Dawn and some other remontant lax pink climber (with no hint of yellow in it so Clair Matin is out), and also add Viking Queen. Oh, and then there's the neighboring bed with a few big rhododendrons that also has room for some good sizeable remontant, fragrant shrub roses to go along with the summersweet and oakleaf hydrangea I'm fantasizing about adding. That big bed is shaded for a good bit of the morning, so the shrub roses will have to tolerate some shade.
Did I hear someone say, "Hybrid Musk"?
I also want to add Therese Bugnet somewhere in there.
Oh, and then there's the spot near the mansion back door where there are only Chinese Junipers and a forlorn Dr. Huey, sprouting out of the ground from God knows what rose used to be there, but no longer is. THAT spot needs a good remontant rose in some warm color that goes well with brick and that grows in a mannerly fashion to about 4' high in zone 6.
On another thread, I promised (you and myself) that I would make no further comments about nurseries. However, I would be remiss if I did not tell you all that RVR contacted me today and that they are going to be replacing the problem roses in my order of last week.
So, now that I have no mis-information hanging out here, I am going to proceed with my previous intentions to stay way clear of these territories.
No nursery will decline to replace plants without feeling they have a reason to make such a decision. Every nursery I know of guarantees their products and stands by that guarantee. Please, tell us what reason was cited for their decision not to replace the plant(s). It is useful for consumers to know they whys, not just minimal details.
Paul, Susan said they WERE going to replace. Not surprising - RVR is a class act! Two years ago, they accidently swapped mailing labels on my order (I'm in NY) with a fellow in Florida. We arranged the appropriate swap (FLA fellow was a sweetheart) and RVR sent us each a bonus rose free of charge as an apology/thank you. I got Oshun, one of Paul Barden's, which I really enjoyed as I collect his roses.
Just curious, does Paul Barden still post to GW? If you read this, Paul, I want you to know your estimate of the height of Marianne is off significantly in my Zone 5 garden. You say it gets 5 feet tall, but the darn thing is easily 12 feet at my place! You should see it when it blooms - gorgeous!!
Estimates are just that: estimates. It has taken ten years for my original plant of 'Marianne' to reach 8 feet tall and 10 feet wide, but that is in heavy clay soil. In a lighter loam it would exceed that, as you have shown! (yes, please, lets see a photo of that!) You can take hedge shears to it in late winter to reduce its size if needed, and it won't impair its ability to flower. Just FYI ;-) I'm glad you are enjoying it. It has become one of my favorite hybrids and I'm very proud of its performance. Thanks for your kind comments.
Good grief! I didn't realize you were THAT Paul! Apologies! ;) I'm a huge fan of your roses - all the ones I have have done well. I hope RVR has Dragon's Blood available this year!
I wish had a picture of Marianne in bloom - it's magnificent - but I'm not at my home computer. I'll check when I get home. Thanks very much for the reassurance on pruning and also for breeding it with very few thorns!
I have 2 other rose monsters that I am actually afraid of - William Baffin and Ramblin' Red. Baffin thankfully doesn't require much pruning - makes a nice shape all on its own. RR, on the other hand, rambles and needs a firm hand. Unfortunately, it is exceedingly well armed and I've had to be rescued from its clutches by DH more than once. I really appreciate a huge rose with no thorns, like Marianne!
Kim, actually, it's planted where an old tree died and rotted away. Hubby and I cleared the remaining chunks of punky wood, dug it up a little and planted Marianne. She went nuts! I'm thinking that old saw about decaying wood tying up nitrogen in the soil is just a bit of blather. She has canes as big around as my wrist and I have never fed her. Kind of scary to think how big she might get if I did!
Wow! THAT'S why she went nuts! The rotting wood is fertilizing her and holding water so she has all she wants, as long as she wants it. Sort of a natural "septic tank"! Too bad you don't have many old rotted stumps to plant over. You'd have it made!
Well, after extensively searching my home computer and my hubby's computer, I can only plead insanity. I don't have one single picture of Marianne in bloom. I will remedy that next spring and be sure to post some shots then.
Kim, makes me feel kind of bad that we went to such trouble to remove a stump in another part of the garden. On the other hand, I don't need another monster rose on my hands! Thanks!
Interesting about the rotting stump. I would have thought that the nitrogen needed to decompose the wood would have been a drain on the rose....That's what I get for thinking, and maybe I will leave more stumps as I clean out more shade producers to make room for more roses.
I think it probably makes a big difference how far along the composting process is; once most of the cellulose is "eaten up", the bacteria that "ate" it die and release that stored nitrogen back into the soil, making it readily available to new plants.
Of course it does, but based upon her statements of how the plant has performed and that she's not fertilized it, I'd say it found SOMETHING to eat! Kim
Both (Paul's and Kim's) good observations, but I'm wondering about the process in general. If given the choice of taking out or leaving a stump, which would you suggest? I'm thinking an old rotted stump is good to plant near to (since by then it's giving out nitrogen) but that a stump from a very recently cut down tree might be sucking that nitrogen away from a young rose....
That would depend upon a variety of factors. I see you are here in California where rotting tree stumps and roots in compacted, nitrogen deficient soil and over irrigation can lead to Oak Root Fungus. If that isn't an issue in your area and your drainage is sufficient, the rotting wood might be beneficial. Where I am, it is an issue and situations suitable to trigger its growth should be avoided whenever possible. I have a good friend who lives in Brentwood who had it flare up over twenty years ago. She lost well established hedges, the majority of her roses and several large trees before it began to burn itself out and she learned how to manage it. Other friends in San Jose had it break out when a neighbor took out a large Sequoia whose roots ran all over several lots. The fungus attacked their lawn furniture, bender boards, plants and even wooden house siding where the soil had been raised too high and come into contact with the siding before they became aware of it.
Where I've previously gardened, it was an issue so I was diligent not to over water too close to potential root zones of established trees. The community did rot out several old oaks they'd installed golf course turf around and it worried me there might be an out break on the edges of the garden. I was fortunate in that it didn't happen. I know it's an issue in areas close to where I now live and garden. Fortunately, this hill is extremely well drained, not only due to the slope but the soil is actually too loose and water runs through it like a sieve. I shouldn't have the problem here unless I get really enthusiastic with the hose!
If it helps, it was REALLY rotted away. I knocked the remaining chunks out with a good swift kick and this was formerly a huge old tree. I also dug up the area with a spade and mixed the remaining wood powder with the surrounding soil.
I'm really glad we don't have a fungus problem like that here in the east (that I know of, anyway)! Dealing with regular diseases and pests is enough for me. What a rotten thing when the very soil turns against you.
That explains it. The tree was fertilizer. I guess that's another great thing to say about more acidic soil types...no heavy fungus problems. For a real kick, take a look at this one...
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