HI I never heard of these before. I researched and they look great. I am an ovarian cancer survivor that tries to eat lots' of natural fruits, veggies etc. That's why I grow alot of what we eat. What are you looking for in exchange? Dale

Yes, I grow Stellata mirifica and have grown Stellata stellata and Hulthemia. I have all of Moore's Hulthemia hybrids. I have grown Harkness' Tigris and Nigel Hawthorne and still have his Euphrates. I don't know whether any of the species or American hybrids will be happy in Cambridge as you are dealing with xerophytes, true desert plants which enjoy heat and decent drainage. I question how happy they will be with damp, gray weather. "Hot" is a relative term. An 80 degree F. day to you in England is likely to seem sweltering. These roses love it when it is in the 100 degree F range here in Southern California. The modern Hulthemia hybrids are more likely to be suited to your spring to fall weather, but I can't speak to how suited they would be to you winter temperatures. They are closer to traditional roses in drainage requirements then the species. Health is also relative. Stellata and its variant are completely disease free in my climate. Mildew is probable on many roses here in spring and fall with rust and black spot likely on the more susceptible ones in their seasons. Stellata has never been troubled here for me. Hulthemia did mildew when I had it. The Harkness and Moore Hulthemia hybrids do mildew and experience a touch of black spot here. Of them all, I would expect the best for you to grow where you are would be Harkness' Nigel Hawthorne. It is a first generation Hulthemia hybrid with Rugosa. Of them all, it was the cleanest for me here and I would expect it should be for you, too. I seriously question the wisdom of combining any rose with potential disease problems and more specific water and drainage requirements with edibles of any kind. You don't want to drown the rose nor keep your fruit and vegetables too dry, and you never want to have to use fungicides around things you eat! You may wish to investigate Lens' Pink Mystery. http://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/l.php?l=2.31968 It was created in Belgium and I know is grown in many European nations so it is likely more suited to your climate, as would be the Harkness creations. If they have been successful in climates more like yours to be selected as seedlings and offered commercially as garden plants, they are much more likely to be suitable for your area. Here, Pink Mystery was glorious and totally disease free. It also bloomed over a much greater period of the summer than any of the other European creations or species. I am sorry I lost it and would love to grow it again. I can't speak to whether or not Davidii is the same as Sancta as I haven't grown either.

Heh, reviving a very old thread. I planted gooseberries years ago but ripped them out when the sawfly larvae appeared. Decided to try again this year. Growing two red (purple) types... a European variety (Black Velvet) which is either thornless or not too thorny (can't recall) but is only rated to zone 4; and an American variety (Poorman) that is rated to zone 3 but is unbelievably thorny. Bought both as potted plants with flowers on them this spring. This years production will obviously be small berries and may perhaps be different in other ways from established plantings. That said, Black Velvet has both sour/sweet characteristics and lots of flavour. Poorman has less prounouced sour and sweet characteristics and is tasty, but less so than the European variety. When I say "sour", be aware that I am a sour-wimp... these are less sour than sour cherries, more like a red raspberry. Been picking fruits from both as they ripened, but picked the rest of the Poorman today (dime in there for size, the fruits should be much larger once the plants are established):

Another stove top option you might consider if you only have an indoor electric stove or a stove with small burners, is an outdoor BBQ grill with an attached burner that accommodates a pot or pan. Since you are in Washington, it would have to be under a cover because of rain. I use mine all the time for canning as it is too hot out here in the desert of So. Calif. to run a caner in my kitchen. I believe it has a thermal output of 15,000 or 20,000 BTUs so it is much hotter than most kitchen burners. It is fueled by propane which is also a very hot fuel source. I almost always run my burner on a low setting as it is so hot. You may find a used BBQ in Craigs List or at a local garage sale for little money. In my area, they are plentiful and would range used from $50.00 to $100.00 with a side burner (my neighbor has a side business of selling just used BBQs). If you buy one, just make sure the additional outside burner is placed far enough outside the grill cover that your pot will actually fit on the side burner grill. Some side burners are placed too close to the hood that covers the grill to accommodate a large pot. On mine, I can bring a 20 quart pot with 5 batches of jam to a boil in just minutes without burning (assumes pot has a multi-thickness bottom). Just another suggestion that you might find locally. The BBQ grill can have other purposes also in canning. All my eggplants, tomatoes, onions, etc. that I want a little carmalization go into a perforated grill basket for a quick outside browing when needed prior to canning. Regards - Jim in So. Calif.