I had just embarked on the annual pruning cataclysm when I came to 'La France de '89' and realized that it's a poster-child for this thread. This is a splendid rose with a name which punishes the rose by being too clever (on the surface, it's supposed to recall revolutionary France of 1789; but of course a rosarian is "accidentally supposed to" understand that it's an 1889 rose which is as good as 'La France') such that one has the feeling that one is being hoodwinked. But NO! It's a rose which, though not like 'La France', is every bit as good; and I like it better. It's essentially a stiff climber with big, fragrant, shaggy rose-red flowers and beautiful lush foliage. The plant is sturdy, and vigorous in a well-behaved way. If this were named something like "Napoleon le Magnifique" or "Summertime Riches" or the like, it would be one of the popular dependables in the world of Old Roses. Seek it out! Grow it! Love it!

LOWERS: •ACHILLEA/YARROW: • 'Heidi'***** • 'Moonshine'**** • 'Paprika'*****, • 'Peachy Seduction'**** • **any wine, burgundy, coral/apricot or pink shades •AGASTACHE: (ANY rose, hot pink, salmon, orange or yellow would fit in perfectly in my garden design!) • Ava********** • Black Adder** • Bolero******** • Double Bubble Mint**** • Firebird**** • Glowing Embers**** •Pallidiflora** • Purple Pygmy**** • Tango******** •AGERATUM: • Leilani***** •AGYRANTHEMUM: Molimba, or any PINK please**** •ALCEA 'Pastorale'**** •AMMI VISNAGA: Green Mist****** •AMMOBIUM ALATUM Winged Everlasting •ANEMONE: ANY!! This is my new great interest! (have Snowdrop) •ANGELONIA: White****, Serena Lavender**, Serena Lavender Pink** •AQUILEGIA see COLUMBINE •ARTEMESIA: Variegated*** •ASCLEPIAS/MILKWEED: • Asclepias Physocarpa aka Goose Milkweed*** • Asclepias Purpurascens aka Purple Milkweed** • Asclepias Sullivantii aka Smooth Milkweed or Prairie Milkweed**** • Blue Vined aka Honey Vine aka Sand Vine • Green Comet** • Ice Ballet** • Milk Maid*** • Poke** • SoulMate** • TWEEDIA************ •ASTERS: • Aster Cordifolius***** • 'Heartleaf' • 'Mary Gregory' • 'Opus'************ • 'Peachie's Pink'**** • 'Smooth'*** • 'Sky Blue'**** • 'White Woodland' Aster Divaricatus • ******any Fall flowering lovelies you'd like to share! •ASTILBE: ANY!!!!!!! fresh current year seed only please, I've not had any luck at all getting any to germinate so far. :( Looking for any pinks, and white mostly pls! •ASTILBOIDES TABULARIS*** •BACOPA: Snowtopia*** (white) •BAMBOO, CHOCOLATE: Fargesia Fungosa (from tradewinds) •BAPTISIA: 'Twilight' •BEE BALM / MONARDA: • Beauty of Cobham**** • Cambridge Red*** • Colrain Red**** • Emmy's Pink**** • Fireball**** • Jacob Kline**** • Pink Lace** • Raspberry Wine***************************** • **ANY pure White, Deep Red or Scarlet colors, please no light pink or purples, Bergamo**** •BEGONIA: • Dragon Wing Pink**** • GoGo Appleblossom*** • GoGo Cherry*** • GoGo Light Yellow*** • Gryphon************ • Illumination Apricot Shades********* • Illumination Golden Picotee****** • Illumination Pink** • Nonstop Appleblossom****** • Nonstop Fire********* • Nonstop Rose • Nonstop Rose Petticoat*********** •BELLFLOWER: • Dickson's Gold*** • Trailing Blue Waterfall** • **any TALL White varieties!***** •BELLS OF IRELAND: PIXIE only****(Dwarf) •BORAGE: Variegated******(I have blue and white thx!) •BUDDLEIA/BUTTERFLY BUSH: • Bi-Color***************************** • Ruby Red***** •CALLIBRACHOA / MILLION BELLS: ANY!! Especially Peaches or Rose**** •CAMPANULA: • 'Bowl of Cherries'***** • 'Cherry Bells'***** • 'Dickson's Gold'****** • 'Olympica'*** • 'Pantaloons'** • 'Rotundifolia' • 'Samantha'** • 'White Pearl'**** • **open to any blue, white or pink, , ANY Pixie!!**** •CANNA: Tropical Rose DWARF •CARYOPTERIS: 'Summer Sorbet' •CHIASTOPHYLLUM OPPOSITIFOLIUM 'Solar Yellow'**** •CHRYSANTHEMUM: any blue, pinks, yellows (ANY fall blooming varieties****) •CLEMATIS: Stans**, any white, baby blue or hot pink •COCKSCOMB: Bombay Pink***, any tall bi-colors - burgundy, pinks, yellows, reds, would LOVE some any coral bi-colors! •COLEUS: Really Really love the watermelon and sunset colors and the dragon/lacy variety of leaves! • Caramel** • Carefree Mix* • Dragon Sunset** • Fairway Orange** • Fairway Yellow** • Giant Exhibition Limelight** • Giant Exhibition Marble • Giant Exhibition Scarlet Magma*** • Kong Rose*** • Nottingham Lace***************** • Pineapple** • Rattlesnake*** • Sedona*** • Sunset** • Versa Crimson Gold** • Versa Lime** • Versa Rose to Lime** • Versa Watermelon** • Volcano •COLUMBINE/AQUILEGIA: • Clementine Blue**** • Clementine Salmon Rose**** • Corbett****** • 'Sunshine' or any long spurred pure yellow variety********* • **any tall varieties or any dark cherry/wine colored blooms •CONEFLOWER: See ECHINACEA •COREOPSIS: •Creme Brulee***** •Heaven's Gate*** •Moonlight**** •Pot of Gold******** •Red Shift**** •Sunshine Superman*** •Tigerstripe*** •Zagreb****** •CORNFLOWER: Emperor William**, Tall Red**** •CORYDALIS SEMPERVIRENS**********, Lutea********, ANY Blue*****, Blue Heron*****, any White*** •COSMOS: • Carmine***** • Dancing Petticoats*** • Happy Ring*** • Ladybird Scarlet** • Pied Piper Red****** • Seashells Red*** • Versailles Tetra******* • **any pink or burgundy, any DWARF mix****, any Fuschia colors**** •COW PARSLEY: Pink**** or White** •CROCOSMIA: Any Orange********, Any deep scarlet***, Emily McKenzie**** (already have Lucifer, thx!) •CROSSANDRA FLAME*** •CUP & SAUCER VINE: Key Lime**** •CYCLAMEN *** •DAHLIA: Watercolors*****, any really** •DAISY: • ***any unusual double or ruffled white variety** • ***any blue colored** • Aglaya*** or Aglaia**** • Clara Curtis** • Fiona Coghill**** • Fluff**** • Wirral Pride***** • Yellow Daisy***** • **(have Crazy & Snowdrift & Snow Princess) •DALEA FORMOSA: Feather Dalea •DAYLILY: ANY !! Would love to try any of your varieties especially doubles or 'spider' varieties! (except the typical ditch lilies please!) •DELPHINIUMS: • **ANY Rose***, any sky blue*** • Blue Pygmy** • Dusky Maiden**** • Galahad**** • Ghost • Green Twist****** • Magic Fountain Cherry Blossom**** • Summer Stars** •(have Blue Butterfly!, thanks!) •DIANTHUS: • Amazon Neon*** • Barbarini Red*** • Black Magic***** • Blueberry** • Dwarf Pineleaf Garden Pink**** (Dianthus Pinifolius) • Fenbow Nutmeg***** • First Love** • Gaiety** • Heart Attack**** • Ideal Violet*** • Ministicks** • Neon Star*** • Noverna**** • Raspberry Ripple**** • Raspberry Swirl*** • Red Rose***** • Stripes & Picotees*** • Ruby** • Victoriana** • Yellow Rainbow****** • **any super ruffled carnation looking type~hot pinks, reds, crimsons •DIASCIA: Diamonte Coral Rose**, Apricot Queen*** •DICENTRA: Golden Tears***, Any Pink or White** •DICHONDRA: Emerald Falls***** •DIGITALIS / FOXGLOVE: • **any pinks or rose colored, salmons, apricots, any pure white, variegated • Anne Redetzky**** • Apricot Faerie Queen*** • Camelot Rose**** • Cluster Flowering Floribunda*** • Grecian*** • Lutea* • Monster Purple** • Monstruosa* • Redskin** • Rosea Fiesta Time*** • Silver Fox* • Sutton's Apricot********* •DITHYREA: Spectacle Pod* •DURANTA: Any please! •DUTCHMAN's BREECHES: *********** •ECHINACEA / CONEFLOWER: • Amado*** • Black Sampson******* • Double Decker****** • Fragrant Angel (white)**** • Green Eyes******** • Green Jewel**** • Hula Dancer*** • Jade*** • Laevigata*** • Paradoxa* • Pink Parasol** • Razzmatazz**** • ****most any!!! •EPILOBIUM: Any! Angustifolium****, Dodonaei**** •ERIGERON: Blue Fringe Daisy*** •FELICIA****Felicia Rose*** •FIREWEED***************** •FLOWERING MAPLE: Crepe de Chine***** •FOXGLOVE: See DIGITALIS •FUSCHIA: Any Hardy variety for Zone 7 •GAILLARDIA: (NO 'Goblin', have those thx!) • Apricot**** • Arizona Apricot***** • Frenzy*********** • Georgia Sunset**** • Georgia Yellow*** • Sunburst** •GERANIUM/PELARGONIUM: • ANY scented!!********************* • ANY Black Velvet varieties***** • ANY!!!! • Black Prince******* • Black Velvet Rose*** • Black Velvet Salmon*** • Brookside*** • Dragon Heart**** • Elite Salmon • Elite White • Horizon Ice Orange*** • Ice Rose*** • Inspire*** • Inspire Appleblossom*** • Orange Appeal*** • Orbit Appleblossom*** • Orbit Deep Salmon*** • Pinto Pink** • Psilostemon*** • Raspberry Ripple***** • Ringo Rose Star*** • Rozanne*********** • Samobor******** • Summer Showers Mix**** • Summer Showers Rose*** • Stork's Bill Sweetheart*** • Tornado Fuschia*** • Yoshino Confetti******** •GEUM • Alabama Slammer*********** • Double Bloody Mary*** • Koi*** • Red Dragon******* • Totally Tangerine***** • Trifolium***** • ***ANY red, orange, bi-color/sunset colors • (have Rivale, Mrs. Bradshaw, Lady Stratheden, Blazing Sunset & Cooky) •GILIA: Scarlet*, I have Blue •GOMPHRENA / GLOBE AMARANTH: Fireworks******, Mardi Gras*** looking for any orangey-apricot color or mix that includes it please! •GRASSES: • Blonde Ambition****** • Blood Grass*** • Eyebrow** • Golden Miscanthus**** • Hakonechloa Naomi & Nicholas**** • Hedgehogs*** • Karl Forester********* • Little Hobbit Bearskin** • Panicum Shenandoah*** • Pink Paint Brush** • Sweet Flag**** • Sweetgrass*** • Zephyr •HEATHER: CALLUNA VULGARIS 'Firefly' •HELLEBORES: Any! •HELENIUM: • 'Coppelia' • 'Sunshine' • (have Lollipop and Mardi Gras) •HELIOTROPE / HELIOTROPIUM: Garden White***, Cherry Pie*** •HETEROPAPPUS BLUE KNOLL*** •HEUCHERA/or CORAL BELLS: • *** ANY!******* • Citronelle**** • Coral Bells* • Coral Sunset*** • Crimson Curls**** • Encore**** • Frosted Violet • Ginger Ale****** • Green Spice**** • Guardian Angel***** • Lime Ricky******* • Marvelous Marbles*** • Melting Fire**** • Mocha****** • Mystic Angel**** • Root Beer***** • Ruby Bells** • Snow Angel*** • Stormy Seas*** • Sweet Tea***************** • White Cloud*** •HIBISCUS: •Chattooga Gold**** •Cranberry Punch***** •Double Purple*** •Plum Crazy********* •HOLLYHOCKS/SIDALCEA: • **would be happy with any! tall, short, figleaf or not!** • Apricot Peach Parfait******* • Black Currant Whirl** • Chater's Maroon*** • Chater's Rose*** • Chater's Salmon*** • Country Romance**** • Fruity Mix** • Golden Yellow*** • Halo Apricot******* • Halo Mix • Halo Red*** • Happy Lights*** • Icicle*** • Majorette Mix*** • Powderpuffs Mix** • Queeny Lilac-Rose**** • Queeny Red* • Queeny Salmon** • Rosea The Bride*** • Russian Yellow • Salmon Queen** • Sidalcea 'Rosanna'***** • Spring Celebrities Lemon*** • Spring Celebrities Rose**** • Violet • **I'd love any! •HOPS vine: Variegated only please*** •IPOMOPSIS: Longiflora - Long-Flowered Gilly •JACOB'S LADDER/POLEMONIUM: Variegated*********** •JUPITER'S BEARD/CENTRANTHUS RUBER: White**** •LAMIUM: Orchid Frost*** •LARKSPUR: • Cherry Blossom*** • Kaleidoscope** • Parisian Pink**** • Splish Splash*** •LAURENTIA: Avant Garde White****, Sophia****, White or Blue •LAVATERA: Mont Blanc** (have Silver cup, thx!) •LAVENDER: • Blue Scent • Ellegance Ice****** • Ellegance Sky*** • Kew Red**** • Lacy Frills*** • Little Lady*** • Otto**** • Papillon**** • Spanish Eyes********* • Spanish Peaks**** • Stoechas****** • White Ice*** •**would love some dwarf varieties, too! •LEWISIA: Cotyledon Sunset Hybrids**** •LISIANTHUS: Lime***, any blue**, any Red/Dark Pink** •LOBELIA: • Monet Moment*************** • Ruby Slippers******** • Tupa******************************************* •LOVE IN A MIST / NIGELLA: Rose only, Mulberry Rose**** •LUPINE: •Lulu************* •Red Flame**** •Salmon***** •Silver •Sunset •LYCHNIS: Viscaria 'Snowbird'**** •MALTESE CROSS: Dusky Salmon only* •MARIGOLDS: • Golden Gem*** • Harlequin*** • Janie Flame*** • La Bamba • Mumsy Orange***** • Spun Lemon**** • Starfire • Sunburst Orange Splash**** • Zenith Orange**commercial only • Zenith Red**commercial only • Whopper Orange*** •MILKWEED blue vined (cynanchum laeve)**** aka Honey Vine or Sand Vine, TWEEDIA***** •MINA CITRONELLA** •MONARDA: See Bee Balm •MORNING GLORY: • Misty Morning** • Sunrise Serenade**** •NASTURTIUMS: • Cherry Jubilee**** • Copper Sunset*** • Creamsicle*** • King Theodore*** • Moonlight***** • Out of Africa*** • Strawberries & Cream**** • Terra Cotta*** • Vanilla Berry*********** • Whirlybird Cream****** • Whirlybird Mix** • Whirlybird Tangerine******** • Vesuvius** •NICOTIANA / TOBACCO: • Avalon Mix****** • Cream Splash (variegated)****** • Marshmallow*** • Perfume White** • Saratago Apple Blossom***** • Stonecrop* • Whisper Mix*** • ****would love ANY!!****(have Langsdorfii & Sylvestris) •OSTEOSPERMUM: • **ANY Spoon-leaf varieties*** REALLY REALLY Want!! • Akila White********** • Lavender shades**** • Zion Copper Amethyst*************** SUPER WANT! • Zion Orange***** • Zion Peach****** • Zion Pink Sand********** • **White with blue center**** •OWL's CLOVER •PANSY: • Antique Shades*** • Autumn Frills*** • Chianti** • Flambe Terracotta Shades*** • Flirty Skirts*** • Moulin Rouge**** • Pandora's Box********************* • Panola Sunburst** • Psychadelic Blue Butterfly*********** • Rococo Mix** • ***any Ruffled*** •PELARGONIUM: See Geraniums above^ •PENSTEMON: • Espirit**** • Husker Red Superior**** • Jamesii/James • Lilac Beauty*** • Mexicali Miniature Bells*** • Miniature Bells**** • Parry's/Parryi • Rydbreg's/Rydbergii • Scarlet Bugler, • Sidebelsl/Secundiflorus • Sunburst Ruby****** • True Blue* • Wandbloom/Virgatus • Whipples********* •PENTAS: Any Rose or Coral colors***** •PERSICARIA AMPLEXICAULIS 'Firetail'******* •PETUNIAS: •Aladdin Mix***** •Blue Daddy*** •Cascade Burgundy Plum Vein** •Debonair Dusty Rose*** •Dolce Flambe*** •Dolcissima Amaretto**** •Dolcissima Firenze**** •Dolcissima Roma***** •Dolcissima Sienna**** •Double Cascade •Rambling Neon Rose*** •Rose Pirouette** •Shock Wave Denim**** •Sonata*** •Sophistica Antique Shades**** •PHLOX: • 21st Century Rose Star***** • Dutch Tapestry*** • Emerald Blue*** • Flamingo****** • Midnight Candy** • Nicky*** • Peppermint** • Red Riding Hood*** • Starfire************** • Watercolor Memories Mix**** • ***would REALLY love the blue variety!!*** •PLECTRANTHUS: Emerald Lace***, Silver Shield* •PLUMBAGO: Blue*** and White*** (the bush varieties, not the creeping groundcover) •POLEMONIUM: 'Touch of Class'****, Variegatum**** •POPPY: • Angels Choir Mix*****(Shirley) • Ballerina Mix** • Cali Mission Bells** Mix, NOT just orange, pls! • Carmine** • Double Atlas • Double Cream** • Drama Queen*** • Fruit Punch*** • Fruit Splash**** • Moondance**** • Peony Frosted Salmon*** • Thai Silk Mix*** • Thai Silk Rose Chiffon*** •POT MARIGOLD: Citrus Smoothies** •POTENTILLA: Helen Jane***, Snowbird***** •PRIMULA/PRIMROSE: • x tommasinii You and Me Blue*********** • Beesiana**** • Candelabra*** • Florindae**** • Noverna Deep Blue** • Vialii********** •PULMONARIA: Any! Silver Bouquet, Mrs. Moon***, Raspberry Splash*** •RANUNCULUS: Any!! :) •ROSA STELLATA: Desert Rose •RUDBECKIA: • Chim Chiminee***** • Corona*** • (have Capuccino, Green Wizard, Indian Summer, Maya, Goldstrum, Chocolate Orange and Toto) •RUE: Jackman's blue**, Any! •RUSSIAN SAGE/PEROVSKIA: Little Spire****(dwarf) •SAGINA IRISH MOSS**** •SALPIGLOSSIS/PAINTED TONGUE: Bolero Mix*, Stained Glass*, Kew Blue****** •SALVIA/SAGE: • Apiana*** • Blue Angel*** • Cherry Blossom***** • Evolution White************ • Hummingbird* • Hummingbird Forest Fire**** • Maraschino***** • Patio Sky Blue*** • Purple Knock Out*** • Salsa Rose • Salsa Salmon*** • Sensation Rose**** • Strata • Twilight Serenade******************** • TX Sage Dwarf Hummingbird** • Victoria White*** •SAMBUCUS: 'Black Lace'**************, any golden foliage***************** •SANDERSONIA: Aurantiaca •SANTOLINA GREEN**** •SEDUMS: • Acre****** • Angelina******* • Autumn Delight** • Black Jack** • Brilliant**** • Dragon's Blood*** • Jellybeans******* • October Daphne******************************************* • Red Carpet** • Sea Star***** • Sieboldii******************** • Silver Frost** • Vera Jamison* • VooDoo*** • **any pink and/or bi-colored • **these are new to me, so I'm pretty much open to any (have Autumn Joy, thanks!) •SIDALCEA: (see also HOLLYHOCKS) •SILYBUM: VARIEGATED Milk Thistle** •SNAPDRAGONS/ANTIRRHINUM: • Apple Blossom****** • AROMAS~ANY!!****************************************** • Bells Frosty Lavender**** • Bells Pink** • Cascadia*********** • Chantilly Yellow** • Double Madame Butterfly***** • Freesong Pink • French Vanilla Aroma***** • Frosted Sunset***** • Jamaican Mist • Kim Bi-Color Mix • Lemon Lollipops**** • Lipstick **** • Magenta Mist**** • Oriental Lanterns** • Pallette Mix***** • Plumblossom*** • Red Spice**** • Renee's OP Mix**** • Snappy Bi-Color Mix**** • Sweet Pink Aromas****(hybrid-commercial only pls)******* • Tutti Frutti***** • Twinny Violet***** • Vining**** •SPIDERWORT: Red Grape***, White bi-colored one*** •SPIREA: Goldflame* •STACHYS: Coccinea***, Inflata****, Lavandulifolia******, Hummelo**, Stachys macrantha 'Robusta'******** •STRAWBERRY: Fragissimo****, Yellow Wonder****, White Wonder****, Roman, Loran, Merlan, Pikan, Tarpan, Temptation, Mignonette Alpine •STRAWFLOWER: any Deep Rose color***, any Orange color*** •SUNFLOWER: • Apricot*** any apricot shades! • Apricot Twist****** • Cherry Rose • Double Dandy • Golden Cheer • Italian Green Heart********** • Jolly Joker • Lemon Aura**** • Lemon Eclair**** • Music Box*** • Sole D'Oro**** • Starburst Blaze*** • Sunny Babe • The Joker • Van Gogh •***any dwarf other than Teddy Bear (have that one!) •SWEET PEAS: • Apricot Sprite******** • Blue Ripple**** • Butterfly** • Capt of the Blues* • Cream Southborne • Crimson Ripple**** • Floral Tribute* • Frolic** • King's High Scent***** • Lipstick • Orange Dragon*** • Saltwater Taffy Swirls*** • Snoopea* • Watermelon** • White Supreme** •SWEET ROCKET/HESPERIS: Alba (white)**** •TALINUM: Variegated***** •TIARELLA: any! (have Silverado) •TITHONIA: Fiesta Del Soul**** (shorter orange variety only) •TOADLILY/TRICYRTIS: Gilt Edge***, Samurai***, Miyazaki******* •VERBASCUM: • Adonis Mango***** • Clementine***** • Yellow/Purple*****(not sure of the name?) •VERBENA: • Adonis Mango*** • Appleblossom***** • Hastata Rosea**** • Mango**** • Moss*** • Obsession Lilac*** • Peaches n Cream** • Pink Spires • Quartz Purple* • Rigida*** • Tuscany Lavender Picotee*** • Tuscany Orchid Frost****************** • Tuscany Rose Eye** • Tuscany Scarlet*** • Tuscany White**** • Upright** •VERONICA: Blue Bouquet, Veronica Incana 'Blue Silver'****, Longifolia**** •THYMUS/THYME: Silveredge Argenteus****, Orange************* •WALLFLOWER: My Fair Lady, any mix •ZINNIAS: • Apricot Blush*** • Art Deco Mix • Benary's Giant Carmine* • Burpee Hybrids Mix**** • Burpeeana Giants******** • Carmine Rose**** • Dream • Giant Cactus White** • Granny's Bouquet*** • Little Lion*** • Magellan Persian Carpet** • Meteor • Miss Wilmott • Park's Candy Mix******* • Pumila Sprite********* • Raggedy Ann*********** • Rose Giant Cactus • Scabiosa Flowered*** • Senora*** • Zin Master Mix*** • Zinnita Rose** • Zowie Yellow Flame******** •HERBS: •BASIL: • Ararat**** • Amethyst Improved**** • Blue Spice**** • Clove • Danni**** • Dwarf Greek** • Globe** • Holy Red & Green • (RED) Lettuce Leaf**************** • Mammoth**** • Napoletano**** • Purple Delight***** • Siam Queen • Thai Magic • ***(any purple named varieties) •BEE BALM/MONARDA: ANY pure White***, ANY dark Reds, Ruby, Rose, Scarlet colors - no purples or light pinks please •CAT GRASS/CAT MINT/NEPETA: Variegated Cat Grass** •CILANTRO/CORIANDER: 'Confetti', or Delfino variety only****** •DILL: Vulgare***, Dukat***, Compatto Dwarf***** •FLAX: Linum Usitatissimum 'Golden Flax'**** •HIBISCUS: Any variety for tea***, Roselle******** •LAVENDER: Spanish Peaks*****, ANY Pink***, Lavandula Viridis (yellow)******, Purple Ribbon****, Leigh****, Vera***, Pink Perfume***, English, Silver Line**** •LEMON BALM** Citronella Lemon Balm*** only please •LEMONGRASS*** •MARJORAM* •MINTS: Grapefruit****, Fruit Cocktail******, Variegated**, Ginger*** •OREGANO: Just any culinary type will do!***, Greek***, Vulgare*** •ORIGANUM SYRIACA - Zaatar**** •PATCHOULI*** •SAGE: Culinary, Variegated******* •SAVORY: Summer *** •THYME: Orange********, Variegated********, Lemon*********, regular culinary varieties****, French or Summer Thyme**** •Broadleaf Culinary**** •VEGGIES: •AMARANTH: Green Calaloo***, Greek Giant**, Opopeo** •BEANS: • 'Almas Pa Dutch Purple Burgundy Lima Bean'** • 'Blue Lake'***** • 'Borlotto Lingua di Fuoco'********** • 'Cobra'*** • 'Grandma Nellie's Yellow Podded Mushroom Pole Bean'*** • 'Hutterite Soup'*** • 'Mayflower'*** • 'Mosaic Yard Long'** • 'Nickel' (french filet) • 'Provider' • 'Purple Marconi'** • 'Tongue of Fire' • 'Willow-Leaf Lima' •BERRIES: Strawberries****, Salmon Berry****, Thimble Berry***, Blackberry***, Raspberry***, Honeyberry***, Red Currants****** •BRUSSEL SPROUTS: Falstaff*** •CABBAGE: Filderkraut********, Jade Pagoda, Optiko** •CAULIFLOWER: Romanesco San Guiseppe***** •CORN: 'Pennsylvania Butter Flavored Popcorn'**, 'GEM' or 'Stained Glass'******************************************** •CUCUMBERS: • Alibi*** • Kyoto******* • Lime Crisp*** • Muncher** • National Pickling*** • Orient Express* • Paris Pickling or Cornichon de Paris***** • Pearl* • Richmond Green Apple***** • Tante Alice***** •FLAX: Golden only (Linum Usitatissimum) •GOOSEBERRY: Pineapple*** •'GREENS': Purslane***, Rainbow Baby •GROUNDCHERRY: Strawberry Husk Tomato***, Cossack Pineapple*** •KALE: • Blue Ridge*** • Cavolo Nero**** • Fizz* • Red Chidori • Redbor** • Wild Garden Kales • Winter Red** • Winterbor** •LETTUCE: • Blushed Butter COS • Cabbage Lettuce** • Devil's Tongue** • Drunken Woman Frizzy Headed** • Flashy Butter Oak** • Gentilina, Italienischer • Jericho***(good for heat) • Little Leprachaun** • Lollo Bionda** • Marshall • Mascara*** • Midnight Ruffles*** • Mignonette Bronze** • Monet's Garden Mesclun*** • Oaky Red Splash** • Petite Rouge*** • Queensland***(good for heat) • Red Sails • Red Wing Mix • Revolution • Rouge Grenoblais • Speckles*** • Strawberry • Sunset** • Tango*** •MELONS: **Any small, compact, less than 3lb fruit sized melons*** • Alvaro • Ambrosia******* • Early Silver Line • Emerald Gem** • Golden Jenny Muskmelon**** • Golden Sweet*** • Green Nutmeg**** • Icebox Rainbow Sherbert***** • Lambkin • Lil 'Loupe***** • Mango or Vine Peach******* • Petit Gris De Rennes* •OKRA: Eagle Pass, Star of David*** •PEPPERS: (under construction!) •Bell, any mini-bells except yellow and chocolate*** •Big Red •Blushing Beauty*** comm. only pls •Chablis •Cubanella •Fat n Sassy**** comm. only pls •Flavorburst •Giant Marconi*** •Golden Summer •Gypsy •Italia** •Jalapeno Gigantea ***comm. only pls •Kung Pao* •Mulato Isleno***** •Numex Joe E. Parker**** •Orange Sun*** •Pinocchio's Nose*** •Redskin Patio*** •Round of Hungary*** •Super Heavyweight*** comm. only pls •Tennessee Cheese •Tolli's Sweet*** •Trinidad Perfume •RADICCHIO: 'Firestorm'***** •RHUBARB: Victorian**, any •SQUASH/PUMPKINS - •Australian Butter** •Autumn cup •Baby Green Hubbard* •Bush Baby •Butta Zucchini*** •Butterstick** •Candy Roaster of N. Georgia****** •Cashflow**** •Cucuzzi***aka Serpent of Sicily*** •Fairy** •Futsu Black •Giambo*** •Hubbard Blue Magic F1**** •Latino •Long Island Cheese** •Orange Magic F1**** •Papaya Pear*** •Piccolo •Pomme D'Or aka Apple of Gold* •Rumbo Winter •Small Wonder •Sundance •Sungreen •Table Ace Winter •Table Gold Acorn*** •Tonda Padana**** •STRAWBERRY - ANY Alpine!*******, Red Wonder Wild, Sarian*** (have Mignonette & White & Yellow Wonder & Alexandria) •TOMATO: I love any pleated, ruffled and large heirloom varieties! (list currently under construction) :) •A Grappoli Corbarino •ABC Potato Leaf •Absinthe •Amana Orange •Amy Goldman Italian American •Arkansas Traveler*** •Aunt Gertie's Gold** •Barnes Mtn Yellow •Barnes Mtn Pink •Bellestar •Belmonte •Berkeley Tie Dye*** •Big Rainbow** •Brown Cherry •Bradley •Brandywine, Black •Brandywine, Yellow •Break O'Day •Broad Ripple Yellow Currant •Bushy Chabarovsky •Calf's Heart •Caspian Pink •Chapman •Cherokee Green GRAPE*** •Cherokee Purple Sudoku Potato leaf variety •Chico III •Chyornyi Prince •Costoluto Fiorentino •Costoluto Genovese •Cowlick's Brandywine •Currant •Dad's Mug Paste •Dr. Lyle •Earlibell** •Early Glee** •Egg Yolk •Emerald Evergreen** •Ester Hess •Farmstand Huge •Flame •Forest Fire •Fox Cherry •Galapagos** •Gardener's Delight*** •Gold Currant** •Golden Pineapple** •Golden Queen** •Grant Country Pink •Green Beefsteak*** •Grossee Cotelee* •Gypsy •Hahms Gelbe Topftomate •Hayslip •Hege German Pink •Hellfrucht •Hog Heart •Humph*** •Husky Pink •Indiana Baltimore •Italian Red Cherry •Italian Tomato Tree*** •Joe's Portugese* •Kanner Hoell* •KBX •KY Pink Stamper •Livingston's Gold Ball •Louisiana Pink •Lucky Cross***** •Lumpy Red •Madison County Pink •Malinowy Warszawski •Matina •Matt's Wild Cherry •Midnight Star** •Moldovan Green** •Monte Verde •Mountain - Mtn Gold •Mtn Pride •Old German •Old Kentucky •Old Time Purple •Olive Hill* •Omar's Lebanese •Opalka •Orange Van Goeijenbier •Orlovskie Rysaki •Pantano Romanesco •Pear - Red only •Pera d'Abruzzo *** •Pike County Yellow •Pink Pear***** •Polish Dwarf** •Polish Linguisa* •Ponderosa Pink •Ponderosa Seloro •Powers Heirloom •Precoce Marmende •Prescott •Principe Borghese •Purple Hillbilly** •Red Robin* •Rinaldo •Romeo***** •Rose Beauty** •San Marzano Nana*** •San Marzano 3**** •Sausage (not Cream) •Sibirskiy Skorospelyi***** •Silvery Fir Tree* •Slavic Masterpiece* •Snowberry •Snow White Cherry*** •Soldacki* •Sophie's Choice** •Strawberry** •Stump of the World*** •Sun Sugar****** •Super San Marzano******* •Sweet Home*** •Sweetie Cherry*** •Tiny Tim* •Top Sirloin*** •Two Timing Willie*** •Utyonok •Valencia** •Walter's Candy Stripe* •Whippersnapper****** •Wild Harry •Winter Grape •WATERMELONS: Black Seeded Ice Cream****, White Sugar Lump***, Petit Gris****, Icebox Rainbow Sherbert***** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------

I've grown the Otay Mesa (the one Las Pilltas and Tree of Life Nursery offer) California form for twenty-plus years. About two years ago, a friend shared Pure Bea, the white Mexican form with me she obtained from Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Gardens. This past summer, friends from Northern California brought me the UC Berkeley Mexican seedling and one they grew from seed they collected in Mexico. I've been using them to breed with for quite a few years, and actually have several seedlings from them using primarily fertile triploid modern roses. A few are already listed on Help Me Find, and there are others coming along to be added once I have more information about them. I shared Pure Bea with my northern California friends and they crossed it with one of their pink forms, generating five seeds which they sent me. All five have germinated! Having only observed the one form for years, I figured there was likely some variation between the different ones. Ralph Moore, at one time, had eleven different forms or seedlings in his green houses at Sequoia Nursery and dabbled with them for quite a few years, without results. I saw them in his green houses and noticed varying sizes and intensities of foliage scent, but not much more, as I saw them over a period of quite a few years, but only in passing by the tables upon which they grew. Now there are four, different variations, I can see much more difference between them. Top left, with the largest, "tubbiest" buds with often squared tops is Pure Bea, the white Mexican form. Top right is the Otay Mesa California form. Lower right is the UC Berkeley pink Mexican seedling. It has the best formed buds with the darkest pink color (most of the time). Bottom left is my friends' Mexican pink seedling whose buds are usually more slender, elongated and pink. All have about the same flower scent, which is sweet and "dusty", of moderate intensity. I've not noticed the "dill" scent to the foliage from any of these I noticed from some of them in the Sequoia green houses. The popular wisdom is the plant is intolerant of summer water. I have not found it to be. All of my plants have been (and are being) grown in Miracle Gro Moisture Control Potting Soil. I water them when I water my other potted roses. I have found for twenty years that if the rose is kept regularly watered, it doesn't go "summer dormant", losing its leaves and going deciduous due to summer water stress. And, it continues scattering flowers as long as the water continues. I did worry with the nearly 200% of "normal" rainfall we received so far this rainy season, there might be issues with too much water, but one of the benefits of the moisture control soil is to help prevent over watering. All of the plants are just fine, with Pure Bea and the UC Berkeley plant sending out very long, creeping growth which easily layers itself on other pots of damp soil. I sent a plant of it to an academic friend in the Carolinas last year. He sadly reported it didn't withstand their torrential rains. Perhaps it was the cold and water that did it in? I've grown it in the Santa Clarita Valley, CA (Zone 9b, mid desert) in cans and in the soil; Encino, CA (Zone 10a, inland coastal mountains) in cans; and now in the Santa Maria Valley, CA (Zone 9b coastal plain) also canned. I have only used the MG Moisture Control Potting Soil and have been completely satisfied with it for this species. I raise my seedlings in the same soil, so the five Minutifolia seedling pictured above are also growing in it. I've never seen any fungal issues with the plants, but with that tiny foliage and dense bristles, it is highly susceptible to spider mite issues. I never spray anything but hose water and have found that an occasional spraying through the foliage with a very strong stream of hose water seems intensely satisfying to it. Makes sense. "In the wild", it obtains much of its off season water from dews and fogs, for which its tiny foliage and dense bristles are wonderfully well suited. I do find that providing shade from other, taller plants during the hottest parts of the day seems to be to its liking. The plant will quickly go summer dormant if allowed to dry out and experience high heat in full sun. Being given protection from the hottest sun and exposure and being kept regularly watered, the plant continues growing and flowering and maintains healthy foliage cover, at least in the zones and areas in which I have grown it. You will find it grows the most vigorously after the "spring rains" when it also begins its annual flowering. This is also when the reproductive growth begins. Long tendrils will begin pushing and flopping over to the soil where it tip roots, shoots new growth from where it roots and repeats the process. The UC Berkeley plant actually pushed three of these indeterminate growths which appear to be rooting in the gallon cans of soil I keep placing under them and weighing the growth to the soil with rocks. I've never had any issues with cold in winter and the California form experienced 9 degrees F for several nights a number of years ago with no freeze damage. Long periods of deep cold would probably not suit it, but the conditions it would normally experience in much of Central to Southern California appear to be OK for it. I would definitely make sure the drainage is good. I do not use saucers under the pots, so any excess water drains out. I don't usually fertilize it and it doesn't seem to care. UC Berkeley Mexican form. Rancho Santa Ana Mexican white form, Pure Bea. There is another species included in Hesperhodos. Stellata mirifica is like a much larger version of Minutifolia in many ways. It seems to enjoy the same treatment and same protection from the hottest, brightest conditions in the same soils with the same water. And, it will also retain its foliage and scatter blooms over the spring through fall. It does go fully deciduous in "winter" and it suckers as you would expect a traditional rose species to.

There are other species that grow wild in the province, mostly, I suspect, up in the mountains. In our hills, patched with woods, fields, hedges, and areas in transition, the ones I see are dog roses (R. canina, but there may be other closely related species, too: I see a fair amount of variation in the population), R. gallica, and, occasionally, R. arvensis. The dog roses make big shrubs and are a common colonizer of abandoned fields, also growing in hedges and along woodland edges. They're usually shrubby but will scramble up trees if necessary to reach the sun: a couple of times I've seen dog roses twenty feet up oaks. Some are rather pretty, but all in all they're not roses you long to take home and put in the garden. The relationship to the Albas, in growth, habit, and flower color, is obvious. R. gallica is short, usually not more than a foot high, suckering, mostly growing along the side of the road in wooded areas, on woodland edges and along ditches. It has relatively large flowers, pale to bright pink with a white eye, charming. Round black hips. (Dog rose hips are oval and bright lacquered scarlet). I've tried a couple of times to collect and grow suckers of this, but without any luck; the soils in which it grows are generally rocky or compacted. When I did get a couple of suckers they didn't take. Rose arvensis looks a lot like a dog rose, but it blooms a little later and has the fused styles of Synstilae. This is the least common of the three, but I see it occasionally. Not surprisingly, the once-blooming old roses and ramblers bred from these species are the best, easiest to grow roses in my garden.