No rose of any class can beat the roses in these two rose classes, which can bloom early in spring and late in autumn, and bloom continually between, because of genetic reasons; China Tea Unfortunately Tea sounds a lot like Hybrid Tea which causes folks to confuse the two different groups of roses (Hybrid Tea roses can be grown where snow covers the ground for months out of the year, Tea roses thrive in warm climates such as found in California. The rosebushes of each class are very different in appearance. -Hybrid Tea rosebushes tend to have a rather stiff and upright way of growing, sometimes having sparse foliage that shows lengths of cane. Hybrid Tea rosebushes generally have longer flower stems, so they take longer to re-bloom -Tea rosebushes are gloriously covered roses, and well covered with leaves most of the year near San Francisco, California, because they are evergreen plants. Where I live a garden of a dozen or so Tea rosebushes will bloom truly continously (the average rosebush blooms in flushes of between 28 and 35 days then stops blooming for a month or longer before it re-blooms) some folks only notice a rosebush when it is in bloom and therefore think a rosebush continuously blooms, but Tea rosebushes DO bloom without ceasing from early spring through late autumn and into winter. The blossoms of Tea roses are beautiful and lovely, and have a delicacy and grace that has been largely bred out of Ultra- hybridized roses. thats just my opinion. Old Garden Tea roses were originally bred in China from two warm climate roses: Rosa chinensis and Rosa gigantea because of this, Tea rosebushes are evergreen. These are among the most beautiful Tea roses that I've grown and known: apricot 'Lady Hillingdon' I counted more than 101 days of continuous bloom with more than 33% of full bloom. I think it may be the most continually large flowered rosebush in the world, excluding roses of the China class. Lady Hillingdon blooms where I live from mid-March through most of December. Lovely apricot scent. white 'Westside Road Cream Tea' another rapid re-bloomer, to me it is every bit as fragrant as Ducher, but w.r.c.t. is far more resistant to powdery mildew. I don't spray with anything so this is important to me. Far healthier where I live than Devoniensis or Mme. Alfred Carriere. Pink and pink blends. Le Vesuve' a China-Tea is certainly one of the most constant bloomers among the pink Tea type roses. Another great thing about Tea rosebushes is that they bloom all over the bush, from a few centimeters above the ground, or even lying on the ground, all over to the tip- top of the bush. Mme. Berkeley' is my favorite pink Tea rose, and it is the healthiest Tea rose in my garden. Mrs. Dudley Cross' one of my other favorite pink Tea roses. Yellow Tea roses: Etoille de Lyon" has a delicious scent, 'Alexander Hill Gray' is more of a pink edged yellow Tea most of the year in my garden. Orange and/or yellow-red blends if you like more vivid colors orange red blends: Monsieur Tillier' orange and red and Rosette Delizy' a red and gold blend Tea are good choices. Orange blend Tea. sounds like a drink...no wait that's pekoe... Clementina Carbonieri' is as colorful as some Pernetiana roses, has a more rounded shape than most Tea roses, and a more intense fragrance. In partial shade it will be a rich blend of deep peach and gold, with the gold bleeding through (as dye is said to "bleed") through the peach hue. I grow mine in full sun, which keeps the hues from bleeding. Others like my neighbor, prefer the more dramatic color from shading it, and find the bleeding a striking affect. ' Anna Oliver' a lovely hue of peach blended with rose-gold This is to me the most fragrant rose of this class. I like the clone that vintagegardens.com sells rather than the yellow one sold elsewhere. pink, and very large blossomed 'Mrs. B.R. Cant' and Marie Van Houtte' a pink and yellow Tea are also very popular. Comtesse Emmeline de Guigne' is a pretty peach rose in spring that turns totally pink in warmer weather and then back to peach in the cooler autumn weeks. I bought mine from vintagegardens.com Francis Dubreuil' is the most fragrant red Tea.. Dainty Beauties: There are also two half-Tea roses that were bred from a Tea rose crossbred with a Polyantha these are: Perle d'Or" a small flowered peach colored rose, and a rose that has been popular for more than a hundred years, that's how beautiful this rose is, and fragrant! 'Mlle. Cecille Brunner', the Spray form of Cecille Brunner has a longer bloom cycle, but if you dead head the smaller c.5' tall form it will also continuously bloom. helpmefind.com has photos of these roses. vintagegardens.com sells all of these roses, and roguevalleyroses.com and antique rose emporium sell many of these grand Old Tea roses. Best wishes, Luxrosa P.S. China class rosebushes bloom as often, or more than Tea roses but many of the China class blooms have smaller blooms or the petals appear loose, some people like myself, adore them. I'd advise you to look at some photos at helpmefind.com to decide for yourself, my former landlady was dismayed at the sight of 'Mutabilis' when we planted it by the front porch for she was thinking of a H.T. shaped rose bloom when she gave us permission to plant. For good health, in the east Bay of s.f. area, Comtesse du Cayla' is good and Fabvier is the healthiest China locally. Cramoisi Superior is also healthy in a no spray garden in Oakland, Ca. I don't grow 'Mme. Lombard' because it gets too much p.m. for my needs which is the same reason I got rid of 'Ducher' and Georgetown Tea and Angels Camp Tea. (the last was borderline in health and might have developed more resistance to disease, when the bush grew bigger. Tea class rosebushes do this, I believe Jeri Jennings discovered this fact. I do get carried away by my love of Tea roses, didn't think this would be so long. Lux.

A few that come to mind: ELIZABETH MITCHELL SPINA (by Rich Haynes, 2007) is a possible, but I'd have to get back to you on this one later in the season to be certain in belongs on the list. I'm adding it here only because I was totally amazed to find it blooming last year in OCTOBER! FLYING TRAPEZE is currently one of my two favs of the year. I have not counted fans, but I know I have a very large clump, and this thing blooms and blooms and blooms. Gorgeous. Don't know whether you care about fertility at all, but it seems to set pods even if the bees are only thinking about it. This is one of my "will never ever get rid of" daylilies. GREYWOODS SPIRIT HAWK is an extended bloomer. Mine started some time in early June, and last few buds are about to open. HIS SISTER PAM, a yellow from Rick Yost (2009). Slow to establish, so I can't comment on it at clump strength. Tall, very impressive, good-sized flower at 6.5", with macho-looking scapes, and registered as having 5 branches and 35 buds. Mine isn't there yet, but I'm sure it will be. MABOU is reblooming this year. RED SAILS AT NIGHT, to be monitored for future performance. It's in its first full year here, so I can't comment on branching/bud count/etc. I have it on the list because each fan has a rebloom scape. If this is typical, should be a good one for the garden. Color is an orange-red here -- not as brilliant red as photos show. SEND N CARAMEL KISSES is another one to keep on your short list for monitoring. I just got it this year (it's a 2011), as a DF. Bare-root, as is typical. Why is it on this list, even though it's still a DF? Because each fan put up a scape, and because each bloom, including the FFOs on each scape, were beautiful. The blooms have wonderful thick substance and hold up well all day. The hybridizer told me it is wonderful at clump strength. So like I'm saying, watch for future reports from people on this one. I expect that it's going to be one of my favorites. SUBTLE KNIFE, by Luddy Lambertson, is reblooming this year, just as it did for me last year. Shows its teeths, too. SWALLOW TAIL KITE is a clump-strength beauty. TRIFECTA, one of John Rice's, is a stunning purple that, in clump strength, puts on an amazing display. I have not been able to find many online images, so I can't compare mine to them -- but must add the caveat that mine never opens fully. Each and every bloom, every time, looks like a hand with fingers forming a cup. Since it is consistent, I've come to like the effect, but I don't know whether it's supposed to look like that. Oh, and seemingly completely unbothered by thrips. UNCHAIN MY HEART, by Stu Kendig, has, according to the hybridizer's web site, two sets of scapes per fan. I can attest to what the hybridizer said. A real nice performer, and color is great every time. WAITING ON A CALL, by Rick Yost. Not the newest of forms by this point (it's an 03), but in clump strength and with its 4-way branching and 25-bud count, the display is impressive. Warning! If you do an online search for images, you will be very disappointed....I've not found a single one that shows a lavender eyezone. In every one, I see an unfortunate muddy color, not something I'd enjoy in my garden. First bloom is usually an off color, but every one since has been very pretty -- eye is what I'd call a real lavender, very clear colored, and I can't think of any daylily with an ez like it. Totally pod fertile, maybe even more so than FLYING TRAPEZE, and that's saying something.

Rebloom means that a second scape comes out of the same fan that already had one. It could be instant rebloom were the first scapes are still blooming and the second appears. Sometimes these scapes appear so quickly that there is almost no difference and the daylily is double scaped. Then there is the more traditional form of rebloom were there is a rest period before the daylily sends up the second scape.

I always amend planting areas with compost as our mountain soils (gravel?), while well drained, are lacking in organic matter and nutrient holding capacity. My garden is just coming out from under a layer of snow. There is evidence of vole activity in the garden this winter and I fear my Heuchera 'Canyon Duet' may have been a victim of the dastardly creatures. It will be several more weeks before I know for sure. I may have to get a military drone with night vision and go after those suckers. I will re-plant it again as it has been the best blooming cultivar for my conditions.