I have both Penelope and Felicia...I say "have" with some trepidation in view of the -40 degrees in my weather forecasted for Monday, but I digress... My Penelope I actually moved a 12 year specimen of last year (I got 3 as my very first 'OGRs' and moved 1 from my old home because I couldn't bear to leave them all behind) just because I WANTED the 2 next to each other. Imagine that, getting so emotionally attached to a plant. ;-) (preaching to the crowd here, right?) They're are about 10 feet apart now. Felicia I got in 2010 as a band. The 2 are now roughly the same size after the hacking I had to do to safely lift and transport the 12 year old Penelope last year...so about 3 feet square. The flowers are very harmonious next to each other. Penelope gets a peachy pink heart in my yard...and Felicia gets a lovely golden blush in hers. Sort of yin and yang thing going on. Felicia has larger petals than Penelope that, as already stated, are oh-so-delicate and fade quickly in the heat. I have mine in partial shade, which she likes (Penelope gets more sun, we'll see if the 2 argue about this as time goes on). Felicia's scent is by far my favorite of the 2. The plants have very similar growth habits (at least my 2 do)...again, they are so very harmonious next to each other. Disease resistance very similar...both get some blackspot...both defoliate to some extent from said BS...but neither has ever looked like a total dog to me. But, as newer plants to my current garden, I'm not going to say that anyone else's experience would perfectly match mine. I'd share a photo of the 2 blooms together in 1 image but I didn't get one last year since Penelope was moved just last year (a move I might well regret in a couple days, ugh). Separate it is. Penelope May, 2013 Felicia May, 2012 Cheers! ~Anika Here is a link that might be useful: GothicLibrarian.net

I love the Pemberton Hybrid Musks but don't grow them well; the main problem, I think, is that I've neglected to give them the maintenance pruning they require. You have to cut out old canes regularly. They're roses for people who love good foliage, graceful habit, and scent, and don't demand large blooms or strong colors. 'Cornelia' when well grown is in my opinion one of the most beautiful roses in existence, with lovely foliage, habit, and a sweet scent that carries. It has a lax habit and can be grown as a floppy shrub, with support, or as a small climber. Similar in habit are 'Buff Beauty', 'Pax', 'Moonlight', and 'Kathleen'. 'Felicia' is shrubbier and less distinctive in character. I've never grown it well, so can't judge its beauty, but I grow it very willingly because it has one of the finest scents of all roses: old rose mixed with musk sweetness, carrying on the air. In our climate, with our heavy soil and good annual rainfall, the Hybrid Musks can go without summer watering, though of course they won't flower in dry conditions. As best as I can judge, given my relative lack of success growing them, in a hot dry climate they like cooler and moister conditions and part shade. Our neighbors grow 'Cornelia' very well espaliered against a wall that looks northwest. All this has reminded me that some time in my life I need to find a place that Hybrid Musks might like, prepare it really well, and then grow them there. Make them a little garden. Heaven knows the last thing I need is another project, but I would like to see them in their glory. My favorites are 'Cornelia', 'Pax', 'Francesca', 'Vanity', 'Kathleen', and 'Felicia' for fragrance. 'Penelope' is also very good: for some reason I tend to forget it. Also 'Buff Beauty', which many people love. 'Pax' is a very elegant rose for its long buds and the contrast between their whiteness and the dark leaves. The fully open flowers are less exciting, but they're fragrant and the plant has the usual graceful habit and good foliage.

I have Felicia too. She is one of my very favorites. I grew her from a tiny 4 inch potted plant, and she bloomed for the first time this past spring, and boy did she bloom! I was eager to see and smell Felicia's flowers for the first time, and my expectations were modest. She exceeded my expectations by bursting into an abundance of bloom clusters for her first performance. She is now blooming a bit again, despite our hot and dry temps. I love this girl so much that I gifted one to my mother, and one to my sister, Ingrid. Ingrid's was promptly destroyed by dog, but my mom's is doing fine. My mom has a rabbit problem at her place, so it has been "pruned" almost into a tree against the house. It looks like a completely different rose than mine, but still rather charming. Mine is very sprawling. Felicia is wonderful, and I think both of you will love her more and more as she grows. Yours looks great, needmoremulch. The old bloom even has a special charm. Do they all age so nicely? I don't think I've seen mine do that. Vaporvac, you be sure to show us your open bloom, please. Even if it's only one. I love seeing her. Lisa

I’m finding that my Cornelia starts off much darker than Felicia, but Cornelia fades much faster to almost white. Both of mine are in quite a bite of shade. I think I have fresh buds and or blooms on both. I’ll take a look and some pictures. I totally agree with Sheila about their growth patterns. I’m training my Cornelia on an umbrella trellis. It’s been slow going, since my “helper” cut almost all of Cornelia’s long canes WAY back. They are growing again, and I should be able to tie more to the trellis soon. Cornelia might have to wait until the weather cools, or I have a burst of energy. (Yes, Please!) Please ignore everything else. It is what it is right now:) My Felicia is rather sprawling because she’s in a lot of shade. I haven’t cut her back much, because I want to train the canes over my arches. Truth be told, I love her more than Cornelia. She smells better, blooms more, and has a special pink that doesn’t often show in photos. Her pink is soft with what almost looks like a fine dusting of baby powder over the pink. (That reminds me of powdery mildew, but that’s not what I mean at all:). She’s so delicate looking, yet she’s a strong grower here, in shade. I do give her some acid to keep her happy. Felicia is one of my top 5 favorite roses that I grow. Lisa Oh dear! I’m not sure about posting this full bush picture of Felicia. I’m not doing the beautiful Felicia any favors with this photo! I haven’t been out front much, and there’s lots of work to be done. I hope you can still see Felicia’s form amongst the tangle of hardy geraniums and clematis. Well, I’ve never claimed to have a perfect garden. In the summertime I just keep things watered and alive, mostly. I will try to find a better bush photo of Felicia so you can see her form better,(and so I can feel better, too :). Lisa