Rogue Valley Roses will ship both to Canada and Europe. It has always amazed me that Isabella Skinner is lost to commerce in Canada. In fact of all the roses Dr. Skinner bred, only about five or six are available in the US and Canada, though there are quite a few more available in Europe. Frank Skinner was a renowned plant breeder and horiculturalist in Canada and internationally in his time. He was on a par with Felicitas Svedia (Canadian Explorer Roses) and Percy Wright who was a contemporary and colleague of his in Alberta; or with Griffith Buck and Ralph Moore in the US. In July 2005 Dr. Skinner was officially recognized as a Person of National Historic Importance (Parks Canada). "Dr. Frank Leith Skinner was one of Canada's Most innovative horticulturists and plant propagators. He resided in Dropmore, Manitoba, where his farm served as the natural laboratory for breeding new strains of plants capable of surviving the hash prairie climate. Although he was isolated from other breeders, Dr. Skinner's rugged independence, persistent efforts and patience made him a leading authority on plant hardiness." - Manitoba Dept of Cultural Affairs and Historical Resources publication on Dr Skinner, 1981 I have long been friends with one of Dr. Skinner's sons Leith. We were on ski patrol together for many years in British Columbia. When I asked Leith about his father's roses a number of years ago, he put me in touch with his older brother, Hugh. Hugh followed in his father's footsteps and ran a commercial nursery enterprise in Roblin, Manitoba for many years. At that time I corresponded with Hugh, I was hoping I might get a rooted cutting of Isabella Skinner from him. But he had retired by the time I was in touch with him. Isabella Skinner is named for Hugh's and Leith's mother. Hugh told me that his father's farm had been turned into an historical site (see link below). The farm is at Dropmore, Manitoba, just Northwest of Riding Mountain National Park near the Saskatchewan border. Hugh thought it likely that there was still a plant of Isabella Skinner at the site, likely in the Heritage Rose Garden which contains more than seventy Canadian Bred rose cultivars. This arboretum is a true Canadian treasure for all types of cold hardy plant, not just roses. It is sort of a Canadian version of Reiman Gardens, with Dr. Buck's roses in the U.S. It is intriguing to think that there are likely most Dr. Skinner's rose cultivars all there in one spot, including shrubs and other super hardy climbers and ramblers, just waiting for an enterprising rose rustler to ask permission to collect cuttings and propogate them. It would be wonderful to reintroduce at least a few. Things that make you go hmmmmmm... Cheers, Rick Here is a link that might be useful: Frank Skinner Arboretum Trail

Don't know if this post is too old to resurrect, but we bought our Victorian Memories from HCR 5 or 6 years ago. To show the hardiness of it, it was in like a 3" pot when I received it in late summer. Never got around to planting it that fall and it laid next to my driveway all winter, covered in snow. Sprouted in the spring, I planted it on an arbor and the plant is close to 15' tall now, has never died back, blooms prolifically in it's first flush and sporadically all summer with slightly larger flowers. Faint rose fragrance, never diseased. I took 36 cuttings from it this early summer and just repotted 35 cuttings that rooted and will await new homes. Not too many nasty thorns on it either. Very happy with this one!

Don't get 'Remember Me' if the light is limited, it is a poor grower and needs sun. You might want to consider 'Amazing Grace', 'Journey's End'. Dave

Wonderful to hear the praise for this rose. We have two being grown on for inclusion as a centre piece rose on an arbour in the Canadian Heritage Rose Garden in the Summerland Ornamental Gardens. I hope to have them in place this coming spring. One of the breeders, Dr, Skinner's, sons is a friend of mine and he helped me obtain bud wood that was sent to Corn Hill Nursery in New Brunswick a couple of years ago. I haven't heard yet how well the propagation went with that shipment, but hopefully some took and there will be another source for this rare rose that was almost lost to commerce. Cheers, Rick