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"Florence Bowers' Pink Tea" update

9 years ago

Now three years in the ground, four years from receipt as a band. This is a great rose for me: vigorous, healthy, well-scented (just like Mrs. B.R. Cant), very frequently in bloom -- not much down time between flushes. Easy to train. It is sadly no longer in commerce in the U.S. (but will be for sale at the Sacramento Cemetery's Open Garden.)

For scale, the trellis itself is 7' tall and 4' wide. These photos taken in the past week:

From the other side of the trellis:

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jerijen

9 years ago

Folly! Glad you are coming to Sacto!

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Comments (20)

hiclover
9 years ago
Catspa, this is spectacular!
nikthegreek
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Wow, spectacular plant, flush and individual flower shape. Flowers don't seem Tea-like to my eyes but the plant does. I wonder of its parentage. Is this a 'found' rose?
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I feel your pain, Rehka! Houston is a challenging rose climate. Hot and humid punctuated by surprise attacks of hail, Blue Northerns, hurricanes, floods and tornadoes! I grew up in Dallas but visited Houston off and on...(dramatic music)...in the summer. I also feel your husband's pain: Asian jasmine and trumpet vine in TX. A patch of neglected Asian jasmine once ripped off the bathroom window screen at my sister's house in Dallas! I think the hardy jasmine you mentioned might be Trachelospermum jasminoides, star jasmine? If so, I applaud you 100%! That's a great go-to fragrant vine for much of TX. I sent my mom a rooted cutting of Zeph for her Dallas garden, and it grew well there. I think Mom's rose lost about 50%-60% of its leaves during the hottest part of the year, but Zeph was pretty darn healthy (no spray except Safer fungicide) and grew fresh leaves when the temps cooled. Mom planted her Zeph in half day sun and grew a vine through the canes. Zeph rests for a longer summer stretch without blooming in TX, and your climate is getting hotter, so I agree that selecting a cultivar with more continuous bloom and foliage cover might be a wise choice for your preferences.. With training, Blush Noisette makes a charming, continuously blooming climber up to about 8' or so. It works well on an arch when 2 are planted, one on each side. The fragrance positively WAFTS in the evening. Humidity contributes to wafting so maybe BN is worth considering for Houston? For a large pergola, I'd plant a BN on one side and a yellow or white Lady Banks on the other. I'd train the Lady Banks up one side and across the top for a magnificent spring show with BN to carry on later in the season. Antique Rose Emporium sells both, but sometimes you have to jump in at the starting gate of restocking. They're popular! I'd call ARE and ask about blackspot tendencies in your area, and check on BN's resistance as well as inquiring about other Noisette possibilities. I'm a big fan of the fragrant, glorious Noisettes but only grow BN and MAC here in Portland. I've never grown Renae but have heard great things about it. I have a couple of baby Annie Laurie McDowells in my driveway pot nursery and am super excited about their inclusion in my garden! If you can get a ALM, and Kim Rupert gives it a thumbs up for your area and pergola, I'd absolutely hold out for her. The photos I've seen are breathtaking! Pure romance. Carol
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humble5zone9atx
9 years ago
Gorgeous! Thank you for the update. I recently moved my Florence into more sun about a week ago and she's not looking too good......I hope she survives
User
9 years ago
..isn't that lovely... it reminds me of a Bourbon rose I used to grow called Mme. Lauriol de Barny....although this one doesn't repeat...

..such a shame your rose is no longer commercially available..I really can't think why that should be...
Kippy
9 years ago
This one is on my wish list for Sacramento
Rosefolly
9 years ago
If I get anything it would be this rose. I'd have to remove another rose for it, though. I'm thinking that I like it better than Le Vesuve. Le Vesuve is fine, but this one is prettier. Kippy, I will see you in Sacramento. I had to miss last year for our MG plant sale, but this year we are back to holding it on a different week. I don't think we've ever met.

Rosefolly
jerijen
9 years ago
Yes. I want this.
I have just written to Mrs. Bowers, to find out what she can tell me about its history.
humble5zone9atx
9 years ago
Catspa- mine has a sweet scent to my nose, how about yours?
User
9 years ago
Holy cow- that is a beautiful plant! The rest of the garden doesn't look too shabby, either...

Thanks for sharing,

Virginia
ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9
9 years ago
I'm completely blown away! That rose is spectacular, there is no other word. As much as I love Le Vesuve, this rose is more beautiful and I would think the flowers would last longer since they have more petals. This rose should definitely be in commerce!
User
9 years ago
Jeri, I see from another thread that Mrs Bowers lives in SC, probably 1.5- 2 hours from here. I wonder if she'd mind a couple of semi-local visitors coming to see her rose garden? Some people do love to show off their roses, and fewer and fewer people seem to be interested...

That pink tea is certainly a treasure, but I'll bet she has other roses with interesting histories...

Virginia
User
Original Author
9 years ago
Nik, yes, it is a found rose, so no known lineage. Here's a link to a long discussion about it two years ago: "Florence Bowers' Pink Tea", with speculation about it being the "true" 'Souvenir d'un Ami'.

I do hope you hear from Mrs. Bowers, Jeri. Garden web member "idixierose" tried two years ago and did not hear back, I believe; she did say Mrs. Bowers was in declining health.

humble5, the scent is very strong to me, and like the incomparable fruity scent of Mrs. B.R. Cant. She got healthier in the ground than she was in the pot, but I think the time in the pot was important for building up good roots. She's at the edge of the "civilized" (i.e., irrigated) part of this garden in so-so soil -- all the stuff behind her is my "multicultural chaparral", which gets no irrigation.
Kippy
9 years ago
Hmmmm. Seems I might need my Le Mans suit after all! This is one I tried to order from Vintage and always lost out on. But good for those that propagate for the sale to know about.
floridarosez9 Morgan
9 years ago
What a beauty! I hope it somehow makes it to a Florida nursery.
jerijen
9 years ago
I am hoping I hear. She was well enough to write us a short note last week, so I am optimistic.
User
9 years ago
Could the heat be affecting the shape of the flowers on my FBT? Mine doesn't look like the posted pictures, except for the color. It looks more like Chestnut rose- it's packed full of very spikey petals, and the rosette form is basically lost.

It was purchased from Vintage Gardens some years ago, so I'm assuming it's the correct variety.

Might be the heat... ?

FBT does really well here in S.Florida- large flowers, good color and fast rebloom. I would be happy to know more about the history of this rose.
jerijen
9 years ago
When/If I hear, I'll let everyone know. I can put an article on the Gold Coast Heritage Roses Group website, where everyone can get it.
sultry_jasmine_nights (Florida-9a-ish)
9 years ago
Wow what a gorgeous girly pink rose she is and she climbs too!! I bet she would do okay in NE FL if she does okay in SC. I really hope it becomes available for everyone. I have been looking for a fluffy pink climber like this as I have a ton of space for climbers ( i.e. hiding dh's carport, garage and out buildings lol).
jo_pyeweed (z9 SF Bay Area)
9 years ago
Exquisite ! This rose was on one of my last Vintage orders, but I didn't get it. Catspa - thanks for posting; I have been following your updates on HMF with interest.

I wish I could be there at Sacramento to see everyone and regret the missed opportunity to get this rose.

Jo

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