I don't have any experience with this particular Buck rose (Dakota Song), but I was curious where you found one to purchase? There aren't any nurseries listed on hmf but Sam Kedem, and I didn't think it was on their lists for this year. It looks lovely, and Buck roses are usually hardy and resistant to things like the late frost you mention, but obviously I have no other input to share. Just curious.

Cynthia

That is, indeed, a luscious looking rose. You would think something this lovely would be for sale in lots of places. I am wondering if your roses are own root or grafted. Could grafted roses be a factor in losing them? Also, are you burying the graft or leaving it exposed? In your zone, you shouldn't have to bury it much. I'm in zone 7 and have only grafted roses. I do bury the graft a little and never lose roses from cold, though this year many suffered damage from an early November cold blast. Nothing was dormant at that time. What a mess that's been. Diane

All I know about Buck roses is that they are bred to be cold hardy, but not necessarily bs resistant. On the other hand, one poster in the Ratings section at the helpmefind.com link you gave has listed this rose as "excellent" disease resistance. I have one Buck rose --Earth song-- which is listed in the general description as being very disease resistant, but the general description for Dakota Song says nothing about disease resistance--so I would wonder how well it resists disease.

Sorry--that's all I know (which isn't much!)

Kate

Not all Buck roses are disease resistance. The primary focus of a lot of his breeding program was hardiness. And they aren't all super hardy any way. As there are many different strains of fungal diseases the only way to know for sure about any rose is to try it. It's a beauty and worth seeing if it will work for you.

Thanks, everyone.

Cynthia, I found it listed on Sam Kedem's website under Modern Shrubs. However, I haven't checked to see if they still have any.

Diane, I thought the very same thing. A rose that lovely should be better known, if it performs even halfway decently. I started with grafted roses but haven't had a grafted one in a long time. The roses that I lost this year had seemed to survive the worst of the winter. They had started to leaf out during a warm spell that ended with a freeze. I think that's what got them. I almost never lose roses to a harsh winter, since we hardly ever have temps of 0 or below. Tennessee can have days or even weeks of springlike weather followed by a nasty cold snap and I have lost roses then.

Kate, I wondered about that, too. That's why I was hoping someone who grows it wouldn't mind talking about it. I know that it can be blackspot free for them and not here, though. I've grown Golden Unicorn and it rarely had a blackspot problem. Carefree Beauty, also in its pedigree, seems to be equally healthy here. It seemed worth asking about it.

Seil, it looks like I was writing when you were. You're certainly right about not all Buck roses being created equal. I found that out by experience since so few people here had grown some of them. That said, one of my very favorite roses is a Buck rose.

I am very tempted to get this rose. I tell myself (and my husband) that it's not like buying diamonds, race horses or real estate.

I've wanted that rose for as long as I can remember. Kedem's nursery has held on tight to this one. It's never become available for mail order. Minnesota is too far!

Boy, Kes, you must want this particular Buck rose awfully badly to contemplate driving to Sam Kedem's to pick it up! I'm a lot closer than you and I wouldn't do it - or were you thinking that Sam's ships roses? Sorry, but they do not if you carefully read their website. (And wouldn't you be disappointed to go through extreme measures to acquire Dakota Song just to find that it black spots like crazy in your garden since you can't find anyone else who grows it in your area of the country to get the local scoop before you buy?) I know that everyone gets hit now and then by a rose they think they just have to have, but sometimes we find out that it was one better admired from afar than trying to add it to our own collection.
Just sayin'. :-)

I didn't realize that they didn't ship. You're probably right about the rest of it, too. <Sigh>

Rideau Rose Lad has it. He posts sometimes on the Antique Rose Forum.

I do have several Buck roses and I love them. They have nice bushy growth habits and good repeat bloom. My favorite is Quietness and it's relatively healthy, very hardy and blooms all the time. I just think it needs to be pointed out that, as you said, they're not all created equal. Iobelle is a gorgeous rare Buck HT. It was a BS magnet and not very hardy to boot!

Others I have or had are Rural Rhythm, spotty and a wimpy grower, and Country Music, another spot magnet and poor grower. On the other hand Winter Sunset grows quite well and rarely spots for me. You just never know. Try Dakota Song out and see for yourself how it does. Then let us know because it's gorgeous!

Did you ever find this one? I took a trip down to Sam Kedems today and picked one of these up. I think he is shipping roses again...

Kelly would you know if it was own root. He was grafting Bucks roses for a while.

I've had Dakota's Song for 4-5 years. It dies back to ground level each winter but always comes back for me. It has not been a vigorous grower & as a result doesn't produce a lot of flowers. But this may be due to its location, I've had 2 other roses in that site & they also did not thrive there. This spring I moved it out to a different rose bed & it seems to be doing much better. I really like its color & high petal count so I'm hoping the move will be to its liking. I've never had a problem with BS or PM with it.

Kelly I'm going to be in the Twin Cities next week - any nurseries I need to go to? Have you by chance seen the rose Kiss Me anywhere? Sorry Kes, don't mean to hijack your thread! Thanks!

Julie

Patty- the one I got is own root. You can see there is no graft. The ones that are grafted are prety obvious- the rootstock is pretty hefty.., Julie- That's a hard one. Depends for what you are looking. Mother's earth's gardens in Minneapolis is a good one, Dundee nursery is nice on Hwy 55 (plymoth), bachmans is pretty well known. If you feel like heading out a little ways there is shady acres in Chaska or gertens in inver grove heights. If you Are Going To Be Further out west, 101 Market in Otsego Is nice.... The mn landscape arboretum is a neat place to visit as is the munsinger rose garden in st. Cloud.... is Kiss me an Easy Elegance rose? I think most nurseries carry those roses. I would check lowes and home depot...

Thank you Kelly, I shall order in spring.

Kelly thanks so much for the suggestions! I really appreciate it. Yes Kiss Me is an EE but can't seem to find it anymore locally. It's one of those " I want it for sentimental reasons" roses for me :)

Patty do you want me to swing into Kedems for you? :)

Ok y'all- I went to Sams today, and what a great place! I only had an hour so roses were all I looked at. I picked up Mary Rose and Dakota Song - both are lovely! They are currently lounging in the shower at my hotel. I'm driving home Friday and I think I will pop in and get Dakota Sun too. Patty, seriously I will pick up stuff for you - I have plenty of room. I can meet you in Rockford sometime Friday on my way back, or somewhere else next week. You can message me and let me know. The 1 gal. was $17.95. Lovely rose!

I have not seen Kiss me anywhere since the friends school plant sale. (I'm pretty sure I saw it there)...I would be happy to look next year ;)

Thanks Kelly! I'm bummed this one is not available anymore - it's a nice one and fragrant.mthere are a couple of nurseries that have it listed, I jut haven't made the drive yet !

Sam Kedem has started shipping again I heard somewhere on here.

Here is the 1 gal I picked up