A new "like" on this thread reminds me that I meant to do a follow up report on Dark Desire. My lament, during its very first blooms in summer, was that the colour was garrish and it was not one, but two-toned, deep red and coralish red. People told me that, it being the first bloom ever, and with the extremely hot weather, the colour may be off, and might improve as time went along. It was very late in the year before the buds of the second bloom occurred. The buds are pretty huge it takes them forever to develop before they will open. The second flush reached its full bloom on October 10 in weather so cold I feared every day it would snow. The colour in the cool weather was gorgeous, and especially beautiful with raindrops. As each one opened I recognized at the end of the year that it's always going to be a surprise when this rose opens. I found myself hovering over it everyday, waiting and waiting for it to happen. You can bet she'll be staying here. She's resting now under a thick blanket of long pine needles.

Thanks for the update bcroselover! Nice pic!

Bcroselover, I'm glad you like this rose better, because I think it is gorgeous in all your photos.

Old thread, but I'll jump in anyway. I generally am not a fan of traditional hybrid tea form red roses, being more of an OGR enthusiast, but I do have 2 of David Austin's reddish roses, Tess of The d' Ubervilles, and Munstead Wood, which I like very much and are good contrast to my pastel colored roses. Today I found Dark Desire at my GROCERY STORE, own root. They are large, healthy plants. Could not pass this up. I like it most when it is fully open, unlike bcroselover, who started this topic. I will plant mine close to a lavender rose to bring out it's purple hues. Good thing we all have different tastes, or this would be one boring world. In case anyone is interested, I found mine at Fred Meyer's in Spokane.

Dark Desire at Freddie's???? I am delighted!

I have Dark Desire from Palatine, but am constantly amazed to see people all over the country can find new Kordes except for, it seems, in NJ. Normally you get first pick for lots of things at NYC metro area, but apparently not roses. Local HD and Lowes have pretty limited selections, and ditto to local gardening stores. All seem to have a maddening infatuation with hybrid teas that stand little chance here as garden plants.

I second that ^^^^.

Twenty plus years ago. a long time Metropolitan Plant Exchange (a small NJ "chain") employee referred to roses as "America's favorite annual".

Today, so much has changed. But so much hasn't.

Ken, absolute perfection. Mine are still really tiny, bought own root last year. I'll be thrilled if mine grows even as big as yours and flowers as much. What do you do for a fertilizing routine?

Sharon

Wow!!!! That's exquisite!!! Fantastic shape and gorgeous blooms!!!! So glad you shared that with us!!

Carol

Chris, I KNOW! My particular Freddies has a garden center manager who is actually a gardener, so that helps. When they let him do his thing, he gets in fabulous plants. I hear ya, farmerduck! I have found nothing at my local HD and Lowes, and have been amazed at the fabulous own root roses some people snap up there. Rifis, I had to laugh about roses being America's favorite annual. After moving to zone 5 from zone 9, I found that to be all too true until I learned about own root roses and not to put too much hope in hybrid teas. However, as you said, a lot has changed, and there are those fabulous hardy Kordes roses available these days. Ken, you are obviously doing something right. I, along with enchantedrosez and rosecanadian appreciate your sharing that photo and would love to know your fertilizing routine.

I believe the grower supplying Spokane is an Oregon nursery and they are growing a good number of Kordes so I think in the future you will see more at Fred Meyers. Living here in the PNW it has pained me to have so few Kordes available in the PNW.

I live near Northland Rosarium who does a mail order business as well as selling locally, so I am not dependent on mail order or the big box and grocery stores, but it is nice when I do find a treasure while shopping for milk and bread. Carol, at Northland has a fabulous collection of Kordes roses and will even try to get the ones I've asked for, if she possibly can. She didn't carry Earth Angel this year, but I asked her if she could get a couple for me, and sure enough! I am anxiously awaiting those two little babies to settle in and bloom. I am surprised the PNW doesn't have the good roses in abundance at every big box and grocery store. The west side of the state gets everything before us poor stepchildren over here on the east side. :)

All my grocery stores only have florist minis.

I have family in So. Cal. who say the same thing. So surprising since you all can grow anything down there. However, with the drought situation, I don't imagine anyone is encouraging gardening right now. I surely hope that improves.

Thank you. Me too! Getting young plants to survive the first couple of summers is tough. My well established roses seem to do okay with the water restrictions. Summer is survival time. I'm expecting two roses from Northland Rosarium in the fall. That is the safest time to plant. It's my first time ordering from Northland Rosarium.

I love that place. If you are ever in this neck of the woods, be sure to visit the rosarium, especially in June. Carol's gardens are spectacular. She grows hundreds of roses in beautiful gardens interspersed with hydrangeas, peonies, iris, and flowering shrubs.

I have good results keeping the soil moist with minimal watering by using wood chip mulch. It will look dry on the surface, but scratch a little away, and it is very moist under the mulch. I hardly ever water, and this is the dry side of the state. You can find it free by calling a tree trimming company or your power company - they trim branches away from power lines, etc. After they run the branches through the chipper, most will gladly deliver it to your garden. It would be indispensable in California, IMO.

To be honest with everyone about my rose's, my secret is in the soil. I just don't put a $15/20 rose bush in a $.50 hole. I'm convinced that roses flourish in a good sandy loam soil. I learned this in Fl. years ago when all I had was pure sand. When I buy a new rose, I also count the cost of the soil it is going in to. Over the years I have used different brands of soil (soil company's come and go) but it basically is a GOOD garden soil, sand and compost. I mix my stuff in my wheel barrow. To every 1 cu. ft. of garden soil, I mix in 4 shovels full of sand (clean "play sand" bought at my local Lowe's) and 3 shovels of my home made compost (mostly leaf with a few old heads of lettuce and cabage from my local grocery). For each rose that gets planted, I use 2 wheel barrows full of my soil. Once my new rose has been in the ground for 6 weeks is when I start feeding it. It's VERY simple. I use a good 10-10-10- blend with all the trace elements, on the 1st of every month from April to October. I also use Fish Emulsion 2 times in April and 2 times in September. I like to keep things as simple as possible after my rose is in the ground.

I agree - it's more important to feed the soil which in turn feeds the plant. It is imperative that the routine is simple if you have a lot of roses. I also use a little mycorrhizae when I plant a new rose because my soil is terrible. Thanks, Ken, for your recipe for success.

Thanks Ken. My roses are in raised beds with custom made soil from a local horse farm. It is a blend of soil, sand and manure and very friable. None of my roses get the 6 hours of sun. That is probably the difference.

I'm glad this thread got bumped up! Apparently I need to check my local Freddie's for own root (?!) Kordes (?!) roses.

Ken you clearly grow some good roses in that soil mix of yours! I had to laugh when you said you liked to keep your rose care "simple." While your routine is clearly successful in growing beautiful roses, a lazy gardener like me wouldn't consider fertilizing a dozen times April-October "simple" :)

This year I'm switching over to a time release fertilizer--Osmocote Plus, so I don't have to spend as much time fertilizing my roses. Last night I got another 8 pound bag for just $20 from Walmart.

First year with it. All the first buds burned badly and didn't open fully. Plant habit is already looking a little tall and lanky.

Oooh...phyllissteen (love your name) - just too hot, I guess!!!

Carol

Phyllis are you desert climate? What is your pH? We have had Dark Desire is some very hot climates performing well and it is grown in production fields in Phoenix Arizona without heat issues - no burned up flowers. So I am guessing it may be a nutritional issue but then again did it dry out?

Sunset zone 19 is the "thermal belts around Southern California's interior valleys", prime citrus growing country, because of the summer heat. All dark roses in this climate can benefit from morning sun and afternoon shade. Like many of us, I learned that the hard way and moved my roses around in my garden to suit their needs. I'm in Sunset zone 18, just above the thermal belt.

The plant is growing fine...dark green foliage and no sign of stress. I'm not going to judge it harshly on the first flowering since it was just planted as a bare root this spring. Now if the second flowering cycle burns up....

Dark Desire in my 100+ dry, radiant heat. Impressive color in this heat. So fragrant.

For me, it's perfect. As long as you ignore the little bits of thrip damage. ;-)

Anyone have thoughts on why, this year leaves on my Dark Desire are yellow and buds drying up half opened ? It was lovely last year, on its first year. It gets about 5 -6 hours of sun a day.

Is anyone else's Dark Desire an aphid magnet/pest magnet? I have never seen anything like it and the roses next to it and around it, are completey untouched, like it is just covered in aphids, and aphid goop, looks almost like it was hairsprayed or has shellacked, and every stem is packed with them, and I hose them off and they just come back, tried organic/safe product, and they just came back... I usually don't even bother to remove aphids if there are normal amount but this is just beyond. Parts of it look like they are covered in green crusty crud but it's bugs... Like it must be particularly delicious or something or perhaps that means it's unwell? But it started off so healthty and luscious this spring, until the bugs came back to life? Any thoughts? Anyone had an infestation like that? What to do ? Should I SP it?

My dark desire is very healthy and doesn’t get any more pests than any other roses in my garden. Aphids are not really a big deal so I would just get a water hose and wash them off a few days in a row. I think your roses will do great.

That is a nice old thread! Can anyone comment on the size one expects from an own root Dark Desire in Southeast?

@sabut

my dark desire gets over 8 feet tall unprunned. I keep it prunned to 5 feet tall.

@dianela7analabama, Thanks! Is yours own root? Just to make sure :)

@sabut

Yes mine is own root. I rarely purchase any Kordes grafted unless they come from Palatine since they are always grafted. I find Kordes perform really great in their own roots and always grow way larger than stated size. The only Kordes that stayed its stated size was Fiji which is a well mannered 4 feet tall bush without prunning. If you are in a warm zone Kordes will get large.

Here is earth angel on the right. Kordes says it gets to 5 feet tall in their website. Here it is in August after being pruned to 3 feet in winter reaching at least 7 feel tall. The plants are own root.

Madame Anissette on I think a 10 feet obelisk. Kordes wesite says 4 1/2 feet tall

Dianela I think you have the best Madame Annisette I have ever seen!

@oursteelers 8B PNWThank you verymuch. She is not a great rebloomer for me but her spring bloom and perfect health makes her a keeper in my blackspot heavy garden.

Dianela - I agree with Oursteelers...your MA is wonderful!!! What a beauty!

Dianela, that made me laugh... Madame Anisette covers the 10 ft obselik being "4-1/2 feet tall" .... they mean 4-1/2 feet if you cut her to that! 😂

Roses In Clay, my Madame Anisette is starting her third year as an own root and she's easily 10 ft.... With 8 to 10 canes that long. I tried pegging her until now, which she responds wonderfully to by sending out 2ft long laterals that end in giant clusters of 10-18 blooms. But... With all those blooms she's to heavy to self support with pegging alone. We're building a trellis for her this month. I think it would be impossible to grow her as anything but a climber in a mild climate.

This is not quite 1/3 of my plant and the bare spot you see is just the long stem on a lateral. All of these are laterals coming off pegged 10ft or longer canes.

She's got a lot of flower power.

Librarian: your Madame A. is the best I've ever seen! Your care, climate, and soil must be just what this plant needs! Does it rebloom well too?

Thank you, RoseMi. I think it must like our rainy winters. Last year it had continued scattering of blooms all season after the big flush. I'll keep you updated this year. The flush came about,3 weeks earlier than last year, so it will be interesting to see if it sets another flush or just continues with scattered bloom. The flowers last so long that the flush is pretty long.

Librarian your Madame A is the most gorgeous I have ever seen, she definitely likes your area.

That's saying something, Dianela, because your MA is pretty fantastic from what I can tell.

All the pictures are all so beautiful. I was going to order Dark Desire but now I don’t know. I can’t stand roses over 5 feet. And it looks like it could get very very tall. Any suggestions from anyone of a rose with the coloring of Dark Desire but 4 feet?

I don't know anything With that particular Color shading, but escape Is a very nice deep fragrant red That's quite healthy. Dark dark dark desire is black spot prone in my garden But Bordeaux is spotless. I believe Daniella Who grows dark desire to perfection also has some fabulous Bordeaux specimens. It's what I would term an easy road. PeriodsRose rose

Who can understand that mess Above!? I am recommending Bordeaux . Cityscape.

And I don't know if anyone has said it but Dark Desire is extremely thorny!

Carla in Sac

My Dark Desire is now 8 years old. In British Columbia our weather can sometimes be wet in the summer (not last summer!) But Dark Desire, never, ever gets black spot for me and it is not overly thorny. Apparently these aspects are very much dependent on the environment.

I live in British Columbia and there can be wet, cold weather in spring. My Dark Desire is now 8 years old. It never, ever gets black spot and it is not overly thorny (the worst possible thorns are on Falling in Love.) These aspects are apparently very variable according to location. It would grow too tall and become leggy but I cut it down every sprng. I have to because the cold winter always causes some die off, but each spring it renews itself again. It needs a rejuvenation but I have no idea what more it needs than the fertilizer I provide each year. Too bad they can't talk.