Lady Roberts in the Sacramento City Cemetery:

The mature bush in the Cemetery is about 4 x 4 x 4 ... Maybe larger. Beautiful of habit, disease-free, and the blooms are to die for.

Beautiful!

I'm growing Pres. H. Hoover, Gruss an Coburg & Talisman.

Signora, too.

All are weak plants own-root & are much superior budded. So why go to the trouble? Well, just look at them!

Signora

Gruss an Coberg--the mother plant has already croaked but I have buds surviving on other things.

The flowers blow fast in heat but they're so pretty I think it's worth babying them just to enjoy the cool weather blooms of spring & fall.

Thanks BlueGirl, how big are the mature plants? Do you think they would prefer afternoon shade? That Gruss an Coberg bloom is lovely! Some of the pictures on HMF of Autumn, Etoile de Feu, Belle Cuivree etc are so stunning.

I consider 'Gruss an Coburg' to be among the top 10, maybe even the top 5, roses in my garden -- definitely a favorite of mine and it is one of the most vigorous own-root hybrid teas I've grown. It is well-foliated and generally reaches over 6'+ in height every year. though pruned down to 3' every winter. I've had it for about 8 or 9 years. Unlike other Pernetianas here, the blooms last relatively well in extreme heat; in fact, better than many other roses. It has a wonderful sweet scent -- like Narcissus, to me.

I also grow 'Etoile de Feu', but have only had it in the ground for a year, so can't comment extensively on vigor and such, but it seems to be growing "okay" own-root (currently about 2.5 foot + tall, 3' wide), but foliage a bit on the skimpy side (might be due to unusual outbreak of blackspot earlier this year). The blooms are to die for, color and shape-wise -- like giant, soft-orange-blend water lilies. Unfortunately, these do blow really fast if it is at all hot - like same day.

Mrs. Herbert Stevens, bush form own root, is an easy-going treasure whose blooms are wonderful in form and poise. Blooms well in a not-quite-full-sun situation here; good-looking bush with paler green leaves, roughly 5' x 4'.

Gruss an Coburg:

Not good colors in this photo (wrong light), but shows size, floriferous-ness and habit of bush (trellis on left is 8' tall).

Gruss an Coburg bloom close-up

Etoile de Feu:

Etoile de Feu, closer view of some blooms

Mrs. Herbert Stevens bloom (can't find picture of whole shrub at the moment)

Of those listed, I have only 'Gruss an Coburg', and it's still a baby. I received it as a band in June from Long Ago Roses, but it already has two new-from-the-roots canes that are more than pencil-thick. The original stems it had when it arrived have gotten longer, but are hanging over the edge of the pot. The full color fades a day after opening, becoming a sort of buff color, but the scent remains until the petals drop. It's a strong fruity scent with a touch of spice -- something I think is common among the old Pernetianas. I wanted to give this one a try because it's been touted as one of the healthier of the bunch. So far, mine hasn't been troubled by blackspot. I don't have pics, and it's dark out now, but I'll try taking one tomorrow.

:-)

~Christopher

Wow, some stunning pictures, thanks everyone! Sounds like Gruss an Coburg is much larger and more vigorous than I imagined. I'd didn't even ask about Soleil D'Or, given we are in a humid spot and blackspot is definitely around, but if anyone has anything to add about this one then please go ahead :)

Also seen some lovely pics on HMF of Roi Alexandre, Mrs C.V. Haworth and Souv de Mme Boullet but these seem even less common than the others?

'Gruss an Coburg' will get blackspot, but not quite to the atrocious extent that other Pernetianas do. Another great Pernetiana type that is incredibly vigorous own-root (another 6' tall shrub) and not so susceptible to blackspot (here!) is "Lundy's Lane Yellow" (which is also a very good bloomer), so they are not all anaemic own-root. It is a real chameleon rose: yellow sometimes, apricot others, and every variation in between. Blooms are also relatively resilient in heat. It is, sadly, no longer in commerce.

"Lundy's Lane", apricot phase:

In a vase with "Marlowe Soft Orange" (also no longer in commerce); it's the yellow one....

I tried growing Soleil D'Or and Lyon Rose here in Vic. but they were very blackspot prone and failed to thrive. Mrs Sam McGredy was better as a climber, but declined and died after 10 years. Talisman and Autumn are both good here... Upright to about 1.3- 1.5 m, not overly prolific bloomers, but worth it for the perfume alone. Comtesse Vandal is another goody, also upright. I can't detect much perfume, but the buds and half opened flowers are lovely......pity they blow so quickly! I grow Pres. H.Hoover as a pillar rose as it gets very tall and lanky: once again the blooms do not last. I planted it's sport, Texas Centennial, last year and it is already a 2m shrub. I found that it blooms more continually than PHH though, with the same sweet perfume. Lady Roberts is new this year, but I have had its sport parent Anna Olivier for 20 years. This has made a 2m shrub over time. For me, it has a tea perfume and is healthy. Forgot to say PHH and TC are sometimes BS prone, but they easily overcome it. I do not spray.

The HT climber Climbing Shot Silk is a vigorous, fragrant, repeat blooming Pernetiana. I have no idea how blackspot prone it is. Some years here it gets bad rust; others almost none at all.

That's one glorious GAC bush! I had a band baby that grew backwards this year but I'd love to see one in its mature glory like yours.

The others are lovely, too.

Sherry, in Florida, who unfortunately doesn't post often here any more, has had a beautiful Mme. Abel Chatenay for some years in her front garden. I was always impressed by it in her pictures, always full of beautiful blooms and I don't remember any mention of disease problems.

Lady Roberts is a color sport of Anna Olivier. Here is my Anna Olivier growing up to our front porch (that door is people size). We are in zone 9 - they like it warm. Of course, it would be wider except that I prune it to keep the door clear, and it is right next to the driveway, so it is not allowed to grow that way either - so it went up.

Jackie

Thanks everyone, some very helpful advice.

So far on the maybe list are Autumn, Gruss an Coburg, Lady Roberts, Mme Abel Chateney and Triomphe de Luxembourg (not sure if this is actually Rhodologue Jules Gravereaux in Australia?) Also might give Souv de Mme Boullet, Mrs Dunlop-Best and Ville de Paris a try, for no particular reason!

I adore 'President Herbert Hoover' for its' rich scent, I used to grow the climbing form but the collie next door dug it up and gnawed on it and it died. bad doggie! Autumn is a real pleasure to see, in the autumn it shows rich hues of orange and red and also on the outer petals; mauve. A local no spray rose garden has c. 2 dozen Pernetiana cultivars and my favorites are the two mentioned and Etoille de feu (star fire) , Gruss and Coberg, and Mari Dot, I had a President Plumcoq' but it failed to thrive on its own roots and I didn't propagate another one because I preferred other Pernetiana roses to that one. Lux.

Lux -- Does that Mari Dot look anything like "Mendocino Honey"?

Here's the link to the National Heirloom Exposition catalog with the photo of "Mendocino Honey" in it: http://www.theheritagerosesgroup.org/temp/2015-sept-expo.pdf. I wish there were more photos of MH around -- the color is something like to Mari Dot.

An own root gallon of Talisman, Climbing (climbing sport of Talisman) arrived here mid-April from Angel Gardens in Alachua, FL. It gets full sun from 10-4, perched in a pot on stone steps that burn bare feet in the heat of the day. Well branched & ready to flush again for the fifth time this year, there's been nothing whimpy about it. The blooms are surprisingly large for such a young plant, confections of apricot, copper, pink & amber gold with strong rich perfume of fruit & spice. They held a week or more in high heat & humidity before shedding their petals. Very impressed with its clean foliage so far in this no spray garden. Both bush & climbing versions are considered nearly thornless, and this one's shown no thorns as yet, another plus for placement & especially appreciated in a climber. Loving this one!

Mark Sullivan was a very nice addition to the group when I grew him in Newhall. I read the marvelous descriptions of the possible colors but always saw "buff" due to the sun and heat intensities until one mild, wet, cool spring when those tremendous tones were vibrantly expressed. For the type, he was healthy, vigorous and productive own root there.

I don't know whether it is still there, but I found, years ago, a still-healthy 'Talisman' growing on one of the graves in the old Placerville Union Cemetery. I thought then, and still do, that it was a perfect rose to plant in memory of someone loved and lost. And despite years of neglect, it was still pretty healthy when I saw it there.

Ok I've been persuaded, I think I'll add a Talisman too! There is an amazing picture of a little boy with a very large Talisman on HMF, it's lovely!

Lux, I really like Etoile de Feu but now I can't find it in Australia, will keep looking.

I don't think Gruss An Coburg is available here either.

Sadly I think you are right, I had the horrible realisation that I was reading an outdated catalogue! Doesn't look like Ville de Paris or Heinrich Wendland are available anymore either.

Got a couple of pics of Talisman before it totally blew in the hot weather today

Your roses are beautiful, Ingrid. I love Souvenir du President Carnot and had it on order for the last 2 years, but unfortunately the crop failed so no SdPC.... :-( . I shall have to console myself by looking at your photos.

Sorry to hear about the canker, Ingrid, but thank you for the beautiful pictures.

Captain Christy and Mme Moser both look pretty, has anyone grown them?