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oldrosarian

Do you have a favourite rose hybridizer?

oldrosarian
8 years ago

After growing many roses for many years, I have made a list on how certain rose breeders do in my PNW garden. Do you have a favourite rose breeder?

Kordes is at the top of the list. Sturdy plants, vigorous growth and few disease problems. Kordes is also getting more character into their rose flowers in the last ten years.

Poulsen for the smaller rose plants. No disease and many blooms.

Harkness love the beauty of his flowers but the plants are prima donnas lots of BS

Meilland loved his Romantica Series but I found many to not be disease free.Found he didn't worry about the roses getting BS

Carruth's roses are not happy in my garden

Zary's roses do very well and have character

Fryers are a hit and a miss when good are very good

Boerners climbers have beauty in them and are reasonable disease free.

David Austins grow very well if bought from a rose nursery or they are disease prone.

When I grew the Austins years ago, I got them from a nursery that imported them from his nursery in England and had no problems.But I have come to believe that where you buy his roses from is very important as to how they grow. They are monsters on Dr. Huey, not so bad on Multiflora and better on Laxa. Own root takes a long time in PNW

McGredy roses in New Zealand hate the PNW , me and my garden



Comments (25)

  • Patty W. zone 5a Illinois
    8 years ago

    I have three Kordes, Ping Lim and William Radler.

    Most of my Kordes and Ping Lim roses grow very well here with great disease resistance.

    William Radler for giving breeders another good reason to breed for health. Wish his roses were a little hardier.

  • rose_crazy_da
    8 years ago

    David
    Austins was My Favourite but after being decimated by JB( in july and August) and loosing allot of them last Spring I’m
    falling out of love with David...I have to say I'm falling in love with
    Kordes these are the ones I got this year .They look extremely healthy to
    point where by they almost look fake..plasticky looking !!!

    Poseidon

    Brother Grim

    Desmond
    tutu

    Grande Amore

    Winter sun

    Lions Fairy
    tale

    Climbing
    Laguna

    Wedding Bells

    Pink
    Enchantment

    Ice berg

    Mother of pearl

    I know there is
    Two more I’m missing can’t remember right now

  • wirosarian_z4b_WI
    8 years ago

    Just a slight variation from Patty W.....Kordes, Ping Lim & Dr. Buck. Agreed, Bill Radler's rose hardiness & vigor in z4 is not good.

  • Lynn-in-TX-Z8b- Austin Area/Hill Country
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    I love many of the roses from French breeders, especially their tea roses, Meilland, and Carruth's roses ( Twilight Zone, Ebb Tide, Memorial Day, Barbara Streisand, Love Song, Moonstone, Julia Child, Neptune, Falling in Love, Grande Dame) .... just to name a few.... I think the vast majority of my modern roses are Carruths...many have been good to stellar roses here.

    Lynn

  • Sara-Ann Z6B OK
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Kordes, Meilland and Carruth roses are the three hybridizers I have the most of, their roses are among my favorites. Overall they are healthy. There are other varieties from all three I would like to have.

  • mustbnuts zone 9 sunset 9
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Ralph Moore, Barni, Austin, Hitoshi Asami, Burling Leong--probably in that order. I am hoping to add Rupert to the list soon!

  • nanadollZ7 SWIdaho
    8 years ago

    I'm going against the general consensus here by saying I don't like any Kordes roses I've grown, and I'm keeping only two because they are unique and difficult to obtain in the U.S. and Canada. Those two are Blue Bayou and Caramel Antique. We don't get fungal diseases here, so that isn't an issue when I choose roses to grow. My favorite hybridizers are David Austin, Tom Carruth, and Hans Jurgen Evers (Tantau). Meilland roses are mostly good in my garden with some exceptions. It's very interesting to read all the variations and similarities in your likes and dislikes. I wouldn't have guessed Kordes would be so popular, but some recent posts have indicated their roses are well liked. Our biggest local rose seller and my favorite nursery doesn't many Kordes roses, either, so I've bought them mainly online and grafted on multiflora. Diane

  • friendssjrosegarden
    8 years ago

    At the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden - "America's Best Rose Garden", we test many varieties and grow many more. Carruth roses have always done well here, Julia Child, Wild Blue Yonder, Memorial Day, Cinco de Mayo, Grand Damé, and even more new varieties coming. And now Christian Bédard is making his mark: Sugar Moon, Pretty Lady Rose, Violet's Pride, Miss Congeniality, fragrance of White Licorice, and many more to come. Meilland comes out with a few winners as well, recently Francis Meilland, Dee-Lish. So many good roses! - Terry Reilly

  • Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
    8 years ago

    I find charm in OGR foliage and delicacy and shape of blooms and naturalistic look and drape and nod. These features are not where the beauty of Kordes roses is found. They can have a strong, bold, healthy look that seems stiff. Probably just "modern" and beautiful in a different way which isn't everyone's favorite.

  • User
    8 years ago

    ...when I first started with roses, it was always Kordes...'Lavender Lassie'...'Iceberg'..'Korresia'...'Erfurt'...

    ...now I care less who the breeder is, more that the rose has to appeal to me in some way....although David Austin knows a trick or two....

    ...those associated with 19thC Lyon always interest me too...

  • diane_nj 6b/7a
    8 years ago

    Kordes, David Clemons, and my rose mentors, Frank Benardella, and Betty Jolly.

  • oldrosarian
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Marinades you are absolutely correct about comparing the different classifications of Kordes roses.You can't compare any breeders different classifications. I should have made it clear that I was comparing the breeders modern roses. Thanks for pointing that out.

  • trospero
    8 years ago

    Felicitas Svejda.

    Its funny to hear people talk of Radler as if he invented disease-free roses, and yet Dr. Svejda made immense contributions in this area. Add USDA Zone 3 hardiness to the list of her accomplishments while you're at it.

  • Lynn-in-TX-Z8b- Austin Area/Hill Country
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    I deleted Tantau (specifically Hans Jurgen Evers) from my post because so many of his beauties, many that are part of my wish list, are not available here. I love my Astrid Grafin von Hardenberg :)

    "I don't trust Meilland or McGredy Roses in general as I believe they were bred for warmer climates". Marianesse, that is why I like the Meillands:) These communications are why threads like this can be so useful. You helped to, in part, validate my assumptions/ ideas regarding some of these roses.

    Lynn

  • oldrosarian
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Just on principal I wouldn't have a Radler rose in my garden. His genius at commercial advertising was what pushed the Knock Out roses.

  • SoFL Rose z10
    8 years ago

    My favorites seem to be Delbard, Austin and Mediland. Kords is also up there with their disease resistance, but not all of them perform well here. I am mostly interested in the "romantica" style roses but disease resistance is probably my most important factor. delbards seem to do well for me so It's on my top list but I adore the Austins!!

  • Patty W. zone 5a Illinois
    8 years ago

    Certainly Radler certainly did not invent disease free roses. It certainly did help push things in that direction. As hybridizers watched him making huge amounts of cash with a fairly unsophisticated rose.

    I know the Parkland and Explorer roses were a disappointment too many of the breeders. They were not tested rigorously enough and many were susceptible black spot. The work that they are doing now is to be highly commended. I'm buying them when I can find them. The two that I have Emily and Campfire are wonderful roses here. Of the Svejda that I grew J P Connell, John Davis, Champlain, Henry Hudson, Louis Joliet, John Franklin and William Baffin. Only Henry Hudson and John Franklin could be grown no spray. Had many of many Parkland and Explorer roses that were shovel prune for black spot.

    Had I a crystal ball I'd have known that I would go no spray. Thats the way it goes. In the beginning Paul most of my rose purchased were based upon your advice on Old Roses and beyond. Then I'd look up their hardiness if good to my zone I purchased them. By the way I loved your articles and stories. The roses however are all gone they could not be grown here as no spray rose. I believe to spray or not is a personal choice. I could not do it any more and made a commitment to be more environmentally friendly. I did have all of your beautiful roses that were hardy here. I'm sorry to say that I could not grow them here without spray. I'm sure that others can in drier or hotter environments. So sad

    I'm sorry this was OT.

  • dan8_gw (Northern California Zone 9A)
    8 years ago

    It's most often the Meilland roses that I am after, for no other reason really other than that I always find them to be the most interesting and beautiful.

  • fragrancenutter
    8 years ago

    I prefer the heavily scented roses of Meilland and Carruth. Although Kordes roses generally have the best HT shape and lasting qualities.

  • braverichard (6a, North MO)
    8 years ago

    I wouldn't quite call Knock Out roses "fairly unsophisticated" as they brought together many "bests" from different roses. Have you seen the parentage of the plants? It is quite involving in terms of how many crosses Radler did to get there. He just couldn't nail down fragrance. But when it comes to a superb landscape plant that doesn't grow too big and has a great growth pattern, bullet proof disease resistance, self cleaning, great vigor, nice blooms, etc, he really did knock it out the park. Sounds like sophisticated to me.

  • Dmitriy Kapustin
    3 years ago

    I love beautiful roses David Austin.



  • Diane Brakefield
    3 years ago

    I love the roses Hans Jurgen Evers hybridized, especially, Augusta Luise. I also love many of Tom Carruth's roses, especially, Julia Child, Love Song, Twilight Zone, and Ebb Tide. And, of course, there are many David Austin roses that are my favorites. Diane

  • noseometer...(7A, SZ10, Albuquerque)
    3 years ago

    I admit to being a David Austin fan, although I certainly don't like all DA roses. But there are few other roses that have the combination of full flower form (preferably quartered, and/or cupped), fragrance, repeat blooms, graceful bush shape, good flower carriage and attractive leaves. I've tried a number that have beautiful flower form but stiff growth habits, and they just don't do it for me. If I could find other roses that have all that I'm looking for and grow well in this climate, I would happily get them. Haven't found them yet and I've thrown out many, many roses, including Austins.

  • BenT (NorCal 9B Sunset 14)
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I‘m really finding the Carruth/Bedard to be exceptional varieites., offering excellent vigor, decent disease resistance, extreme bloom power with attractive color , form, many are heavily perfumed. They are some super roses that have it all.



    Perfume Factory


    Fun in the Sun

    I like the Meillands, old and new



    Old Meilland: Maria Callas is a still a stunner of a rose, so pure and perfect, and a profuse bloomer if kept healthy.



    New Meilland: Liv Tyler looks like a peony, smells like a whole bushel of ripe apricots.

    Swim roses of the 60s and 70s remain a favorite, Double Delight below:



    Zary has an impressive resume too



    PJPII is a perfect white



    Veteran’s Honor is like having Valentine’s Day in April.



    Some of the newer trends have proved rather disappointing.

    David Austin: Mostly not bred for my climate, their wimpy petals don’t stand up here. There are a few exceptions that I like very much

    Kordes: I call them Koarse roses, many are huge vegatative plants with coarse blooms. Some of them are good, but I can’;t think of a single modern Kordes that I absolutely must have.


    And finally, let the axe (or shovel) fall:

    Radler: Evil KnockOut Empire. A drift of Sunny Knockout looks identical to soiled kleenex strewn along the highway. Not a look I’m after, but to each his own. This overpromoted group of overzealous shrubs has wiped out the diversity of rose culture while simultaneously spreading the specter of RRD to suburban and urban areas. Should be criminal.

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