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San Jose Heritage Rose Garden visit; and, What rose is this?

7 years ago

Rose mavens,

Last week, I made my first-ever visit to the San Jose Heritage Rose Garden. Let me say, WOW. Even at this time of summer, it was a revelation. I spent four or five hours visiting with the roses. I fell in love with an awful lot of roses . . . and can't wait to go again and especially next spring for the big blooming of the old roses. This was really my first experience of meeting more than just a couple of old roses--unbelievable beauty and perfume--sigh!

I found one lovely rose (photo below) without a label. It was just around the corner from the gorgeous and amazingly fragrant Portland from Glendora--the one that's at the end of the row (I think row 10). I'm sure many of you could ID this rose in a flash; please enlighten me! Lovely sweet scent, petals that looked so sheer and delicate, and gorgeous form. Small, maybe 3' tall. (I looked over the SJHRG rose listing on the website, trying to find something likely planted in the general vicinity, and my best guess is Mlle. Blanche Lafitte, but I am a total beginner at roses.)

1. What is this rose?:

And here are a few other photos I took that day:

2. Portland from Glendora (drool!):

I took some pix and can't now recall who they are--I was overwhelmed! (These were all clearly labeled.)

3.:

4.:

5. Hips of -- whom?:

6.:

I admired this "found" rose, "Corner, Church & Main." I photographed the sign as a reminder, and, I thought, the rose; possibly the rose above is this rose? (Some of my pix didn't come out and were deleted.) I also thought this was the loveliest dedication I saw at the garden.:

Sheba

Featured Answer

jill_perry_gw

7 years ago

I think we have one plant of it available. Maybe next year, I'll try to grow a few more.

I can also put it on Helpmefind.

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Comments (8)

modestgoddess z6 OH
7 years ago
Such a lovely dedication
Jill Perry
7 years ago
The first one is "Keith's Bourbon-Noisette". I took a nearly identical photo of that cluster on Saturday, and just posted it to my Facebook page. We haven't gotten a label on that one yet, but it's one I found at a friend's Victorian house in Santa Cruz. I've grown it at my house for years, but it's much happier in the San Jose climate than in our fog. Number 3 is probably General Schablikine, but I don't know if that's what it's labeled. It's a found rose and may still have the label with the found name (which might be "Second Street Tea"). If number 5 was near the center of the garden, it's Signe Relander.
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Dara McKay
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In the garden at Sangerhausen, I observed Roger Phillips and Martin Rix in separate rows photographing roses. From them I learned to snap a pix of the rose, then lower oneself and lens down for a clear shot of the name plate. For some photographers the method is routine and no big deal; I am happy to have learned from two great rose photography masters.
jill_perry_gw
7 years ago
I usually take a pic of the sign first. Not all our roses have signs, so then I write down the location and take a pic of that. The park website (GRPG.org) has an online database, so the location can be searched to find out what the rose is. By the way, for Keith's BN, Mlle Blanche Lafitte is a good guess. Not correct, but in the same group of roses. I've looked at every bourbon-noisette I've come across looking for a match, but so far, no luck.
romogen
7 years ago
Jill Perry: when's the next pruning day you need volunteers?
Jill Perry
7 years ago
We do regular pruning in January and February. There are some overgrown roses in various parts of the garden right now that can use an experienced person to get them down to a reasonable size, so if you can't wait till January... Our workdays are Wednesday and Saturday mornings, 8:30 to 11:30, but I'm usually only there Saturdays.
shebabee
Original Author
7 years ago
Jill, thank you so much for your reply. That "Keith's B-N" is one beautiful little rose. I didn't find it on HMF--will it appear there? I assume it is not available at all (yet)? I can only imagine what it must feel like to discover an unknown old rose--and such a lovely, fragrant one, wow.

I was very taken with General Schablikine, so #3 is probably him. I wasn't really intending to take photos, and I normally would have been more careful about snapping pix of the IDs, but I was so overwhelmed by the roses, also the heat!, and I just kept drifting around, often in circles, just drawn to the next beauty that caught my eye. There were some roses that I ended up visiting numerous times, zigzagging around the garden.

I look forward to another visit and can't wait to see the spring bloom next year.

Sheba

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