Cynthia,

Gardens Alive Farms, the mega commercial nursery is growing/wholesaling 10 Smooth Touch Roses. The big selling point of this line is their thornless-ness, but for me it is the reported fragrance of some roses in the line.

These 4 roses: Smooth Angel, Smooth Moonlight, Smooth Satin, and Smooth Prince, are of special interest to me because they are said to be very fragrant. They also, going by the photos on Gardens Alive Farms web site, are good looking blooms, at least at the exhibition stage.

What puzzles me is it seems the Smooth Touch Roses line has been around a while, but very little info is available on them. Since I am always on the lookout for a good growing, fragrant rose, hence my interest in them.

Marketing of them by GAF, has been through the big box stores: Sam's Club, Home Depot, and Lowe's. I understand this has gone on for a number of years now. GAF also grows and markets: Knockouts, Flower Carpets, Drifts, Forever & Evers, some JPs, and older, out of patent roses.

I don't get out to the big boxes, not being very ambulatory, and know very little about the roses I named above. I was hoping some of our Roses Forum members who have had some experience with them could give me a reason to pursue them further or shelve my interest.

Moses do you know an online place for them? I've seen a few at Lowes and have only had the lavender one. Judy

I bought a pink one from Lowes 2 years ago, it just came with one Smooth Touch Rose tag, don't remember seeing other name tag on the rose. It's not a big rose since growing under pine trees, will pay more attention this year.

Moses, I only have Smooth Lady, which you didn't mention. But I'll tell you about it anyway, lol. I got it last Spring from Lowe's for around $5 on clearance. I didn't really expect much, even though it was a good looking plant. But it grew like gangbusters. It was in a 3 gallon pot, and I potted it up to a 15 gallon. Now it's at least five feet above the pot, multiple canes in a spreading shape, and it's trying to push fresh basals (it's still in the garage). The color of the blooms is a bit "meh", an average warm pink self with little life/highlight to it. But the form is good, high-centered and full. It is definitely a grower, very healthy, and it was a fairly consistent bloomer; I'd say more continual bloom than flushes, though it did put on a good show in the Fall. If all my roses grew like this one I'd be one happy gardener.

Oh, and it's 100% thornless. Nary a one. Not even a prickle.

John

Now my curiosity is getting a work over!

John, do you detect a fragrance on SMOOTH LADY?

http://smoothtouchroses.com/

Here is a link to their website. Wholesale only, I am afraid.

They were developed in Orinda, CA.

Moses, I honestly don't recall the fragrance. It must not have been knock-your-socks off, or I'd remember. I'll try to check it out when it blooms, which shouldn't be too long, as precocious as it's proving. Also, I can't speak to its hardiness, since it spent the winter in the garage, lol.

OOOO, Smooth Ballerina! Also, Smooth Angel and Smooth Moonlight!

I had one of the "Smooth" roses back in the 90s. I planted it at my mom's house yrs ago. I took this picture last yr in early April with my old cell phone, so it's not all that clear. I always thought it was SMOOTH ANGEL... but I'm not so sure. It might be more likely SMOOTH PERFUME. It's more pink-y than apricot. I got cuttings of what I believe is the correct plant that this picture was taken of before we sold her house the end of the yr. It appears that some of the cuttings have rooted, but I'm not completely sure yet. And hopefully.... it was the right plant that I took the cuttings from. But I think it was because the others nearby, other than SPICE TWICE, had gone to rootstock. I guess only time will tell...huh?

SMOOTH ?

Bethnorcal,

Thanks for the input and photo.

That's a nice looking flower. It appears to have a subtle light lavender shading. Any idea on its fragrance? There are ten (10), different SMOOTH TOUCH roses of which I am aware. It shouldn't be too hard to figure out which one your lovely rose is. I'll see what I can find out.

OMG I have no idea on fragrance! I just happened to be visiting Mom a few months before she passed, and saw it blooming so took a pic. I don't think it had bloomed much over the yrs. My dad was a tightwad and wouldn't let Mom water hardly at all. Their lawn was always brown by summertime. When my niece moved in yrs ago after he passed away, she kinda kept the flowerbed cleaned up and watered, so the few roses that remained began to perk up a little. Most had died back to rootstock tho. Except for this one and my massive SPICE TWICE rose that had been a test rose back in the 90s. I gave Mom a bunch of my roses when we still lived in the mobile home park because I ran out of room and was trying new roses. I always knew I could come back and get cuttings. I just wish I could remember the name of this one. All I know is it was a "Smooth" rose! This pic is awful. It looks like the rose is more of a lavender-pink on white, but as I recall, I believe it might've had a little faint bit of either yellow or apricot in the center. And seriously... I seem to remember the name being SMOOTH ANGEL. But I just don't know. I certainly hope at least some of the cuttings I took will survive and possibly bloom this yr so I can see what it is. I'm sure the new owners would let me come and get more cuttings. They were next-door-neighbors.

Here are some pictures of Smooth Angel. I bought mine from Regan Nursery about 10 years ago. It's an odd shape for a hybrid tea, only about 2 feet tall but 3 or 4 feet wide. I can't tell you anything about the fragrance because I never stoop down that low to smell a rose.

I just discovered that Amazon has 7 (seven), Smooth Touch Roses for sale at $12.95 ea. plus $6.90 shipping. They are in tiny liners, possibly tissue cultured.

They are:

Smooth Ballerina

Smooth Buttercup

Smooth Delight

Smooth Lady

Smooth Moonlight

Smooth Prince

Smooth Queen

I may give Smooth Moonlight a try. Its fragrance is said to be strong at HMFR. Lavender rose syndrome, aka. weak grower and not very winter hardy may be its characteristics.... but nothing ventured, nothing gained. For about $20.00 it won't be a great loss if it is a dud.

Moses

Please let us know how it does for you.

Wow, I didn't get back to this to see your gorgeous pics Zuzu! You need to put those on HMF!

Moses, thanks for the heads up. I was going to order a bunch of them from Amazon, but decided to look at the vendor's website. SMOOTH MOONLIGHT is on sale for $10.95. Shipping ends up being a little bit cheaper too. They've sold out of several of the SMOOTH roses. I'm going to just order MOONLIGHT, LADY, BALLERINA and DELIGHT. BUTTERCUP is gorgeous, but they just sold out of it. I just hope these aren't going to be chopped up, dried out plants. Worth it to give a try tho. If they're good, next yr I'll try to get a couple others that are sold out now.
Easy to Grow Bulbs Smooth Touch Roses

Thanks, Beth. I stopped posting pictures on HMF years ago because I'd always get requests, which were more like demands, from some people for cuttings afterward. I should start doing it again.

CORRECTION!

The size listed on Amazon is 1 1/2 year old, bare root, not tiny liners that I posted in my heads up yesterday concerning Amazon selling the Smooth Touch Roses. I'm sorry for any problems I caused you.

I went ahead and ordered MOONLIGHT from Amazon.

Thanks, Bethnorcal, for your post where you advised us of a lower price if bought straight from the vendor. The extra bucks I paid through Amazon is my insurance policy. My experience with Amazon, as a customer for several years with them now, is that the customer is almost always right.

Moses

Yeah, Moses I thought about that too, but I figured why not just order from the vendor directly. The shipping was a few buck less too. They have some really cool plants on there. Gorgeous passionflowers and some interesting amorphofallous (sp?) bulbs. I considered ordering some of those, but I just have too much going on as it is. The roses are enough. LOL

Zuzu I hope you do put more of your pics on HMF. Your photography is wonderful! I know what you mean about people wanting cuttings tho. I get quite a lot of that too.