We need pictures when they all bloom!

In our warm climate, the own root OGRs don't sucker much, as they are chinas and teas and noisettes and hybrid giganticas. I do have some hybrid perpetuals which sucker, interestingly, but they are few and far between.

Jackie

Jackie

Another trick is to put thugs together and let them duke it out. I sowed seed of Hesperis among my Gallicas, and am slowly adding Japanese anemones in between.

:-)

~Christopher

I've used Carol's trick when planting large numbers of cuttings in beds: alternating roses of different foliage types so as to reduce later confusion. I also have the problem of suckering from roses of similar types to deal with; currently the big thug down in the bottom garden is 'Pink Leda', which is growing with a number of other Damasks. I flagged its suckers last June when it was in bloom, then dug them out this winter. I also approve of Christopher's strategy.

I like the linearity of paved areas such as wide paths to create a sense of control and separation, but within the planted areas I like informality. I have no thugs and nothing that suckers so I can't really add anything useful. I've always been very fond of straight lines in counterpoint to the softness of billowing roses which seems to be a Mediterranean concept that has also been borrowed by the English. It makes everything seem more manageable and contained, which is a great help with my wimpy energy level. I can work in one area which is not that large and feel a sense of accomplishment even though I haven't done that much. Then on to the next area when I'm able and so gradually the whole is manageable, although it will always be far from perfect. I've discarded any notion of perfection some time ago and acceptance has made my life easier.

I've had no success planting Gallicas within shouting distance from other roses. My fault for not staying on top of the suckering. I knew nothing about Gallicas and suckering 20 years ago when I planted Chas de Mills. He was coming up under my other roses at such a pace he could easily choke them out in a season. He only bloomed about 2 weeks and began to have powdery mildew all summer. I've been digging him and his off spring out since last spring. The main roots go to China. Getting rid of such a rose by digging is impossible. I realize I'm going to have to use chemicals to get rid of him in my no spray garden. I left roots exposed over this exceptionally severe winter, but what's left of him is sprouting new growth faster than I can pull them out. I'm about ready to cry uncle. Erinnerung an Brod is my substitute for CdM. Similar blooms for a longer period and no suckering.

I hear you, Flowers! If I ever decide to grow Charles again, it will be in a giant nursery pot. I think he's the biggest bully of all.

Other Gallicas have been much tamer for me, although still quite assertive. I find that their degree of pushiness varies by cultivar and with soil type and climate. However, I will be punished by all my Gallicas (except some of Paul Barden's) if I don't stay on top of them every year. All heck breaks loose if I skip a year or two of shoveling rogue canes.

I wish I could squeeze a backhoe into my side yard. I have to remove R gallica Officinalis and Indigo (that rambling Portland) to make room for an air conditioner. (We finally caved and are installing central air.)

Good luck battling Charles! Carol

Appreciated, Carol. Misery loves company! Good for you, though, getting AC. You'll be so happy to have it when the temps rise this summer. Back when I planted Charlie, I didn't know about suckering. I would forget to prune him after he bloomed, and knew not to prune him in the spring, so I never really saw what was going on under the foliage until there were hundreds of babies. Embarrassing to admit how naive I was. Yes, I think he is the worst of the lot.

Speaking of surprise suckering, I found one on my potted 'Nigrette' last year, and dug it out early this Spring. I potted it up, it grew, and I gifted it to a coworker a week or two ago.

:-)

~Christopher

I hope the receiver takes good care of the little treasure, Christopher.

She is -- it's her new little pet. Today I gave her an extra 'Sunshine' I had as well. I'm infecting her with the rose bug.

:-P

~Christopher

At one point I had three plants of 'Nigrette' from cuttings; I lost two of them because of impossible conditions. The last plant survived an awful position for some years before I lifted it to grow back to strength in the propagation beds. I need to start some new plants. On HMF one gardener was of the opinion that 'Nigrette' though a small slight plant was actually quite tough, and this is my appraisal as well. It has wonderful color and fragrance and is a completely desirable little rose.

rbehs, how is September Morn doing for you? You say it's not such a strong grower? I've wanted this one for a very long time. I wonder if our climates are very similar? I'm in zone 10a, inland San Diego County. It's such a beautiful rose, but often hard to find. Lisa

I'm guessing my 10a is cooler than yours. I'm on a slope above SF Bay, so most summer mornings are foggy. That burns off before noon, and the highs are usually in the mid-70s. With that weather on its own roots, September Morn has been a slow grower, and sometimes the flowers ball. Mine is three and half years old.

But something funny happened a couple weeks ago. During a windstorm, a Ribes sanguineum flopped on top of September Morn. I've been meaning to prune the Ribes back, but I noticed this week that it caused September Morn to have a growth spurt to get back into the sun:

That may also be what caused it to send up the lone sucker, too.

Speaking of Charles de Mills: his growth is restrained in my garden by the location: he is planted between the edge of a swampy area (heavy seasonal flooding) and deep evergreen shade. The clump rambles about a bit, but has never gone too far -- in twenty years the clump has never gotten bigger than about eight feet around. The rabbits too help maintain its spacing :)

Sunny

I was thinking that where there were lots of rabbits and voles suckering might be a plus -- maybe.