I don't have a photo, I didn't own a camera on the month that the man brought me the incredibly large rose blossom. I've compared it to every thing I've ever seen blooming at vintage gardens home garden and at san jose heritage rose garden, and my journal notes about exceptional roses, and no description or image comes close to it. From its shape and style of bloom it appears to have a strong H.P. influence. One blossom has a great weight, for a rose blossom, a hardball baseball came to my mind when it was in my palm. The little scrap of foliage on the cutting the man brought me appeared somewhat typical for a H.T. but these were only 3 leaflet leaves. I would guess from those traits listed above that it could be a first or second generation Hybrid Tea. I would think that it would have been bred in a warm climate because it only opens fully in 80+ degree weather No Identification yet, as of March 9th, 2011. I would guess that in the modern age since patenting that such a rose would not have a great commercial value, because of the limitation from its requirement of heat to fully open, I've been looking among H.T.s that were introduced between the 1860's through the 1940's for an identification, to begin with. I've moved since getting the rose blossom and haven't seen the man who owns the rosebush since, but it is still on my mind. thanks all, Luxrosa

Ah, Champlain I know, and I hope this one is as tough! The colors are like Champlain, but the petals aren't as tidy when the buds open. They're sort of wavy, if that makes any sense. I need to find some time to rifle through my rose book and see if I can find something to help me describe it. Thanks though! At least it's a fun mystery.

Cecelia - We need to hook up! : ) Have you tried to find any other John Cook roses? Of his 24 or so roses it seems like Radiance and her sports and Enchantress(e) at ARE are the only ones not "extinct". I made DH drive while I peered in yards and weeds where John Cook lived and where he supposedly landscaped the yards of some of the big, old homes in Baltimore hoping to discover some of his roses, but all I got was depressed. : ) Linked below is a bit of info about a garden planted with John Cook's roses in 1941 which was later moved to Druid Hill, Balt. in 1989. There are gardens planted by the zoo in Druid Hill but the woman I spoke with said all the Cook roses died and they just have a few OGR's there now. Sad. Regarding fragrance... Lady Mary Fitzwilliam, Mrs. Wakefield Christie-Miller and Betty Uprichard all are supposedly fragrant. I smelled my rose the other day and there is a fragrance, but it is light and perhaps a bit sweet, but most often it smells of black pepper. My nose is used to smelling roses known for their fragrance so perhaps I'm expecting too much. Good luck getting cuttings from the old rose, I'd love to see some pics of it. Here is a link that might be useful: John Cook info

thanks for the advice :) and yes, i want to post more pictures, but my husband's out of town and he took the camera with him- otherwise i'd be out there taking more right now :) these are just the ones i already had on my computer. Liebeszauber's pics on HMF are similar, although i need to go out and see; that particular unfurling look to the center seems a bit different than mine. and alec's red is listed as strongly scented, which this rose definitely is not. but i'm determined to figure it out :) thanks for the help!