Firefighter vs Dark Desire
needmoremulch
6 years ago
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Moses, Pittsburgh, W. PA., zone 5/6, USA
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoneedmoremulch thanked Moses, Pittsburgh, W. PA., zone 5/6, USARelated Discussions
Dark Desire suprises
Comments (68)Thanks, Chris, for your insight. To clarify -- the rabbit nibbles on MA would have happened in January -- but I didn't see any evidence of nibbles on that one (I did on a couple of other rose bushes, so I had put little fences around them -- looks very strange! I was just being careful with MA because it was so small and vulnerable looking. Both MA and DD when purchased last year were tiny. I know Otto & S. have a great reputation -- but my experience has not been ideal, frankly. When I first called them 2 years ago, they were emphatic that they do not sell bare root roses. So you buy a 5-gal rose and you pay for a 5-gal rose. So when I purchased non Kordes roses from them 2 years ago, I was super annoyed when I turned the pot upside down, and all the dirt came out, leaving me with a... wait for it ... bare root rose! Which I then planted. But because it was not rooted out and got planted past bare root season, it really suffered when the heat came. It is only now starting to look good (Black Cherry Floribunda). Then last year I got these tiny little rose bushes, MA and DD, but since MA put out some nice blooms, of course she got another year. The DD just never thrived. I've been growing roses for about 25 years, so I'm not a total beginner. I think I've had one bare-root rose just die on me. I had some little bands die on me several years ago, but that was because the person who was supposed to water for me when I was gone for a month had different ideas about what that meant. All this to say -- the DD & MA have been protected this year from the voracious rabbits -- and they both look healthy -- but they are both teeny tiny. The new DD (just planted a month ago) has new growth -- but not very upright. They are somewhat near each other - sharing a bed with three David Austins, a floribunda, and a grandiflora. No, they're not too close together. There are annuals around, but I've carefully kept them away from MA & DD so that they are not shaded by the annuals. I will keep them this year to see what they do. Maybe they're just late starters. Maybe Otto & Sons sold them too early. Maybe they don't like my climate (Santa Barbara in the hills, about 2 miles as crow files from ocean - lots of oaks nearby, but none in the area the roses are planted in). Have you heard anything about how they do on the central coast of CA? You're right - the DD definitely had not filled the pot with roots, though I don't think one month would have made a huge difference. Carol - they get one year. If they've not done anything by January of 2019, they'll be given to someone else. And watch -- they'll probably turn into spectacular roses elsewhere!!! Chris - where are you these days? I seem to recall that you used to be the N. America rep for Kordes, but then another company stepped in? Or am I hallucinating? P.s. I don't want to say bad things about Otto & Sons. I love their rose fields, and the DA I bought last month (Thomas a Becket) is looking gorgeous and is full of buds......See MoreIs this balling on Dark Desire?
Comments (7)My DD looks somewhat like yours as soon as the blooms get to the exhibition stage, but mine are not shriveled. The outer most petals turn the color brown, but are not dried up. I'm going to wait and see what the future brings since mine is just comp!eting its first year in the garden, planted as a gallon own root from Chamblee's. So far I am not impressed with DD. It has bloomed quite a bit, but has only gotten one foot high. Every flower has prominent white stripes running up the middle of about half the bloom's petals. Hope it grows out of this habit and the outer petals turning the color brown when the flowers unfold. Its fragrance is great though, and hasn' t gotten any black spot in spite of growing under heavy black spot pressure in my garden. I have not had any balling up issues with Dark Desire....See MoreDark Desire vs. The Prince
Comments (11)Vavporvac - I would love to see your Barcelona pics! I looked it up on HMF and it's beautiful, but very red? Thank you! Nanadoll - Big Purple does look magenta, but it is a gorgeous rose! Thank you! It's very hard with pictures to capture the actual color of red/purple/pink roses. Unless someone says this rose is true to the color of the photo. The other consideration is my garden is about 50 feet from the house so I am inclined to use bolder colors just to be able to see it. The pastel pinks, while beautiful, have to be used sparingly only to be viewed while in the garden, otherwise they just look white from the house. Thank you both for your suggestions!...See MoreDark Desire is gorgeous!
Comments (14)Sara, which Zone are you in? How do you over winter it? Do you protect it? Is it on it's own roots or grafted? THIS IS MY FAVORITE ROSE, next to the Madame Annisette. I had mine for two years until we got the very cold rains the whole month on May and it rotted the crown of mine out. I was never so depressed. It was a vigorous rose until this stinking weather did it in. I ordered another from a sweet lady after searching for two weeks to find out everyone else was not taking any more orders. 78 dollars later, it still sits in a container waiting to be potted into the ground. I am so scared to do that just yet. NOt sure if I should leave it in a pot or what? It is the most beautiful and fragramt rose I ever grew. Almso black buds, velvety feeling, and very very fragrant! Nice job on yours Sara....See MoreBenT (NorCal 9B Sunset 14)
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoSara-Ann Z6B OK
6 years agoctgardenguy (Zone 6)
6 years agoneedmoremulch
6 years agobcroselover
5 years agoBenT (NorCal 9B Sunset 14)
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoKristine LeGault 8a pnw
5 years agoVaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agodianela7analabama
5 years agoVaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley
5 years agodianela7analabama
5 years agoVaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley
5 years agodianela7analabama
5 years agochuckurso1
2 years agoBenT (NorCal 9B Sunset 14)
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agochuckurso1
2 years agosautesmom Sacramento
2 years agodianela7analabama
2 years agochuckurso1
2 years agochuckurso1
2 years agodianela7analabama
2 years agochuckurso1
2 years agochuckurso1
2 years agochuckurso1
2 years agobcroselover
2 years agochuckurso1
2 years agodianela7analabama
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2 years agobcroselover
2 years agochuckurso1
2 years agojc_7a_MiddleTN
2 years agoChris Martins Zone6a Chicago
2 years agobcroselover
2 years agoVaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley
2 years agoSunny Mississippi 8a
2 years agosummercloud -- NC zone 7b
2 years agoVaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley
2 years agolast modified: 2 years ago
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