I'm really pleased Duchesse de Rohan has rebloomed so well during its first year in the ground - and during a hot, dry summer here in Portland, at that!

I received it in early spring of last year from Greenmantle. It was a tiny slip of a plant - just a couple short slender canes with some signs of growth beginning to swell near the roots. I kept it in a 3 gallon pot last summer and coaxed a a couple of large, gorgeous blooms from it in the early summer, but it decided to focus on green growth for the rest of the summer.

In the end, the wait was worth it. I planted it out in the garden this May before leaving on vacation for a few weeks and returned to find it covered in bloom. I mean, it was still a tiny plant, so it was "covered" by only approximately 20 blooms. But she made a good effort!

I knew her reputation for stingy rebloom, and it was still such a young plant, I didn't hope for much more than green leaves instead of damask crud for the rest of the summer...but the Duchesse had a surprise up her sleeve. A couple of weeks ago she produced several nice blooms, and now she's doing it again. Not what I'd call a flush, but a smattering of lovely, fragrant blooms here and there...and no crud in sight, yet!