They have been pushing it a lot lately and it too caught my eye. It says nothing about its disease resistance though so I'm afraid it will be a poor performer for me as I have too much disease pressure here for rose that are not naturally resistant.

SoFL Rose,

You know, I thought of that too. HMFR lists as being bred by Anne Cocker, Scotland, and introduced in 1992 (during the waning years of the hybrid tea reign in rosedom). I suspect it is cut out of the same black spot vulnerability and lack of winter hardiness mold as most HTs of that era were.

Most fragrant roses, even today, are BS prone and winter tender, except for the newer Kordes fragrant rose releases. I am used to accepting a spray and winter protect agenda with my fragrant roses anyway.

The bloom really intrigues me.

Moses

I have seven Amazing Grace. I had just put three in the ground and sure enough, abnormally cold ice storm (6 degrees) for our area, followed by a record setting warm February, and then a particularly mild spring and summer, not as hot as usual. One died to the ground but came back, now at three feet compared to the others at four.

I was afraid that they would be stingy based on other reviews but as long as they have tons of water, they are constantly blooming, usually with a very strong nice fragrance. In our high humidity, they have a tendency to ball and be slow to open though.

But they have been much better lately and the blooms are big with a pretty color that doesn't fade too much.

If they don't get enough water, they will blackspot a bit but keep on blooming. I started watering heavier and that was the end of that.

Now for the bad news! I don't know if this will change when they get older, but so far, they are so disappointing in the vase as the lovely blooms shrivel up to a fraction of their size. The dried bloom still has a nice scent so might be good for potpourri.

My are own-root in sandy soil and alfalfa compost, no-spray.

Cori-Ann in her dry climate reports that she doesn't have the problem with balling that mine have in high humidity. She also has extremely fertile soil so perhaps that gives them that extra uumph that they don't have here to fully open sometimes.

Mine are all loaded in blooms today and I like them very much!

Leavenderlace,

Balling up in high humidity and shriveling when vased up? Am I headed for a disappointment? It is hot and humid here during the summer.

Slow to open? Do the flowers eventually open and look clean, it just takes longer for them to open fully? Or do they mush up/dirty up and never open properly and look ugly during the process of trying to?

What say you, please? You definitely have the inside scoop on Amazing Grace with growing seven bushes.

Moses

Well, I don't want lead you astray!

I did have some that refused to open earlier this year but keep in mind that they are young and that might have something to do with it. Sometimes, I would just try to peel them open because it was frustrating to have them rot and this would actually work.

Today, I look outside and all have big open blooms on them and have a wonderful scent. They are quite attractive and I understand what you mean about the flat ones since I also have Savannah (whose blooms changed for me in the spring by the way!).

I'll cut some new ones and see if they do any better in the vase. I have four that I left in pots because if they never work in the vase, it will affect where I plant them. So the verdict is out but I'm going to need to make a decision very soon!

The good thing is that HMF reviews listed her as stingy, but I've found her to be very generous, especially considering how young they are. But the big blooms need a lot of water, at least when young!

Oh. thought of something else! Keep in mind that this is in my climate, soil, and with my nose, but her scent reminds me the most of Sharifa Asma, who also shrivels in the vase for me but has a wonderful fragrance. Is this a fragrance that you like?

Just checked on my new vase of AG and they are already shrinking as I write this. Perhaps I'm low in a mineral like potassium or something that they need more of? These are the only two roses that shrivel like this for me. I threw in some banana peels a couple of weeks ago to see if it would help.

I won't be able to help with Amazing Grace, but I just love the comparison of flat roses to discus fish. I also find Savannah especially flat, but the fish it reminds of is salmon croquettes! Someone else said the scent of Beverly reminds her of hamburger and onions. These Kordes introductions are something else, 'Newflora' indeed, lol.

I do think sometimes Belinda's Dream gets a similar form to what you described for AG, Moses, for example in this picture:

http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=21.37626

LOL on Savannah! She was horribly flat and coral for me last year, started the spring out fluffy and a lovely pink color, and now is back to hard and flat. The scent has always been very good here though. I finally have moved half of mine quite far away where they look fine as a giant landscape bush with the beautiful foliage.

Belinda's Dream has certainly been more consistent here too but she's a lot older. But I do have to say, not quite as special as Amazing Grace when she's on form. When she's balled, the outside petals have opened at least so it doesn't look too bad from a distance.

Lavenderlace and Ben,

Thanks for your input!

I shovel pruned Savannah because of its flat blooms. I couldn't stomach looking at it after a while. The flower color washed out to dead common beige, too. It also was touchy concerning winter hardiness...never came back strong enough in the spring to make much progress.

I had great expectations concerning Belinda's Dream; planted four of them some years ago. In my garden it never got more than 14" tall growth by seasons end; dying to the ground every winter even with protection! They've been gone a while now. So much for her Earth Kind designation, as far as my garden conditions go.

BTW, Carefree Beauty black spotted here with the best of them. The several I had great hopes for are gone long ago. Every garden is different.

The factors that make or break a rose around here are typical of the North East: hot, humid summers; cold, rose killing winters, and heavy, clay soil.

In addition, I garden about 80 miles south of the snow belt. The insulating benefits of snow cover as well as freezing and thawing, come and go all winter here, creating havoc. My USDA designation as zone 6b does not take into account the hit or miss snow cover, and unpredictable freeze/thaws. Zone 6 plants, perennials in particular, freeze and thaw all winter, and rot out by spring. It's more like a zone 5 here. Butterfly Bush, Buddleia, is a shaky bet to grow here. The dwarfs rot out in their first winter.

Any fragrance type a rose has, and as powerful as possible is my war cry. The mix of every conceivable scent in the garden which wafts over to me seated in my favorite garden chair is what I covet. I like them all. Amazing Grace's scent will suit me just fine.

I'll put down some Azomite mineral on AG. That ought to keep her blooms plump when vased up.

Moses

Moses,

I have seen Azomite at the farm store and it looks very interesting, but I don't see very much discussion of it here on this forum. What's been your experience with it?

Ben,

Truly, I have not used it on a regular basis, so to be able to say it's use has made a difference in my roses' performance would be wrong.

My roses look and grow pretty good. They occasionally show signs of chlorosis, particularly light colored bloomers, but the acid increasing fertilizers correct that.

I fell upon Azomite (called Azomite because it contains a wealth of minerals....from A to Z, hence that's how it got its name, "A-Z"omite), by accident while surfing the web. Knowing the soil here in Pennsylvania lacks zinc (studies have shown our native whitetail deer show the negative health effects of the lack of zinc), and my soil is probably deficient in other minerals, Azomite rang a bell, so I got it, but have not used it regularly. It's been a while since I used it last since the roses appear to be ship shape without its use.

I wish I could be of further help.

Moses

Moses, I think my light fluffy sandy soil might be the problem for the vase but she's certainly vigorous in it, tons of blooms. I think Cori-Ann has extra fertile clay that she's had tested so your clay might be just the ticket.

AG is certainly worth a try if you're a fan of fragrance like I am! By the way,the big blooms in last night's vase are already dried out and shriveled, while every other flower looks even bigger and more open. Still a nice scent though, but the color is now a darker, harsher pink.

Indeed. Well said!

I have another season to update on Amazing Grace!

While they are incredibly gorgeous if the weather conditions are perfect and very fragrant, I am so tired of blooms that won't open in the humidity. I would be willing to tease them open and put them in the vase but they still immediately shrivel.

So, basically, nothing's changed unfortunately. They are so special when all goes right that I don't have the heart to SP them as they are constantly blooming (big rotting blooms).

So I just moved all seven of them to full sun to see if we can fry the blooms open in 100+ heat!

Maybe she will make a good landscaping bush, though I had more cane damage on her during the winter than all of the others combined. She does want to be much taller than her specs described.

Does anybody have any good stories to tell? I'm not ready to give up on her yet!

Amazing Grace is in her 4th year (from a band) in my dry heat, and this is really the first year I've taken notice of her - until now she's just been quietly growing.

Heat - not an issue at all. Cannot speak to humidity as we have so little. She is one of my favorites this year, for both form and fragrance. I'm a fan!

Lovely Karen! I'm so happy that her blooms open in your dry heat because I definitely agree with you about the fragrance! I have a feeling that I have the wrong climate for her, though she does continually bloom in brutal heat here also.