Moses, I am with you on VC

It has been my most challenging rose. At least the blooms look better

They were white now they are more of an apricot but quickly dry out.

It had had spider mites early on and I got that taken care of but it is just a so so rose. Give it the boot Moses and dont look back lol

I tried one CV purely to audition it. The first year....meh. Healthy but always in need of cleaning up. Second year....double meh. It was a hot, dry summer and I don't think I ever saw a pristine flower on it. The next year....gone.

My thinking, I have but a few good rose growing years and I want dazzling roses lol

I have always been one of Cream Verandas greatest fans. The rose is so incredibly heathy and a prolific bloomer. I have more roses than I used to that are also quite healthy. They are also prettier than Cream Veranda to my eyes. I had Cream Veranda for ten years. It was grafted on multiflora and the graft gave out the year before last. So Mosses to get on with what you asked. If I had known how much I was going to love some of the new ones. I would not have replaced mine.

However, Cream Veranda is a much better rose than say Summer Romance. IMO

Patty,

Mine are own root.

How high and wide did your Cream Veranda get by season's end in its best year?

How many open blooms could you count at one time during its best flush?

Did your flowers age as quickly as mine?

Thank you!

Moses

Hi Mosses,

My new CV is own root. It is a little bitty thing right now. The highest mine ever got to was 31/2 feet and it was a good 4ft. across. CV had a good 30 basal canes at the end all from underground. She sure was producer. None of the basals ever got old because she was not cane hardy here. Sometimes a few inches were left but I just went ahead and took it to the ground because she gave me extra basal canes this way.

One thing I'd like to mention is that time dulls the memory. So you know how when your graft is wearing out you get like a 2 year down turn in performance. It's a little warning if I would pay attention to it. I try to do my best to remember things as they were.

We have or used to have very cool damp springs. Every spring U would lose a good half of the spring flush to balling. That was so annoying. To me a profuse flowering rose is like White Out. At least half of the year I can hardly see the leaves on it. So to me CV is a very good bloomer. It has clusters that open a few of it blooms at a time. So there are always a lot of flowers at a time. Once the roots grow the flowers last longer but not much. In hot weather 2 days tops I think. The color for me was a light apricot bud. Maybe a day of apricot in spring before turning cream. Cream in summer weather and a pink tint in fall before turning cream.

Hears what I consider profuse blooming.

Holy Smokes, Patty!

What varieties are those roses? They made my eyes almost pop out!

Moses

Mosses the first one is Maxi Vita from palatine I found out the name just in time before this one passed away from old age. When I dug it up I saw it was grafted and tracked it down to Palatine. It has always been a favorite of mine.

The one is At Last a new favorite.

Maxi vita looks like that here too- they have one at the state rose garden, and its usually covered in blooms. Its on their "best performers" list.

Moses- I love my Cream Veranda. It is a delicate shade of apricot and very ruffly. It's one of my most prolific roses but does get anthracnose. But she still blooms and is also very hardy. I have several throughout my gardens because she does so well and stays small so perfect for th edge of the beds.

Sharon

My CV is in a place of Honor on my deck

Next year, she will be listed as "and also staring" and move to a lesser prominent location. Kind of like the DA roses get sent to the back of the catalog.

Hi Moses, I share the same predicament as you, my CV planted last fall is healthy and unbothered by BS, mine also blooms regularly. The bud shape is pretty but it flattens into this ugly white wad so quickly. It's been moved to a shadier spot because of it but I still have mixed feelings. It is so healthy though, so that alone makes me think it will stay.

Sharon,

I agree. CV's blooms at first, up until a little past the exhibition stage, are extremely beautiful. Mine have consistently had orange centers up to that stage. Then things go downhill in a hurry.

Not to relive past unpleasantries....I am surprised that Chris, from New Flora (if that Kordes marketing entity still even exists), has not chimed in, blasting me in her defense of Cream Veranda, as was her expected response to me whenever I leveled a negative comment against any Kordes rose. Never once did she express a positive response when I praised a Kordes rose.

Perhaps Chris' loyalty to Kordes roses has eclipsed with the changes that have been made in Kordes' marketing of their roses in the USA.

Moses

Moses- I'm happy to get *any* blooms so she's a staple in my garden. Other roses don't age well either. I just pick the blooms off when they get too unsightly if I even notice at all!!

Sharon

I like my two Cream Veranda's. In warm weather the blooms do not last long, but there are always more coming. The stems are pretty short, so it's not great for cutting either. Usually my first criteria for a rose is, "Does it make a good cut flower?" Then bloom production and heat tolerance. I don't have to worry about winter hardiness or disease, other than PM, here. The main reason I enjoy my Cream Veranda's so much, is that I have mine in hanging baskets. Not many roses will stay happy here in a smaller container. Mine do, so I enjoy them. That being said, I enjoy them most during fall, winter, and spring. It's too hot and dry to enjoy CV's blooms for more than a day or two in the summer. Lisa

I agree with all your points brought out on Cream Veranda's assets. They are many: winter hardiness without protection (for me); black spot bullet proof; attractive, shiny foliage; and a beautiful bloom.

The flowers are just too short lived, and the scarcity of blooms are too powerful negatives.

If it had a stem suitable for the vase, I might reconsider its future. It is beautiful just at unfurling, and if cut at just the right time, it may have a decent vase life. But alas, stems long enough for cutting do not exist on Cream Veranda.

As WI Rosarian stated, there are just too many other roses to try, to keep hanging onto a rose that has disappointed me as CV has. I have no 'back lot', into which CV can be moved, so out they will come.

Thank you all for your input.

Moses

I feel so guilty now. My 2 new CV's will be staying she is a great work horse of a rose. They can't all be stars I just wish it could self clean.

Patty,

Don't feel guilty. Cream Veranda works for you. That's all that matters. You know the rose world extremely well, a pillar of the Roses Forum. You know the rose that does well for everyone does not exist.

I am very happy for you that your CV is a top performer in your garden...wish it was me.

I get a little weary of trying a new rose, wait a number of years to see how it does, then have to shovel prune it when it disappoints. Starting all over again in that spot gets frustrating. I know that's the name of the game in rose culture, especially if you're trying recent, untested introductions.

In my 18' X 8', one and only, monoculture rose bed, a poor performing rose sticks out like a sore thumb, especially a rose at the front of the bed.

Also, at my age, I haven't the time left to wait around for a poor performer to kick in, especially with starting with mostly liner and gallon stock. It takes the average liner HT 4-5 years just to get to mature size here.

I should also admit my impatience. Can't wait, like a little kid.

I have my eye on replacing the Cream Verandas with more Boleros and Flawlesses. They have greatly impressed me in all departments.

Flawless is BS prone, but the blooms are magnificent, and last a very long time, looking great until petal drop. Bolero......needs no praises heaped upon it here and now. Just the name, Bolero, is its entre card.

Moses

Moses- I'm always amazed at how differently roses perform for the various forum members. On another post Patty said K South Africa is very winter hardy for her but in my garden it suffers severe cane dieback. And she's in a colder zone than me.

Have you considered Bolero? The flowers are gorgeous and the scent is lovely. She does black spot some though (although my own root are far healthier than the grafted ones). But the black spot doesn't seem to slow her flower production down at all.

Sharon

Sharon,

My tiny liner Bolero from Strargazer Perennials, through Amazon, planted out in the rose bed this past spring has wowed me! Nonstop, abundant blooming; good enough BS resistance, since I spray; and over the top fragrance give it highest points. More of them are certainly on the agenda.

I intend to heavily winterize my single Bolero as a precaution come Thanksgiving.

Thanks for reinforcing my high opinion of Bolero.

Moses

Mosses I feel the same way. It's my own fault of course I should have held out for reports. I used to have many Kordes varieties. Some were spectacular roses some not very good here at all. Example the fairy tale series of roses were mostly akin to Austin roses at the time. They were basically once blooming in spring a smattering in the summer and a small fall flush. I really want blooms there is only so much room here. These roses were huge like 5x6 with nowhere near enough bloom. Two of them were different Lions Fairy Tale is a constant bloomer here but just not very I don't know. I just don't like it that well. Floral Fairy Tale is a remarkable rose that doesn't fit in the Fairy tale series. It is more mordern looking with continuous bloom once established and much smaller.

So like a kid I did it again. I bought more rose that resemble old garden beautiful old garden roses that just are not going to be what I was looking for. I wasn't about to wait 3 years to find out that Summer Romance was not going to get better its gone. Madame A, and First Crush are soon going to follow. Then there is Dark Desire how many years does it take for this thing to flower well. Three or four flowers a year ain't cutting it and it is sitting right in front of South Africa and Heart Song. They don't know how to stop flowering. They are beautiful productive roses.

You would think that after this many years I'd slow down and listen to that inner voice. Anyway at least I'm nearly done now with the yard.

Sharon that got confused somehow my South Africa dies down to the ground. But it comes roaring back in spring and blooms like crazy.

Patty,

It shows you are an eternal optimist, and have a zeal to create a garden, par excellence. You're not satisfied with the status quo. These are traits that require much experimenting, many of which have discouraging results...but the successes...nothing gives as much joy and satisfaction as they do.

The nature of roses is that one almost has to try every new introduction that comes out. This is costly, labor intensive, and patience wearing, but there is no other path to follow in pursuing ones goals.

Moses

.

I wasn't happy with it for a while when the blooms were white and small. But, it ended the season looking just how I had hoped. Pretty color blossoms.

I didn't realize Cream Veranda could be so pink/peach. I have two on order for this spring. I'm really looking forward to growing this rose!

Darren...your CV looks so pretty with your Jasperware

Mine started out really small buds that were white that blew really fast and I was so disappointed. My plant had spider mites it just seemed like it was a bad plant. And then I got rid of the spider mites as the weeks went on the blooms got bigger and then they started to get a beautiful peach color and look what I ended up with by the end of the season I am so pleased.

kristine_legault's ideas · More Info

Kristine,

Unfortunately my two Cream Verandas are no more, but going by your experience and outstanding photo, I will place CV on my 'Try Again,' list. I probably was too hasty in my assessments of it. I don't want to pass up growing a good rose.

I will give it front of rose bed privileges because the two I had grew smallish leaves matching their short stature. My two would have had to be moved anyway, because I placed them deeper into the rose bed, not realizing how short and compact CV is.

Moses

Mine is in a pot and you're right it does have very tiny leaves and taking all of those off when I was pruning was quite the job.

Hey Moses, remember last year we both ordered boleros And mine wasn't a Bolero . I hope this year to see something happening and find out what rose I actually ended up with

AW thanks Rosylady! :) Hope yours thrive for you. Xx

Kristine, yours is divine!

Mine is compact too - deffo needs to be at the front of any border. Mine was new last year - hoping for an even better performance this year. :)

My own root Cream Veranda has been in an urn for 2 years, but going in the ground as soon as it decides to be spring.

I'm not a good pot grower, and think CV will have a better chance of survival in the ground. Apologies for the yukky spent bloom that I didn't see before I took the photo. So far, she's been healthy and vigorous.

Quite a different look than Darren's and Kristine's.

Talk about a rose with lots of different personalities that is cream veranda. Each color variation is so unique and so beautiful. If my sunset dream rose doesn't do better this year I might end up putting Cream of Veranda in its place.

Flowers yours is stunning !

That's kind of you, Kristine. I had the same thought about yours and Darren's. It's remarkable how roses take on a different look in various conditions. We can appreciate the differences - some subtle, some more defined - because we can't all achieve the same look in our diverse soils, climates, etc.

The more I read this thread, the more I think one CV isn't enough. Yikes! I have to get a grip! No more roses this year! I promised myself, and my hole digger (understanding husband) I would keep it down this year.

Kristine,

Yes, I well remember the supposed Stargazer Bolero you received.

I'm waiting to hear from you on the mystery Bolero from last year. If it isn't Bolero, I hope it turns out to be a rose you like....at least be able to identify it correctly.

Moses

I planted a band size own root Cream Veranda spring 2017. It bloomed several times but the blooms quickly faded and looked bad. The plant is still small but healthy. Hopefully it improves this year. It is next to my drive way so I wonder if I should move it to a cooler spot.

I bet it will get better this year

Mine didn' start off very well but it really took off

Ok, update on My Cream Veranda

This year I got a few flowers and nothing since . It is in a pot, got the same fertilizer as the roses that thrived and still nada.

I really think it needs to be in the ground but space is at a premium and do I want to waste precious real estate on Cream Veranda.

The upside. Bolero id doing really well.

I'm thinking whether to keep my Cream Veranda or give it away. It's 2 years old grafted on Dr Huey in a 15-gallon pot. It has many blooms. However, the blooms don't have many petals and just have an average look for my taste.

Here are the pics of my Cream Veranda:

Maybe this rose needs to be in the ground to have the petal packed blooms like this pic from the web. I have no ground room for this rose and thought 15-gallon is big enough for it. Is there anyone who successfully grows this rose in a pot? Helen

I lost mine after two years in the urn, with plans to get her in the ground this year, when she died in the urn during an unexpected late spring freeze. I love it so much, I bought another. Mine was fine in the pot for 2 years, but started declining and showing smaller blooms and fewer petals. I think she is either a heavy feeder or likes to be in the ground.

I think you’re right - I have mine potted as well and the blooms were pretty good this spring but have been pretty insignificant since.

bayarea_girl , mine is in a pot, but is new this season,.The problem with mine has been mildew, enough to where i am questioning keeping it, as I don't spray. Is yours mildew prone ?

@elvie z9CA Mine has a bit of mildew.

I think since mine couldn’t do well in a big pot, it will be happier in the ground in other garden and makes room for another rose in my garden. Helen

Well mine finally got the shovel .

After practically killing myself dragging it's huge pot down the deck stairs and getting it in the ground . It thanked me by doing absolutely nothing .

So not sure if getting it in the ground would make a difference

I thought that I just got a bad one but maybe not

If I heard more encouraging reviews I would try it again but it doesn't seem to be as consistent as I would like.

I liked fire opal more than cream veranda. But both are disease free.

@bayarea_girl_z10a_ca Thank you for adding those photos and the head's up about mildew. My first blooms looked similar to your first photo and I thought I received the wrong rose. A few days ago, all of a sudden, it had a bloom with peach/light orange color and many more petals that I looked to see if maybe there were two plants in the same pot (no, just one plant). I guess it's just the difference in temperatures because we just had a break from the constant 100F. Photo is from May 29, 2023.

I didn't take a photo of the more petal packed bloom with vibrant color because I thought it was so ugly that I immediately pulled it off the plant (the petals developed wrong). Mine is still young; own root, bought this year as 2 quart pot. Coincidentally, just earlier today I repotted it into a 2 gallon pot. I came across this thread because I was trying to figure out its growth habit to know where to place it.

I love the bloom when it's light pink and shows all the stamens. If it's willing to give me lots of those, I'll be happy, even if that's not the look I bought it for. Though I sure do wish it had more fragrance and the blooms lasted longer.

BayArea Girl: Have you noticed if yours bloomed better in all sun or part shade?