Anyone grow ‘Yesterday’ the Harkness Polyantha?
Lisa Adams
6 years ago
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Growing Bands...
Comments (9)I defintely sympathize with Prairie-Rose's frustration with bands, and I'm envious of anyone who immediately plants bands in permanent garden locations where they commence growing steadily into mature plants. With bands, I focus exclusively on root development. Some bands arrive with root systems so sparse that they can hardly (& sometimes simply can't) sustain the plant outside the controlled environment where it existed up until the moment it was packed for shipping. I now don't do any repotting of bands for 6 to 8 weeks after I receive them. Growers claim that root development is enhanced by those narrow, elongated pots that most of them use for bands (altho it often looks like some bands are placed in those pots only just prior to shipping). I place each band pot into a gallon pot where I surround it (sides & bottom only) with porous potting soil to stabilize it. Then I usually sink the gallon pot into a 'starter bed'. After 6 wks or so, I remove the plant from its original pot, plant it in the gallon container & return it to its place in the bed. Lots of fuss & bother, but I believe the method has increased my success rate w/ bands simply because it has resulted in stronger, more dense root systems before the plant goes into a larger container. I think that a big problem with trying to maintain small bands as residents of a 'pot ghetto' is that the pots are generally black, reflect no sunlight and absorb LOTS of heat. Persistently high heat levels in a medium that's kept moist probably impedes good root development. Sinking the pots helps to keep the roots in the temperature range at which they'll eventually have to adapt anyway. I strongly agree with the posters above who prefer early season delivery of bands. Also, I'm an advocate of ruthless disbudding during the first year, & I follow Vintage's advice to fertilize young plants ONLY with dilute fish emulsion or liquid seaweed. Jont1, I note that the bands you've had difficulty with are Harkness roses. When it comes to bands, modern roses seem to be more difficult than OGRs. I don't know why that should be the case . . . That observation, FWIW, is based solely on my personal track record....See Morepolyantha pictures for a small program
Comments (67)Well, maybe, Jim. Someone emailed this morning to thank me and tell me they thought the audience was really 'engaged.' Otoh, I also volunteered to design a flyer for the rose show for this person so it's entirely possible they are just buttering my bread. The slide show lasted about 45 minutes; there was some oohing and aahing over the pictures and people were tickled that the polyantha pictures were from gardens in so many places around the US. I think people were interested to hear how floribundas developed and what a polyantha is. To some I think it was a shock to hear that roses existed prior to the arrival of box stores. One sweet guy, a WW2 veteran, was really taken with 'Verdun' and its appearance in 1918. He enjoyed telling me a story or two about the city of Verdun and its importance in WWI. His wife won one of the polys and I was glad about that. I think I'll root a cutting of that rose for him. It really seemed to me though that the people most interested in the polys were also the ones that were most taken by the vase of very fragrant once bloomers I'd also brought. I think I'll root some polys and donate them to the club plant sales and see if anyone buys them. My open garden is in a few weeks; maybe some will come to it and ask about them then. I thought about Pam's suggestion that people take the cuttings and root them. I almost mentioned it, but I don't think anyone roots anything because they mostly only know roses as grafted. Maybe over time they'll become interested in antique roses. I have another opportunity in October to do another program; maybe I'll do it on the history of roses. I really enjoy putting the talks together so I'll have fun with it and they get cheap entertainment. Gean...See MoreDoes anyone grow ramblers?
Comments (35)I have only one, 'Chevy Chase'. When I moved to the South, I planted it in honor of the hometown I'd just been obliged to abandon (and the birthplace of this rambler), Chevy Chase, MD. It's happy here growing along its split rail fence -- and I'm always delighted when it begins its long period of cherry red bloom each spring. I purchased mine from Roses Unlimited back in the late 90's. They no longer offer it. I think I got the very last one they had in stock. Here is a link that might be useful: 'Chevy Chase'...See MoreLet's talk Polyanthas
Comments (66)I have grown White Pet, Lullaby, and Anna-Marie de Montreval for over ten years. White pet was cited in a study at Montreal gardens for its resistance to blackspot. In Southern California blackspot is fairly rare, so I cannot comment per se on its disease resistance to that particular blight. It is unlike other polys because it has no multiflora in its genetic makeup, as it is a sport of 'Felicite et Perpetua,' a Hybrid Sempervirens. It shows up a lot on socal show tables with large sprays of double white flowers unfolding from pink to red buds. Anna-Marie de Montreval has the same parentage as Mlle Cecile Brunner, but presents relatively smallish sprays of blooms that resembles pearls on a string. Both WP & AMM do not rise to any great height; they operate at the foot to a foot and a half in height and slightly wider in girth. AMM also have a unique lily of the valley scent; John Bagnasco has been experimenting with crosses to obtain the scent in another plant. So far, some of the offspring have had scent, but not without mildew or some other curse. AMM is part of the tea-poly group of polyanthas, but is not as disease resistant as some others. Its small size restricts its abilities to win at show tables; I can only recall once in the last ten years that AMM won a trophy. For breeding purposes, WP is not utile; and AMM carries some baggage. Lullaby presents medium sized sprays, relatively tightly knit, of double blooms occasionally with a green button eye. It grows to twice the height of the other two plants, shows up frequently at the show table and the trophy table. It is a cross of Mlle Cecile Brunner without the spacey candalabra effect. Iirc, there is some souliana in its background. Again the disease resistance is high and the plant is very adaptable to good soil, bad soil, and responds beautifully to pampering and cosseting. From my vantage point all three roses are winners. Neither Lullaby nor AMM present pink in the bud or bloom, and are eminently suitable to a white garden effect.......See MoreLisa Adams
6 years agoLisa Adams
6 years ago
erasmus_gw
6 years agoI like it. Mine takes a lot of shade. It seems a little less drought tolerant than some but it's tough enough.
Lisa Adams thanked erasmus_gwLisa Adams
6 years agoerasmus_gw
6 years agoThanks. I don't remember how it has done as a cut rose. Ok I think. I don't cut many roses. If I lost my plant of it I'd replant. I really like a variety of sizes of blooms.
It's pretty with some darker purples. For awhile I had my eye on Lavender Dream but read it can get huge so I went with Yesterday. It is not a small grower here but not too big either .
Lisa Adams thanked erasmus_gw
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