Which Rose has Surprised you?
We ordered a climbing La France a few years ago, it was an own root and was a tiny twig when it arrived. As usual with Own Roots, it did nothing the first year, the second year we got a few, and we thought well hopefully it will do ok, it's a climbing version of a very old rose so who knows.
Well this year, it's not only gone crazy, but is standing up to over a week of rain and the flowers still look great, they haven't balled up, still smell great etc... (Picture taken while it was raining on the 5th day in a row of rain)
So that one has really surprised the heck out of us. Any roses that really surprised you, either good or bad?
Comments (44)
Sara-Ann Z6B OK
5 years agoIt’s beautiful, Cambel! So far I would say MME ERNEST CALVAT, it was very beautiful at its peak, a week or so ago, and so healthy looking. If we can name more than one I will say ZAIDE too, it’s amazing in its second season.
ZAIDE
rosecanadian
5 years agoRelated Discussions
What has surprised you that you'll grow forever more?
Comments (49)I discovered swiss chard when I lived in San Diego, an asian neighbor dug up some of her plants and gave me 2 big plants. I LOVED them. They had big huge leafs, I would steam and then briefly saute in fresh garlic and butter..YUMMMY...Now for some reason, the chard I have planted here in GA is not as good to me, the flavor is very different. I got a bunch of seeds in a seed exchange, so maybe the varieties were just not the same. I'm going to try to plant more of the big green ones, the shorter more colorful (more red stemmed ones) just dont have the same buttery taste to me. I also got seeds from a neighbor last year of what i was told was a climbing okra...turns out that it is something else which I cannot recall the name, I know that they are used when left to dry out to make luffa's?, and since they were planted so late last year, I did not get a chance to try them out..but they were really big long pods. I'll try them again this year and see what happens. I LOVE Okra, planted Emerald for the first time this year, last year and the few years before, I planted Clemson Spineless, hope I am not dissapointed with Emerald, as I have NO Clemson's planted at all this year. My first year here, I planted 6 yes SIX okra plants, I'll never forget, I was admiring the very lush garden of a neighbor of my MIL's , he's an older gentleman and I was so proud that I too had planted OKRA, he asked me how many plants I had, and I told him SIX...and he chuckled outloud and says "well you might be able to get a mess from them" I learned quickly, there was NO MESS of any kind with just six plants...the next year I planted 20 and even then never had enough to put any up...and it took a week to get a "mess" to cook up. this year I have planted 3 rows (15 feet each), I'm hoping this is enough :) I also have for the first time successfully grown garlic, I bought a mixed bag (she sent me a few of each of several different varieties) from a lady who sells on the farmers bulletin from Atlanta, I think I planted like 6 or 7 different types. they are all over my garden..cant wait another surprise that I just love are the multiplying onions. got free bulbs from someone on freecycle, and now I have more of them than I know what to do with.. last year I also for the first time successfully grew PEANUTS!! that was WAY COOL...harvested and put up a dozen gallon bag full of them. of course here in the south we boil them in salty water, yummy!! I have volunteers all over my garden!! I have enjoyed mustard greens and love having parsley in my garden...I found some growing in the cracks in my lower patio, I had let some in the flower beds go to seed, and I dont have the heart to pull them up!! And finally sweet potatoes! no hassle great reward!!...See MoreWhich David Austin Rose Has Gotten A Bad Wrap?
Comments (21)Definately HERITAGE and PRETTY JESSICA. They get blasted for poor disease resistance, which hasn't been my experience. I can think of other English Roses, which get heaped with praise, that are a lot more susceptible to black spot. Both are also dependable bloomers here in the Mid-Atlantic. My biggest problem with the English Roses is the sketchy repeat, but I can always count on Heritage and Pretty Jessica to be generous bloomers. Then there is all the griping about shatter-syndrome with Heritage. Well last year, as an experiment, I cut a spray of blooms from my Heritage while the flowers were still in tight bud. Every other day I recut the stems and changed the vase water. In the end I got 5 whole days of beauty before tossing the spray. The petals were still attached. The only reason I tossed it was because the blooms had started to decompose and rot. Heritage & Pretty Jessica are GREAT roses. Another English Rose that gets dumped on by a certain California rosarian is THE PILGRIM. I have two specimens being grown espalier-like in partial shade and each is a gorgous performer. I can't stress enough the difference that own root makes with the Jolly Green Giants. It is simply the only way to go with the more vigorous Austins. Patrick...See MoreWhat has surprised you by NOT coming back?
Comments (8)I was surprised that rudbeckia Goldsturm did not come back for me. This is one that people swear will take over the world, but I lost it. Well, actually, the weird thing is, I planted this literally 12 years ago or so. One of the first plants I ever planted. It grew and bloomed for about two years, then that was it. But, even now, 12 years later, I still get about two or three leaves that come up, but no buds or blooms and it hasn't spread in all those years. It's in an area slated to be redone, so I've never bothered with replanting, but I'm always amused by those two or three leaves. I've also lost a few hostas, which is really puzzling to me! And luckily, I did try - as a beginning gardener - I did try to plant chameleon plant (houttuynia - sp?) THREE times and all three times it died.... thank goodness! Now I know better and do a bit more research before planting, but I am really grateful for that failure! Dee...See MoreWhich roses have been your most pleasant surprises?
Comments (28)REGINA LOUISE -- Got it from RU last year, it got burnt by the sun while trying to put out its first two flushes, ALL the new canes and buds got scorched and wilted, it was a very sad sight. Never would I think that within the same summer, it could shoot out another flush again with so many fragrant blooms on long stems, it's such a work horse. Meanwhile the moles have been digging underneath it everyday! HONOR--Oh Honor! I feel very touched by how hard it works to produce flush after flush after flush, even in the extremly hot drought. The poor Dear had its soil hollowed out by the moles, and I had not watered it much. The minute I firmed the soil and watered it, it perked up and started giving me beautiful flowers again! I truly have a lot of repect for this rose....See More
Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
5 years ago
Ingrida
5 years agolast modified: 5 years ago
rosecanadian
5 years agoKristine LeGault 8a pnw
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoI had never even heard of this rose until my friend started growing it. I am overwhelmed by its color.
Not really picking up the blackness of this rose.
Carol, I can't wait to hear how you like yours
rosecanadian
5 years agoKristine LeGault 8a pnw
5 years ago
Jasminerose, California, USDA 9b/Sunset 18
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoKaren, did you climb up that tree to get the Chocolate Sundae blooms for the bouquet? They are so pretty, I would too!
Climbing La France looks scrumptious, Cambel.
The rose that surprised me this year is Plumb Perfect. The second year blooms are so much better than the first. I'm not just talking about the size of the blooms. They are longer lasting and better quality all around.
Kristine, your camera seems to pick up the detail of reds well. Red shades seem to blend into each other with my camera. But of course seeing a rose in person is always the best thing. Oklahoma is a favorite.
SoFL Rose z10
5 years agoSoFL Rose z10
5 years ago
Karen R. (9B SF Bay Area)
5 years ago
Diana (zone 8, AL)
5 years agoThat would be this one- Mister Lincoln! I did not expect the flowers to be so perfect and the color is gorgeous! I got him at Lowe’s last fall from the sale rack for $5 and had no idea of the color : )
Sara-Ann Z6B OK
5 years agorosecanadian
5 years agoKristine LeGault 8a pnw
5 years agoAnother rose that doesn't bother me with bugs or fungus is Malibu. Such a wild color.
rosecanadian
5 years agoJasminerose, California, USDA 9b/Sunset 18
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agolookintomyeyes83
5 years agorosecanadian
5 years agoKristine LeGault 8a pnw
5 years agoKaren R. (9B SF Bay Area)
5 years agoSo many surprises in the garden, but two more I felt compelled to write about. Sorry - these are NOT good pictures to show these wonderful roses.
Interesting both are non-fragrant, and I swore I would stop buying non fragrant roses since I'm such a fragrance junkie. But these roses are just remarkable, and I am so glad they're in my garden.
1. Koko Loko. Picture doesn't do it justice as I didn't catch the beautiful light light chocolate color and perfect bloom form of fresh blooms, prior to them turning lavendar and opening as they age. This color changing rose is a magician, and truly a favorite in my garden.
2. Ketchup and Mustard (to the right, rear of Ingrid Bergman - another phenom no fragrance in my garden - danged blooms will stay on forever - after a few weeks I have to cut them off to get almost instance rebloom).
K&M wouldn't normally be my cup of tea - with small, low pedal count blooms. But this floribunda is a bloom pumping machine - constantly covered in brilliant color, with some of the most perfect dark green shiny foliage ever.
rosecanadian
5 years ago
totoro z7b Md
5 years agorosecanadian
5 years ago
madakatude6a
5 years agoI had to wait until this thing bloomed to see if I would be surprised and I am because it's not a very liked rose. Here's Sunsprite...another season of constant blooms I guess. A beautiful yellow. and in a pot no less. I only pot things as a last chance effort.
rosecanadian
5 years ago
R pnwz8a
5 years agoEasy does it... a very common rose but it surprises with every bloom.. blooms profusely.. and the blooms stay forever..
Kristine LeGault 8a pnw
5 years agopat m
5 years agototoro z7b Md
5 years agoCarol, I do think the fragrance intensity of KL is medium, maybe stronger. Also I find the quality of the scent to be complex blend of damask and something spicy or chocolately. Maybe it is cloves? It makes me want to keep sniffing it.
Also it blooms in a lot of shade. I think the coffee color is best preserved in shade too vs the lavender. Blooms last long on bush compared to my Austins. I think this bloom has been hanging on for over a week.
rosecanadian
5 years agojjpeace (zone 5b Canada)
5 years agoUser
5 years ago
A wild multiforia in neighour’s yard. Just beautiful. I do not have the heart to ask them to chop it downrosecanadian
5 years agoUser
5 years agoperennialfan275
5 years agorosecanadian
5 years agoKristine LeGault 8a pnw
5 years agoAs I walk around my yard of course Julia Child is always so trouble free and wonderful but Fiji is blowing me away with nonstop blooming big beautiful Coralie pink blooms clean as can be just a sweetheart of a rose
kristine_legault's ideas · More Inforosecanadian
5 years agojwusauk
5 years agoI am jealous of you in warm climes! Here in 6A Massachusetts, I thought the Sally Holmes I planted last summer was completely dead after our harsh winter and I kicked myself for planting something so much less hardy than all my other roses. Well, here she is now, flowering under our dogwood tree. Can a single-flowered rose make you swoon? Yes, if she is Sally Holmes. Hard for me to capture the beauty of these huge, delicately colored blooms with a photograph. But I am ready to rip everything else out in the garden so I can plant more of this rose.
rosecanadian
5 years ago
Karen R. (9B SF Bay Area)