Well I only have a few roses that I bought myself and know the names of as the rest came with my house. But of the ones I bought this year Charles Darwin has blown me away. It bloomed soon after planting and now has 2 new buds...one just about to open. The one that already bloomed was gorgeous and so fragrant.

A Tea rose, so not suitable for you climate, Moses, but Mme Lambard, planted 1 or 2 years ago is now 5' tall and 4' wide and has loads of blooms that look like this

Trish's Garden · More Info

Quietness, own root, planted last summer, is 3'+ tall, blooms constantly. Clean and healthy and fragrant.. Thank you, Moses, for helping me decide on this one!!

Paul Bocuse, as above.

Rouge Royale, ditto.

Twilight Zone, own root, planted last summer, only 14", had an encounter with the weed torch and burned to the ground, leaving one short, green stem. Recovered quickly and is also a fast repeat bloomer. TZ gets extra credit for her deep, deep plum wine color. I just counted 5 fat buds on one stem, about ready to open.

What are your selections, Moses?

Trish, I'd give up my TZ to grow a rose like that. I love teas.

Titian,

Mme. Lombard is a stunner, sure wish I could grow Teas.

Moses

Oooww good thread Moses

Planted last year and going great

Pretty Lady Rose, wow, what a winner and it even smells good.

Memorial Day, same as above

Olivia Austin, non stop incredible blooms, healthy and fragrant.

Planted this spring

Twilight Zone, geeze this is a winner.

It has bloomed like crazy

Flowersaremusic,

I'm glad about your Quietness. You know, we think alike. I've had my eye on Rouge Royale for some time. That saturated red and flower form really appeal to me. I nixed Twilight Zone at first, equating it with the deep purple floribunda, Ebb Tide. But now it is on my short list because of Kristine's success with it, and now, and your positive reinforcement of TZ.

My two year old Climbing Pink Don Juan blew me away again this year. Non-stop blooming, I mean REAL non-stop blooming has been unbelievable! The rich, deep pink color was unexpected, and the fragrance +++! No nodding, too. It got its start as a gallon from Chamblee's in 2017, planted immediately in its permanent spot. It has exceeded my expectations. Bought on a lark, too. There's very little in the forum about it. I think Chamblee 's is the only nursery selling it, and when Mark sells his nursery....who knows what will become of one of the best kept secrets, IMHO.

Then, there's Pretty Lady Rose, new this year, also started as a gallon. This rose has no give in her. She's an improved version of Grand Dame in all respects. Quicker repeat, just as fragrant, but UPRIGHT! blooms (unlike GD's bad nodding), a softer, but still vibrant pink, and more compact and elegant in bush form. I still like my GD lots, but between the two, Pretty Lady Rose is my choice for being the better rose. I know a first year evaluation is hasty, but this rose has impressed me tremendously.

.Moses

I have Ebb Tide as well and so far it doesn't hold a candle to TZ

Moses, I'm pretty sure we also feel the same about red. It has to be pretty special to be in my pastel garden. Rouge Royale surpasses all my expectations. There is no brassiness in her color at all. She is next to Quietness and they are gorgeous together. RR has very large, deeply cupped blooms. And, she grows upright, which I think you look for. She was too skinny at first, but has filled out to make a very nicely shaped, upright bush. Oh, and I think she has the strongest fragrance in my garden, so between her and Quietness, it's hard to pull myself away and get anything done.

About Climbing Pink Don Juan - does he really climb? I have not tried Lady Ashe. Which, in your opinion, gets taller?

Reine de Violettes, new to me this year from Palatine, has grown like gangbusters. My dear 19 1/2yr old terrier died in January & I put her ashes in the pot. Whenever I pass by I always say Good Job Sassy! I hope this isn't offensive to anybody. My other 2 stars are Marie Daly (new this year) & Julia Child (3 yrs old).

Plum Perfect, still potted and blooming, the only repeat blooming rose in my garden that did not succumb to rose midge earlier this summer.

Definitely Chandos Beauty, no competition. It's the first rose in several years that made me break my promise to myself not to get more roses after I decided that 200 different roses were quite enough for my garden. I got the first one in spring and had to get two more in September. It's a beautiful rose in a quiet pale pink but the scent is outstanding and it's a keeper in the vase. There are several photos of it on the rose forums and I may have posted this one already:

smithdale, I think that's lovely. My previous dog (have adopted another since) died 3 years ago, and her ashes are still sitting in a box in the living room. I keep putting off putting them under a rose bush, partly because I'm afraid my new dog will find them tasty.

Moses, that's nice of you to say. I see lots of roses on here that I love the look of, but have learned the hard way that Teas, Chinas, and Rugosas are the most reliable for my conditions. I have one Kordes rose (Summer Memories) that has gone gangbusters, and I'm sure there are others that would as well, but I find modern roses just don't mix well.

Smithdale, yours is a lovely tribute to your Sassy (cute name). Almost 2 years have passed since we lost our terrier and not a day passes that I don't think about him. He was the love of our life. Our pets are our family.

Reine des Violettes is a gorgeous rose. The midge that hit my roses earlier this summer overshadowed some spectacular surprises some roses had for me in the early summer. One of them was Reine des Violettes and this is how she bloomed earlier this June in her first year. I also posted it before, but she was the most impressive of all roses I planted last year in this first flush this June.

And here is my brave rose midge warrior, the only reblooming rose that did not succumb to it, Plum Perfect. I was heart-broken when I discovered in August what the midge did to my roses and PP comforted me with its lovely blooms:

Well Moses, at approx 120 roses, I had been on a couple-year moratorium on buying new roses. Until this year, when I got bit by the bug again and added 15 from June through now. So I'm definitely in the "baby" and "sleeping" rose stage.

But I've had a few stunner blooms, that make me very excited for the next few years.

1. Violet's Pride. She's a stunner. SO many pedals, lovely fragrance, perfect color.

2. Neil Diamond. These are the blooms she gave me before hunkering down and trying to establish herself. Amazing fragrance. The highest pedal count of my striped roses.

3. Great Century. This little plant just puts out bloom after bloom after bloom.

4. Tamora - just gave me her first bloom, and I was very surprised to find it to be as fragrant as it was.

Many more that haven't bloomed yet but I have high expectations for. And I know these first blooms can be deceptive so I'm holding my breath for the future.

Titian - that Mme Lambard bloom is gorgeous. There is a local garden that carries her - I need to grab one!

Vesfl - that Reine De Violettes is stunning. Wonder how she does in my climate - anyone know?

Talk about enabling!!

Chandros Beauty, Marionnese, what a great rose. I never see it listed for sale, but I keep hoping.

Reine des Violettes, wow! That color! Vesfl, what a pretty rose as is your PP. Im glad PP hung in there for you

Karen, you keep tempting me with your glorious Violets Pride. I have no room for it but since when did that stop me ?

Why oh why did I get the barely blooming Rock and Roll when I could have just as easily picked Neil Diamond. I thought maybe it was a fluke that Bens is so fabulous but then I see yours and now I think I need to go grab my shovel and make way for ND

Yep, this is it, one glorious bloom ha ha

Earthsong.... bush still has lots of leaves no spray and it bloomed well since later May... Did not take a break without blooms had at least 5 blooms on bush...

3rd season

This one ‘Meimacota’ looks like this every year. It starts full of blooms, it ends full of blooms, and it’s full of blooms in betwee. Just look at that foliage with no spray. It is the darnedest thing I’ve ever had. Showing Sunny Sky also just because it is so darned healthy and always has some blooms thou the jb’s got all but spring and now.

No no pics of the next one but I’ve fallen in love with Pink Enchantment. It is as healthy no spray and just a bit shorter than Sunny Sky. Can’t believe how close I came to getting rid of it. Wonderful roses for my area.

Jim,

I got my niece an Earth Song. She has lots of room. I like this rose very much. Yours is an impressive centrepiece specimen. I passed on it for my garden because my taller roses have to be columnar, narrow, like typical hybrid teas....take Memorial Day for instance. That narrow bush form works best in my one and only rose bed. I can get more different colored bloomers into the bed that way. I thought at maturity Earth Song would be too big and wide for the bed and dominate it. No bush currently dominates. The overall, total bed effect is what I aim for. I want the eye of the observer to move all around the bed instead of focusing on a spectacular specimen bush as yours is.

Moses

Karen and Tiffandrew, I forgot to mention that Mme Lambard promises to be a shapely bush, and as well as being vigorous, is showing no sign of disease (I don't spray any more, though may use an organic spray on some). I'm going to plant Rubens next to her, as it has similar size blooms (on the large side for a Tea), and is a lovely, flesh pink. My Rubens is new to me, but Cori Ann was very happy with hers.

Wow, Patty, your roses look wonderful - so bushy, healthy and free flowering.

Moses, I so agree. I love it when, occasionally, part of my garden achieves the 'eye-wandering' look.

Flowersaremusic,

I have minimal computer skills, and a camera in my hands is a lethal weapon. I can regretfully but honestly say I have never taken a photograph that was worth looking at! This is a pitiful admission for a retired art teacher! I had a very conservative art teacher in my formative, most influential period who considered the camera and photography a debased form of pseudo-art. His perspective had a strong influence on me. Therefore I look at photography with a negative bias, unfounded as It is in reality, but that's where I am.

I will say that Climbing Pink Don Juan's flower photo at Chamblee's description of it on their web site does not match any that my bush has ever produced both in form and color. The photos of it at HMFR are for the most part accurate. It's bloom form is not exhibition form hybrid tea as Chamblee's shows. It is less formal, more floribunda like, presented after the 3-4 bloom clusters of the spring flush, with mostly single blooms per lateral all the rest of the season in hybrid tea fashion. Every one of the 14 open blooms on my CPDJ right now, Oct. 9, 2018, are a rich, deep pink, about 30 petaled, and on short, 14" laterals.

CPDJ's bush form is not as husky, and stiff caned as Lady Ashe. It's also not very thorny, unlike thorny Lady Ashe. CPDJ is more willowy in growth habit, of course change in this habit may occur through maturity. I would not call CPDJ a climbing hybrid tea, in the same vein as Lady Ashe is. Lady Ashe produces high centered, 80+ petaled, exhibition hybrid tea form blooms. Lady Ashe's blooms last incredibly long. CPDJ has very good bloom life, but not as long as LA, which progresses very slowly to fully open, quartered style blooms. Lady Ashe's laterals can exceed 3'. I have 4+' laterals on her right now...possibly a little over fertilized. They mostly point straight upward, almost awkwardly above the mass of horizontal canes from which they grow. CPDJ's 15+-" laterals are not so bolt upright, but hold the blooms on them close to their horizontal canes. Lady Ashe will give strong, very long cutting stems with very long lasting blooms. CPDJ will yield less versatile, shorter cutting stems, but still very lovely good lasting blooms.

They're both equally strongly fragrant, and both are just as winter hardy to their tips. I see some black spotting on both of them, if I slack off spraying.

My 6 yr. old LA is 12' across. I doubt it will get bigger here, neither will I let it do that. 12' across is enough. Too early to tell about CPDJ, but it's about 5' across the top of the 4' fence it is climbing on right now. I believe it will mature smaller, 8-9', than Lady Ashe.

Moses

Patty,

What do you feed your roses? They're inspiring! Is your Pink Enchantment own root?

How about winter protection? I shovelpruned my own root this past spring, after 3 years of dying to the ground every one of them. You are inspiring me to try it again. It was pretty BS bulletproof, though. Should I try it own root again, or grafted? Thank you.

Moses

Moses, I know and respect that you're not a camera guy, so I would never ask you to share photos. I believe someone else asked to see pics if you had any.

Thank you so much, Moses, for the detailed comparison of your Cl. Pink Don Juan and Lady Ashe. Everything I needed to know. It's so hard to find climbers that don't die to the ground every winter, never getting to actual climbing heights. These both sound impressive. You are right - there isn't much info available about Cl. Pink Don Juan. Lady Ashe sounds like a beautiful sight at 12' across! However, I'm drawn to CPDJ because of the more pliable canes and shorter laterals.

I had a new arbor built this spring, and was very specific about width and depth, but forgot to mention height. When I got home, it was finished and extremely tall. So, finding a rose that will grow to the top may be impossible. I plan to fill in with a clematis. They have no trouble growing tall here.

,

Climbing Pink Don Juan would be my choice for your arbor. Lady Ashe works best in a low fence or low lattice, IMHO, where it's long, relatively upright laterals will be at or just a bit above eye level. On your arbor it will reach the top, then will shoot up long laterals from the top of the arbor, looking weird! Like Alfalfa's, cowlick. The flowers will be seen to best advantage from an 8' ladder, or by swallows flying overhead.

Lady Ashe, as good a rose as it is, has long, hybrid tea, cutting length stems, like top quality florist' roses. Yes, it's a climber because of its long basal canes, but from its long laterals come hybrid tea blooms, too.

Moses

Hi Moses,

My computer skills are likely lower than yours. This iPad is literally drives me nuts. I had a novel typed out to you and one false move wiped it all out. Part of the problem for me is the Houzz format. There is so much to accidently touch and if you do everything that was typed is wiped out.

All of my roses except Maxi Vita are own root. I have shovel pruned more Kordes roses than I have kept. The reasons could be many there just isn’t any way to know for sure. Some have thrived and done very well and some were pathetic. In many cases where I purchased more than one of the same variety one did super well and one did not. More than I care to mention were galled.

‘I could not afford much this year so I chose to mulch the roses. There was no fertilizer or any spray this year ipad is not back spacing so I’ll submit and come back with a fresh comment. It let me submit then come back and edit. So that works!

My ground has had years and years of things added on top ( mulch manure leaves straw etc, etc). so I kind of thought that they would be fine for this year. I have never winter protected my roses not do we usually have snow cover. Most of my roses maybe 95% die to the ground every year. As much as I would like to protect them. I’m not getting any younger and there are still too many of them. I’m cutting back on the amount as quickly as I can.

Well, I am adding Earth Song thanks to Jim. I couldn’t resist any longer. My bad

Patty,

You are a trooper. Keep up the good work, and keep up educating us on roses. Your input is invaluable. Thanks for struggling with the Houz system....one of the worst on the web.

Enjoy your roses as we enjoy seeing and hearing about them.

Moses

Roald Dahl has bloomed almost continously since spring even though we had a very hot very dry summer.

Our Anniversary has put on a ton of growth in similar situation but hasn't bloomed as well.

Desdemona has also grown well for me this year.

Twilight Zone feeling dark and sultry.

Such a cool rose. Thanks Diane for your enabling

Ooohhh, beautiful pictures everybody!

I'm not a camera person either but I would have to say that Princess Charlene de Monaco has been my most pleasant surprise this year. I didn't expect them to be bad but I didn't realize that they would be so vigorous with continuous blooming. I'm picky on fragrance too so that was icing on the cake. Now if I can figure out what to do about the unexpected size!

Funny you should post this as I just made a list (for myself) of my favorite roses this year.

Here we go:

Ancient Mariner: I got this one a couple of years ago (when it first came out). Its not super disease resistant for me, but in my no-spray garden it has continued to grow and bloom. Its not very bushy, but I'm happy with it as I love the blooms. Mine is on Dr H.

Bliss: This is most likely my favorite new rose this year. Bliss is an amazing rose that has superior disease reistant, is vigorous and blooms well. I also love the peachy, Austin-like blooms. I dont get much fragrance, but so far her perfomance has made up for it. I recently purchased a second from J&P. Mine is own root.

Bordeaux: This has been a surprisingly good rose for me. Its more of a landscape rose because the blooms are not very full or very large, but they are constant and the plant is very healthy.

Charles Darwin: This rose has been somewhat slow to start, but has good disease resistance and most importantly, full blooms. Many roses in SoFl have low petal count because of the heat, so those that stay full are a big plus for me.

Easy To Please: I got this rose in one of those Breck's grab bag sales where they send you 5 roses for like $20. Its been surprisingly good growing very large in one season (5 feet) and blooming in large clusters. The blooms dont last very long on the bush, but its a keeper for its superior disease resistance and eagerness to grow in my climate when many other roses dwindle.

Grande Dame: I got Grande Dame last year and its been a very good grower for me. My only complaint is that her blooms get very skimpy in hot weather. However, her spring and fall flushes make up for it. And her scent is to die for. She's very disease resistant for her type and even though she does loose her leaves by september, by October she's fully leafed out and blooming again.

Huntington Rose: This is actually not a new rose for me, as I've grown it before, but I ordered one this year to replace my long lost one from many years ago and I had almost forgotten how much I love this rose. She's such an amazing bloomer and her blooms are very round and petal packed. She also likes growing in a pot much more than growing in the ground (which is odd, but she can have what she wants). This, i think, is one of the more underrated Austins.

Light Pink Sunrosa: this is a little work horse of a rose. I bought it online as a little band and it has since grown into a very bushy yet very compact little rose. The flowers are semi double and about the size of a nickle, but they are many and so so charming. Overall quite the little work horse that never looses a leaf to disease.

Princess Anne: This one too is new to me this year and i have to say, she's got very good resistance to disease, particulary for an Austin. And she blooms very often. Her blooms remain somewhat full, although they shrink in the heat. She's a strong rose though and made it through my harsh summer looking more than decent. Thats a huge plus for me.

Princess Charlene De Monaco: I love love love this rose! I cant tell you how much I adore this rose. Her blooms are to die for and the scent is intoxicating. She's also a very vigorous grower and has better than average disease resistance. I cant say enough good things aobut this rose.

Spirit Of Freedom: I've had SoF for a few seasons now, but I cant tell you how great she is. She's a very good bloomer. Very vigorous and she's got blooms to die for. She's also one of the only roses who's flowers dont shrink in the heat and she continues to pump out full blooms even in the heat of summer. The chili thrips dont even seem to bother her. And to top it all off she's got a wonderful scent!.

The Faun: This is a charming little rose with lots of spunk. The Faun is a strong bloomer, her blooms last and last on the bush and she's very disease resistant for me (although she will loose her leaves by the end of the summer, she bounces back fast in the fall). She's one of my best bloomers in the spring, just loaded with perfect 2inc blooms all over. Super cute.

Thank you for that exhaustive list, SoFlrose! I'm not adding any more until I dig additional sun beds, but I do have Bordeaux coming next spring. I wanted something that blooms a lot, is healthy and fragrant and a DARK Red. Do you think she'd fit these paramaters in my BS heavy garden?

I think you'll be happy with it Vaporvac. Its a nice deep red, very floriferous and extremely healthy.