I still grow LAK and Cl Pasadena Tournament, and did grow Red Sweetheart. Red Sweetheart was recently reclassified to a polyantha from a floribunda although my opinion was contrary, given its propensity in my yard to bloom singly rather than in clusters. All three are Krebs roses and, apparently, all three involve crosses with a seedling and Mlle Cecile Brunner (in fact, PT is known as Red Cecile Brunner in some quarters). The color seems similar on all three and the bloom pattern on LAK seems closest to that of CB itself--long open candelabra type clusters with a great deal of space between the blooms that rarely excites judges at rose shows. For me, both the climber PD and the bush RS tended to bloom singly. As far as disease resistance goes, all three were very strong in that department in my Sherman Oaks garden. Although I am not enamored of the quill pattern in blooms, I have to admit I was greatly impressed with the long elegant bud of LAK. AS a side remark, LAK does not honor any English nobility, but rather a lady who helped Krebs escape from Europe to the United States midst the horrors of that 'low dishonest decade' we seem about to repeat in Europe. Jim D

Susan, somehow I think that 'Lady Ann Kidwell' has a place in your future, even if you don't know exactly what that place is. Context is all with flowers: a color will be glorious together with one group of plants and sickeningly jarring with others. Yesterday I was gazing amazed at a fiery light orange iris that I had never seen before (sometimes I think strange plants pack their suitcases and move into my garden at midnight), growing right beside the cool old rose pink of 'Bourbon Queen'. Ouch. But just above it is 'Austrian Copper', with a few field poppies scattered about to boot, and putting the iris close to it, what could be a finer, more blazing arrangement? And I have some silver artemisias to place this fall, too! So I'll shift the iris from its current uncomfortable place into the neighborhood of 'Austrian Copper' and all will be well; in fact, it will be magnificent. By the way, how about 'Thisbe' for your tempering intermediate rose? If you want to pursue that plan. harmonyp, I don't know if this will help you, but for a long time I had trouble really liking Rugosas, even while admitting all their virtues, including their undeniable beauty. It was when I stopped thinking of them as roses and mentally recatalogued them as flowering shrubs that they fell into place and I could appreciate and enjoy them. Perhaps you need to reclassify 'Blueberry Hill'. Melissa P.S. Kim, I think it might be a good book, too.

She said in Mexico, they use them for pig food. They were like eating butter and looked like nearly black egg plant fruit. Once they fell on the ground, they would rot in a day or two, but held on the tree for a significant time. She also had a white nectarine that was insulin shock on a stick and an apple over her front stoop which flowered AND fruited three times a year. Her husband was a Mexican folk doctor and his patients brought or sent back all manner of goodies in plants and seeds which ended up growing in their garden. Carol Aguilar, I just remembered her last name. She was a member of the rare fruit group. The house was built in 1926 and the Aguilars bought it from the original owners in 1960! Do you remember those gigantic hollyhocks that filled the side yard near the Lady Ann?

I love Jeri's photos of LAK so much that I ordered her last winter/early spring lol. She came across the country and must have hit a cold spot somewhere along the way. (my mistake for being greedy and not waiting till it was warmer). It arrived as 3 brown sticks. I set her potted in the garden anyway and watered extremely sparingly. After a few months, she came back from the roots! She is very happy here in our heat and humidity. I love her quilled blooms. She has put most her energy into her nice green foliage this year. I hope to get more blooms next year. She makes me think of Christmas. All ribbons and bows. ~Sjn