Is there a better yellow floribunda than Julia Child or Sunsprite?

Moses, Pittsburgh, W. PA., zone 5/6, USA

2 years ago

last modified: 2 years ago

Since the introduction of Julia Child has a better yellow floribunda come along, having better blooms (especially stronger necks), more disease resistance, quicker repeat, richer fragrance, etc.,? Does it supersede Sunsprite as well?

Moses

Featured Answer

Moses, Pittsburgh, W. PA., zone 5/6, USA
Original Author

2 years ago

last modified: 2 years ago

"The Short but Remarkable Life of Gabby, the Duck"

In the late 1980's, I ventured into raising canaries, yes canaries! My tenure with raising canaries, which spanned about 25 years, ending in 2013. By that time I had raised over 1,200 young canaries, some years reaching about 100 young fledged in those years. I was an avid exhibitor, judge, and I just plain loved canaries, and still do.

During Spring breeding season fresh eggs are needed at the rate of a couple dozen a week. Boiled eggs (eggs being a reasonable substitute for soft bodied insects and seeds in the milk stage on which wild canaries raise their young), are a necessary ingredient in nestling food for domestic canaries, which eager canary parents pump into their ravenous nestlings.

One Spring day during canary breeding season in the early 1990's, I received a call from a fellow canary breeder friend telling me to come over and get some duck eggs. Friends of hers, Ricky and her husband, who had a small hobby farm, and only raised ducks, had extra eggs and gave my friend some for cooking. I was excited to get fresh duck eggs. They are less watery than chicken eggs, and they were farm eggs, too!

When I arrived at my canary breeder friend's house I was handed 6 eggs, no more! Four of them were greenish colored, and two were brown. I was disappointed, expecting at least a couple dozen eggs, but my mind started to crank into gear, and I decided to home incubate the eggs, and see what came next.

28 days later the 4 green eggs hatched. The 2 brown eggs were infertile, and as I later found out, they were from a couple old maid Rhode Island Reds who refused all amorous advances from the resident rooster, hiding under the parked family car as soon he approached! 😁

Shortly after the 4 little ducklings dried off and were off running around their pen, eating and drinking well, I placed my home incubator hatched, hand raised and tame as a kitten, beloved pet, then 4 year old Bobwhite quail, Ruben, (he proceeded to live to the ripe old age of 9 yrs.), in with the ducklings to see what happened. He, as ceremoniously as any royal gentleman of aristocratic birth, strutted slowly and deliberately up to each of these little curiosities, and gave them one by one a good, long look, then a good, hearty peck. They were pecks which the ducklings ignored as if nothing happened!

In no time it was obvious that I had a bunch of rambunctious ducklings on my hands. Two of the least friendly, wilder ones were given to my buddy, Mike, for his grandchildren, kind of knowing what would happen to them. They stayed at his house for a couple days only, and were quickly taken to a friend's farm, because as we all know....A duck can make a puddle on top of a rock, and Mike was not a duck puddle enthusiast!

The two friendliest ones I kept, and as they grew it became apparent that the dark, mallard looking duckling that I named, Gabby, was by far the most charming and friendly of the two. She had a heavy dose of personality+. The second duckling, Daisy, had a nil personality. She was healthy and friendly enough, but there was nothing outstanding about her, and she was indifferent to interacting with me. They both turned out to be female, ducks, not drakes, as I later found out.

Gabby would sweetly sit on my lap without any fussing, and would stay there as long as I would let her, playing with the buttons on my shirt, getting petted, and having her head rubbed, enjoying the attention as much as I delighted in giving it. I would place a quart jar full of water on the ground, and Gabby would submerge her head all the way to the jar's bottom, then gaze at me right through the jar's side. I got a big kick out of this.

At one point during the ducks' residence at my home, at about 4 months age, my grade school age nephews and nieces, all siblings, got enamored with the ducks, so they were gifted with Gabby and Daisy: pen, food, and all equipment included. They lasted at their home, my brother and their father's house, just one day. After realizing how messy ducks are, my brother and his wife decided they needed to be returned to me, but not until after just about every youngster in my brother's neighborhood had a turn at holding the ducks. They got passed around quite a bit. When I got them back they were so exhausted by all the well intended but overly zealous, "expressions of children's love?" that they literally couldn't walk for just about the whole next day. They were fine afterwards, just needing a rest.

It soon became apparent that I couldn't keep the ducks much longer, being a city dweller. They needed a proper home. I especially hated parting with my much beloved Gabby, but I arranged to give them to Ricky and her husband, from whose hobby farm they originally came as eggs, just about 5 months earlier. There they would be well cared for since Ricky and her husband kept ducks just because they liked them, and only ate their eggs. They even had two guard dogs that protected the ducks from the heavy fox predatory pressure they experienced in their area.

The day I delivered Gabby and Daisy, Ricky and her husband showed great pleasure in getting them, and I was satisfied that they were getting a good home, being especially delighted to see them return to their place of origin. My heart, though, was very heavy at parting with Gabby.

Not long afterwards I got the very sad news that Gabby had died in spite of all of Ricky's efforts to save her life. Ricky and her husband's little farm had a sharp gravel lane from the main road to the house. Because Gabby did not join the main duck flock, but became a loner, preferring to be around people, she stayed close by the farm house unlike the other ducks. She consequently traversed the sharp gravel lane far more than the other ducks, subsequently cutting her young, tender feet, developing a serious infection which Ricky could not cure. Gabby died. In a way, her attachment, and may I say love of people, was her undoing. I certainly loved her, even though I only had her for about a half a year. I think of her often and my heart aches, especially for how she met her end.

Last words: I don't think there's a creature on God's good earth that is more comically entertaining and enjoys life more than a duck.

Moses

Comments (56)

Kristine LeGault 8a pnw
2 years ago
I cut Valencia blooms before the rains come

I notice no fragrance
flowersaremusic z5 Eastern WA
2 years ago
Dear Mr. Moses, I am saddened to hear you are still in pain. I wish I had some good suggestions about that and about yellow roses, but I am just starting to learn to love yellow. I haven't progressed past pale yellows, but I'm learning how well Julia Child performs here. She's new.

Straw has mentioned several times how much she likes Tchaikovsky, but it is a very pale yellow. Some people think Golden Celebration is equal to Julia, but in my garden, GC needs copious amounts of water and amendments.

I'll be thinking of you and praying for relief and healing.
Moses, Pittsburgh, W. PA., zone 5/6, USA thanked flowersaremusic z5 Eastern WA
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fig_insanity Z7b E TN
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
Moses, I sincerely hope you get relief soon. Chronic pain is no joke. Keep your chin up. We're thinking of you.

I have several of Ping Lim's yellows, and for *me*, they all have done better than JC. Of course JC will NOT live in my garden, so that's actually not much of a recommendation on its own, lol. I also have never been able to smell much of anything from JC, in my garden or anywhere else. But regardless, all of Ping's yellows have a lot going for them. Unfortunately they all have at least one shortcoming, mostly in the scent department. Here are the ones I have grown. Some are very hard to find, which is another strike against them, I suppose.

HIGH VOLTAGE: the first Ping Lim yellow I encountered. In a sea of Knock Out, Drift and Flower Carpet roses at Home Depot, there were a few Kasmir (if you ever need a velvet red, non-fading, totally healthy shrub rose bloom-machine) and High Voltage. Every other rose in the bunch but those two were bare-legged messes of black spot. Not only were the Ping roses spotless, they were in full flush. HV's negative trait is awkward growth (rugosa somewhere back there?). But it blooms and blooms.

YELLOW SUBMARINE: imagine a yellow, rudely healthy Singin' in the Rain. I think it's technically a shrub, but it throws both clusters and singles, and the flowers have good form. Lots and lots of flowers. But...the flowers are just small/medium size. This is one with a mild-to-none scent for me.

YELLOW BRICK ROAD: this is my favorite of Ping's yellows. A wonderful rose all around. The flowers are larger, the plant is healthy, and it smells soooo good on a cool, humid day. In mid-summer, not so much. I'm told the scent is violets. I just know it's a good one. This one is a cross of Carefree Sunshine and Yellow Flower Carpet.

CENTENNIAL ROSE (Not "Centennial"): this is a grandiflora, but not a huge one. If I were doing the classifying, it would be a shrub/HT, lol. Also not a pure yellow, but more of an apricot tinged yellow, fading to cream. Mine is actually nicely "shrubby", about as wide as tall. Not as free blooming as the others, but by far the most classically HT-shaped blooms on strong stems. Again, healthy, bloom-iferous, and with classic form.
Moses, Pittsburgh, W. PA., zone 5/6, USA thanked fig_insanity Z7b E TN
rosecanadian
2 years ago
Beautiful, Kristine! Mine got fragrance its 2nd year...it was a perfumey smell...not particularly pleasant to me.
Moses, Pittsburgh, W. PA., zone 5/6, USA thanked rosecanadian
Magda (Ontario, USDA4/5)
2 years ago
My Yellow Brick Road does not bloom in distinct flushes, it has a beautiful first flush (in the picture) and then it is never without at least a few blooms until frosts. It is also one of my hardiest roses.
Moses, Pittsburgh, W. PA., zone 5/6, USA thanked Magda (Ontario, USDA4/5)
Moses, Pittsburgh, W. PA., zone 5/6, USA
Original Author
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
I would like to thank all of my fellow, beloved Roses Forum members who have strengthened me by your prayers and encouraging me with your uplifting words.

I have an appointment with my neurologist tomorrow. I believe I will be able to walk to it, cane in hand. The distance is very short since my home's front door is directly opposite the entrance of a large doctor's office building connected to West Penn Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA, where my neurologist, maintains an office.

I tell you this because just a couple days ago the pain in my hamstring muscles was so intense I knew that I could not make the appointment, in my wildest dreams. My condition has improved to the point where now the task is quite feasable. I attribute my improvement to your prayers and good will, Gods goodness, and the medication kicking in, which your love directed to me, I truthfully can literally feel in my heart. God bless you all!

Now, you guys have also given me a ton of yellow roses to research out. That will be lots of fun for me. Your sharing them with me is much appreciated.

Take care,

Moses
Stephanie, 9b inland SoCal
2 years ago
Moses, sending prayers and wishes for your two new hips and back to all come into alignment and good working order. Maybe some physical therapy could help? A dear friend of mine just had a knee replacement and is getting the second knee done early next year. I know hips are longer more painful recovery and hers doesn’t look fun. It’s wonderful to have our gardens to distract and inspire though right? I also have a 3 yr old Golden Celebration and it is not very floriferous in my hot dry climate. I can second that it needs a ton of water even grafted on DH. I only got a small Spring flush and one or two scattered blooms this Summer. It sent up a lot of canes that seemed to be a Fall flush, but the tips have not developed flowers yet. We are now just starting to get fall weather so maybe there is hope still for a fall flush. Lemon Spice is only 1 year old and already on 4th or 5th flush. As soon as one is finished another immediately starts. LS get far less water than GC, but a bit more sun 8 hours versus 6 for GC midsummer.
Moses, Pittsburgh, W. PA., zone 5/6, USA thanked Stephanie, 9b inland SoCal
rosecanadian
2 years ago
Magda - that's a beautiful rose bush....I love the bloom color!!!

Moses - I'm glad that our prayers are helping!! Keep us posted as to how the appointment goes. And take your time walking, be careful. More prayers for you from all of us!
Kristine LeGault 8a pnw
2 years ago
Moses, I am glad that you are able to do some walking. Blood flow will greatly help the healing process. My grandkids have a book about Donald Duck and Goofy in a race

Goofy drives an old much loved vehicle and Donald drivers a flashy new sports car. But Goofy's motto was " slow and steady, steady and slow that's the way we always go "

So be Goofy out there Moses and win the race.
Moses, Pittsburgh, W. PA., zone 5/6, USA
Original Author
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
Kristine and all,

I can't help but be goofy, comes natural! The thigh pain, although quite diminished through starting with the med. gabapentin, still leaves me with lessened pain and considerable balance issues still. Even with a cane I waddle like Donald Duck, hopefully for not much longer (Kristine, take note!😁), so I will match my "goofy nature and gait," with a more duck like, carefree attitude.

Can you believe that not too long ago I had a pet duck (f.), a mallard cross, who I named Gabby. I incubator hatched her and her siblings from egghood, and she was the charmer of the bunch hands down...but that's another happy story.

The good news is that as the pain medicine works its wonders now, the next steps involve epidural cortisone therapy, then if not successful, a relatively simple surgical procedure on the spinal stenosis cause of the pain, will hopefully allow me to continue healing from the hip replacement surgeries, and get back to my roses!

Thank God for all of your prayers and kind supportive words....they have been lit candles in a dark place for me.

Much love,

Moses
flowersaremusic z5 Eastern WA
2 years ago
Moses, you have been and are still going through some trying times. Chronic pain is like a disease in itself, but you sound hopeful and have some good options.

I've never known anyone else with a pet mallard. The name Gabby is understandable. When my grandson lived with us for college, he brought home a couple of rescued mallards. They moved in tandem, as if attached. Running, walking, rounding corners, eating, whatever, they never became separated even for a minute. And, they talked to each other constantly. They were eventually sent to a farm with a real lake and other ducks to pal around with. Did you have yours long? Hatching them and watching them grow must have been fascinating. I've never seen a baby mallard.
Moses, Pittsburgh, W. PA., zone 5/6, USA thanked flowersaremusic z5 Eastern WA
Patrick-7a-MD
2 years ago
JULIA CHILD pretty much sets the standard for what a yellow Floribunda should be. The only things I don't like about it are the evil thorns and tarragon-like fragrance. SUNSPRITE never grew well for me and the blooms shatter far too quickly even for landscape use. Personally, I like MOLINEUX better than Julia Child. The fragrance is more pleasant, the OGR flower form more consistent, and the color more interesting (it is actually a yellow color blend). It blooms just as much as Julia Child and the short-to-medium upright shrub is also nearly thornless so I don't have to wear armor around it. Practically perfect in every way.
Kristine LeGault 8a pnw
2 years ago
Interesting Patrick, my Molineaux has never been great for me and I really really want it to do well.

The blooms blow so fast for me

It could be my soil certainly but after 4 years it must go.

I am so glad that yours is a standout in your garden.
fig_insanity Z7b E TN
2 years ago
I guess it still comes down to location, location, location. For me, Molineaux is better than Julia Child, but that's like saying a broken arm is better than a broken leg. Over a five year period, two JCs died on me, and I yanked the third one out before it could. Molineaux is merely a BS-ridden mess most of the time...but it survives and blooms, which is more than I could say about JC, lol.
Rose Lai (9b)
2 years ago
Moses, how about Golden Fairy Tale from Kordes? This roses had won multiple European awards and is very healthy. It is florferous and very disease resistant. Open like a hybrid tea. It is a beautiful light but pure yellow. I got it from Palatine last year, and I attested that it grows very well as an upright bush, though I am in a completely different climate. Nevertheless, if you check out HMF, there are great reviews, including those in cold climate. It does not require any spraying.

Palatine Roses will carry it next year. Here are few pictures:
rosecanadian
2 years ago
Rose Lai - soooo beautiful!!! It looks like the perfect rose!!
Kristine LeGault 8a pnw
2 years ago
Holy macaroli, Golden Fairytale is gorgeous!

Hey Moses, how about Jackson and Perkins Larger than Life? There are a few videos of that one from Hon Tong and it is really getting nice reviews.
Lynn-in-TX-Z8b- Austin Area/Hill Country
2 years ago
I have not checked in to the forum much lately, and have missed a lot. I am glad to read that your meds are working and there has been improvement.

South Africa- I grew it in L.V. but have no idea how it will fare in Pittsburgh...It was an extremely healthy rose...
Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
2 years ago
Great to hear from you, Lynn. Beautiful photos.
Lynn-in-TX-Z8b- Austin Area/Hill Country
2 years ago
Thank you:) Yesterday, I viewed the beautiful images you posted of your garden and vistas, Sheila!
rosecanadian
2 years ago
Lynn - your pictures of South Africa are gorgeous!!! The flowers are heavenly...and you captured their beauty in a wonderful way...I especially love your 2nd picture!! It has such depth.
Kristine LeGault 8a pnw
2 years ago
Lynn, your South Africa is simply magnificent

What fabulous color!

Sheila, wow !! You have such incredible old roses and those views are spectacular. Everything looks so naturally beautiful
alameda/zone 8/East Texas
2 years ago
Moses, happy to see you are posting again. Very much hoping you will get your pain managed soon. Bad enough to deal with hip replacement, but being in constant pain is terrible.

I completely agree with the choice of Golden Fairy Tale! I adore mine! Very healthy, it can get large, and when it blooms all over the bush, it is a real eyecatcher. Liked it so much I have two. Another I would like to mention is called Nacogdoches or Grandma's Yellow. I prefer the first name as it was named after the oldest town in Texas, about 45 minutes away from me. A lovely college town [SFA University]. It was found growing under the eve of a run down motel - another pink that was beside it was thought to be Queen Elizabeth. I can remember stopping to admire these roses many years ago. Nacogdoches is a bright unfading yellow that is very healthy in my garden. Dont know why its not more popular.......I just visited Chamblees in Tyler on Friday and purchased a yellow I know nothing about, but love the deep yellow color - Gilded Sun. Sunbeam Veranda, which I had but lost during our "Snowmageddon" last winter, is another very bright yellow - I plan to replace it in the spring.

Ducks are such fun! I started with a few muscovies that took up residence in one of my ponds, ended up buying more and have raised babies the last couple of years. The hens like to nest in my garage - they feel safe there. Last count was 57. I have one setting on chicken eggs in a window box at my garden cottage - I have made a roof for her to protect her from sun and rain. Named her Elsie - I put food and water in the window box, and visit her every day. She is used to me petting her and doesnt peck. These ducks are real characters.......they have covered floating duck houses on the 2 ponds and roost there, but are waiting for me in the morning by the horse barn to get their corn. The babies [I have 11] are kept in large chicken coops until they are old enough to go to the pond. Am getting a bit overrun so am glad breeding season is over!

Take care of yourself - the roses will be there when you are well again. Wishing you the best and that your doctor will find solutions for you.
Moses, Pittsburgh, W. PA., zone 5/6, USA thanked alameda/zone 8/East Texas
Diane Brakefield
2 years ago
I have to agree with Ben that Julia is the standard bearer for yellow floribundas, but Lynn''s South Africa looks like some severe competition. For me, Julia not only is floriferous, outblooming just about every other rose I grow, but her growth habit is lovely as well. She stands up to heat, wind, rain, and the cold the best in my garden, too, always coming through bad weather looking fresh and crisp. I'll never forget the fall of 2016 with Julia blooming into the first week of December (unheard of here), and still looking good. Photos to prove it are below (last two). I have grown two grafted Julias since 2006, and they are still going strong, plus I grow a third, newer Julia own root. This one is not as bloomy as the two old girls, but is still a fine rose. Diane
Diane Brakefield
2 years ago
Diane Brakefield
2 years ago
prairiemoon2 z6b MA
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
Another vote for Julia Child. I grow organically without any spray. I avoided roses for a long time thinking it wouldn't work without spraying. Once I decided to try roses, I started with the David Austins. After 3 years of struggling with foliar problems, I shovel pruned them one after the other, Golden Celebration among them.

I got lucky that I probably saw Diane's photos of her Julia Child and she was in my next order, which was from Pickering when they were still in business, so it's been a long time. A number of roses have come and gone, but Julia Child continues to perform really well in my garden. This year it did exceptionally well in a year when we had more rain than I ever had before in 30+ years. Right now the foliage is spotless and it still has buds on it going into November. It is fragrant, it blooms consistently all season. The only fault I can point to is that I would like a larger rose, which is really not even worth mentioning in comparison to all the wonderful attributes she has.

The GC is the only other yellow I've had to compare it to, because once I got JC, I didn't feel the need to add another yellow. I do have a small garden with only 7 roses total. I'm always recommending JC, because it is a performer year in and year out.

Isn't Golden Fairy Tale without fragrance?

Diane, you have the luckiest neighbors...[g]. Oh my, imagine having your garden to look at just next door and having all that beauty without lifting a finger...lol.
hugogurll
2 years ago
I'm surprised no one has mentioned Sparkle & Shine. Maybe it's just a West Coast performer. But it beats the pants off Sunsprite and is just as deep a true yellow color. That being said, South Africa is fantastic.
Diane Brakefield
2 years ago
Thank you, Prairie Moon. I hope your Julia continues to please you. I'll bet you have the most pampered seven roses around. I often wish I could concentrate on just maybe 10 rose favorites--at my age that would be perfect. I've run out of space, anyway. This is a small yard with small flower beds that are crammed full.

Hugo, isn't Julia n the genetic background of Sparkle & Shine? I need to look that rose up in HMF. Diane
rosecanadian
2 years ago
Moses -that was WONDERFUL!!!! I'm utterly charmed by your duck tales. :) :)
Moses, Pittsburgh, W. PA., zone 5/6, USA thanked rosecanadian
Kristine LeGault 8a pnw
2 years ago
I wish that I could have Ducks

They have always been a favorite of mine. So fun to hear about yours Moses
Moses, Pittsburgh, W. PA., zone 5/6, USA thanked Kristine LeGault 8a pnw
flowersaremusic z5 Eastern WA
2 years ago

I just read Gabby's story and I'm heartsick. I'm reminded of an old saying I haven't thought of in years, and don't know who first said this ... "Sometimes, memories sneak out of my eyes and roll down my cheeks".

Moses, Straw has info. that helped with her sharp shooting leg pain in her thread in Organic rose that might help you.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6194079/discussion-with-strawchicago-about-growing-roses-health-nutrition#n=22

I sincerely hope you find relief. Pain can just suck the life out of you and makes it hard to concentrate or even think straight.

The yellow roses in this thread will be of value for years to come. I know I will refer back to it in my search for yellows that complement my other roses.
Moses, Pittsburgh, W. PA., zone 5/6, USA thanked flowersaremusic z5 Eastern WA
chris209 (LI, NY Z7a)
2 years ago
Can anyone else speak to how this rose does own root? Finally decided I should give it a try and then happened to come across one at Lowe's 50% off end of season sale.
Moses, Pittsburgh, W. PA., zone 5/6, USA
Original Author
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
Chris,

Which rose are you referring to, Julia Child? So many yellows have been discussed so far.

Moses
alameda/zone 8/East Texas
2 years ago
If own root Julia Child is being asked about, I highly recommend it as own root. Mine has survived a deck redo, and last winter's terrible snow/ice storm. It comes back yearly, does well with pruning and blooms alot. The fact that it has been tough enough to survive a couple of events with no problems tells me it is a rose that will survive a long time.

Judith
Diane Brakefield
2 years ago
My own root Julia is inferior to the two grafted Julias which I've grown since 2006. The grafted plants by far out bloom the own root, and have been just as hardy as the own root. Since we don't have black spot here, both grafted and own root are healthy, as all my roses are. The grafted plants are larger and grow more vigorously which I like. They all have a nice growth habit. I recommend the grafted Julia Child. Diane
chris209 (LI, NY Z7a)
2 years ago
@Moses, Pittsburgh, W. PA., zone 5/6, USA I'm asking about Julia Child.
Moses, Pittsburgh, W. PA., zone 5/6, USA
Original Author
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
Chris,

My two J. Child's are about 8 yrs. old. They are both own root and came as one gallon size youngsters from Chamblee Nursery, TX, when the original owner, Mark Chamblee (ret.), still owned the nursery.

They have grown pretty well, very satisfied with their performance. One of them even sent out a runner from its crown and made a separate bush about a foot out from the crown.

The only fault with J. Child under my growing conditions is that black spot, if not sprayed, will defoliate a bush about 2/3 foliage gone by September. Regular spraying for black spot is necessary to keep its foliage pristine in my heavy black spot pressure locale.

Julia Child gets no winter protection for years now and comes through just about tip hardy, but early on I gave my JCs protection. It may not have been necessary, but rose gardeners around here routinely protected their roses over winter then, so I followed suit.

Moses
rosecanadian
2 years ago
They don't get any better than Diane's Julia Childs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Moses, Pittsburgh, W. PA., zone 5/6, USA thanked rosecanadian
rifis (zone 6b-7a NJ)
2 years ago
I second rosecanadian’s comment about your story, Moses.

You’re a good egg.
Moses, Pittsburgh, W. PA., zone 5/6, USA thanked rifis (zone 6b-7a NJ)
Travis Wendit
2 years ago
I find JC to be slow between flushes. It remains a healthy bush in the PNW. It has never been vigorous for me. JC is more apricot than I would like in a yellow.

I submit that Happy Go Lucky is a very nice clean yellow with exceptional blooms and fragrance. It doss has mild black spot in the PNW
Diane Brakefield
2 years ago
Thanks so much, Carol. Julia continues to be a favorite of mine, and according to the head of perennials at Edwards Greenhouse here in Boise, Julia Child is the world's best selling rose. That says something about this rose and its lasting appeal. Diane
chris209 (LI, NY Z7a)
2 years ago
Thanks for sharing your experiences. One reason I resisted trying it for so long was seeing ratty looking specimens at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden a couple of years ago. I don't have much tolerance for blackspot, so we'll see how it goes.

-Chris
prairiemoon2 z6b MA
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
Chris, Here in New England, I had blackspot issues when I was growing David Austin roses, so I know I have potential for it. I also have no tolerance for ugly foliage and when I tried growing Golden Celebration it would look fine in the begining of the season through the first flush, but it was all downhill from there in the hot humid rest of the summer. I couldn't look at it and would end up cutting it back to the ground to grow new foliage in mid summer, accepting that I would lose the rose. But it came back every spring and I grew it in that manner for 4 years. It did however become less and less vigorous and I finally shovel pruned it and I stopped growing David Austin roses.

Julia Child, has had a season or two with minor blackspot on the bottom leaves that are easily pulled off. One year, I allowed some reseeding fennel and cleome to crowd up around Julia Child and that year I had some ugly foliage. Then I corrected that issue and gave her plenty of air circulation and this year we've had the most rain I've ever had and the foliage was spotless. And I've never contemplated cutting it back in mid summer because of foliage issues. And I don't spray at all. I use compost and alfalfa meal 2x in early spring and after the first flush of blooms and that's it. edit: I forgot, I also use Fish emulsion as a spray when I think of it.

And for me JC has no apricot in the color. It is like a grass fed block of butter. That was the reason for the name, after the cook who loved butter. [g] I have a shrub Buck rose, 'Prairie Sunrise' that is definitely apricot, and they are quite different.

Also, I am always on the lookout for a clean, healthy rose and have tried a number of those reported to be so. 'Beverly' was also spotless this year and for the past 3 years. A large pink fragrant rose, in case you are ever looking for one.
Mrs Teakettle z9
2 years ago
I hope you find some relief soon Moses. thank you for sharing your duck story.

Julia Child did not do well for me here in zone 8. my favorite yellow florabunda is Doris Day (i think it is a sister to Sparkle and Shine). not a golden yellow like Julia but sunshiney yellow - lots of blooms.

i look for you in these forums. i think of you as I enjoy my beautiful Apricot Candy roses. wishing you a speedy recovery.
rosecanadian
2 years ago
Diane - really? World's best selling rose...my goodness!!! :) :)
Moses, Pittsburgh, W. PA., zone 5/6, USA
Original Author
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
I've been on gabapentin (generic for Neurontin), for pain control for about 6 weeks now, and it has now eliminated about 70% of the pain...which is a tremendous achievement.

Gabapentin is primarily a seizure control medication for epilepsy, but also it was found to have pain relieving properties.

My instructions are to take it every eight hours, three times a day, and adjust the dosage rate, up or down to the level that helps the best. I am experimenting (as instructed), with dosage strengths as I go, under my doctor's careful watch, and have so far found that if I take a lower dose at dinner time and again a lower dose near midnight, then a higher dose in the morning, it works pretty effectively.

The side effects of gabapentin can be pretty rough, but so far, just a little mental fog and some sleepiness have been felt, but not at any alarming level.

Thank you all for your love and prayers, your sincerity is strongly felt!

Moses
chris209 (LI, NY Z7a)
2 years ago
@prairiemoon2 z6b MA Thanks for telling me about your experience with JC. I'm hoping for the best as it's a beautiful rose, and what surprised me was the lovely fragrance it has.

Don't give up on DA roses altogether. There are some very nice ones with excellent disease resistance such as Olivia Rose Austin, Pretty Jessica and Windermere.

-Chris
prairiemoon2 z6b MA
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
Chris, Thank you! I am always talking up Julia Child because it was really the first rose I added, that was so vigorous and healthy. And it's stood the test of time in my garden from season to season coping with whatever. And yes it's pretty fragrant, and my only complaint has been I prefer a larger bloom. But that's a pretty small, picky complaint. She deserves better than that with all she offers. [g]

And thanks for the mention of DA roses that are good with disease resistance, because I do love them. Who doesn't? [g] I'll give those a look. I let go of a rose that didn't measure up this year and I could use another.