Carol, I'm so glad you commented! And so glad to hear that Hippolyte is more than lightly fragrant for you at least, because that was the one feature I read about it that disappointed me. I'm trying out some roses of deeper colors. I'm usually all about the pastels, and I did buy a few lighter roses this winter (Morgengruss, Lilian Gibson, City of York) but I was so enamored by the more saturated color of my Laguna last year that I bought a few darker roses, too (Desiree Parmentier, William Lobb, Paul Ricault). But like always, I was peeking at my garden beds today thinking "okay, maybe I have room for ONE more..." and I've been flirting with those two all winter. They are both out of stock at my usual nursery, though maybe I can persuade them to find one extra in the back... Lol.

You inspired my previous purchases of "Indigo" and "Great Maiden's Blush" and my one gallica "Henri Fouquier" and I expect to see the first blooms this season! I'm sure I'll be so excited, I might @ you with a photo the very second I get one!

The Bishop proliferates fairly badly for me. Unlike with Desiree Parmentier, which also shares that fault, stopping the fertilizer hasn't solved the problem. Aside from that, it is fairly tall, lanky and awkward.

I had Hippolyte for many years until it was choked out by Chloris. It was a very mannerly spreader, with a nice compact growth habit. It was my preferred rose for rose petal jam because the colors and flavor were impressive.

@Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b), I'd love to see photos of your first blooms! Those 3 will produce gorgeouser and gorgeouser flowers each year. I'm really excited to see HF's blooms! Not many rose gardeners grow him. I caved and bought a William Lobb, too. Ha, ha. Great minds? I wanted to grow him again just to see and smell those luscious mauve blooms. He's a classic! At some point, I may have to rehome him. He'll outgrow his pot. I applaud your adding some darker roses into the pastel mix. I find that my sweet pinks, blushes and whites shine all the more with sultry companions.

Given what @mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY) shared, it sounds like Hippolyte might be a better choice than The Bishop. The Bishop may be more of a large collection rose. If I had the space, I'd grow every Gallica I could get my garden-gloved hands on. Alas...teeny, tiny real estate. @mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY), it's good to know that Hippolyte is a more mannerly spreader! Fewer strays to spy and pluck from my overcrowded beds. Thank you for the info! Carol

I grow and absolutely LOVE Hippolye, so much I wanted to buy another but couldn't find one in stock, but I have a cutting coming along that I hope has rooted. The color is so incredibly beautiful! For me, he is acting like a climber - see attached (not great) photo of him on an arch with Paul Transom (he's the dark purple, needless to say).

I do have The Bishop, too. He's new to me, so I can't really comment - he had his first bloom last spring, which was very beautiful and, as I recall, on the early side of the rose season (Hippolyte comes at prime time). The plant seems vigorous, even in the somewhat shady spot I have it.

I love gallicas! I too have a new William Lobb, so can't make much comment, and agree that Chales de Mills is thuggish - but gorgeous. For me, honestly, La Belle Sultane is a worse thug, however, though I still love her.

The problem with 'The Bishop' is that there are many roses in distribution under that name, so without knowing which rose you get, its impossible to give an opinion on it.

If you look at the photo entries on HMF for 'The Bishop', you will see that there are at least five different roses illustrated among them. (I spotted "Rush Gallica" among them) You could receive any one of a number of roses when buying this one. I myself have two roses acxquired under this name, and neither resembles any of the ones photographed on HMF.

'Hippolyte' on the other hand is an excellent rose, and distinctive enough that it rarely (if ever) is misidentified in commerce.

"The Bishop"

Great info from @Paul Barden as always!

When the name is framed in double quotation marks in the Vintage Gardens catalog, that is a sure heads up. My limited bed space plus the ongoing identity confusion has stopped me from collecting "The Bishop", but if I had the room and the time, I'd likely try to acquire and compare all, one from every available provenance, out of sheer curiosity.

@frances_in_nj, you and I are antique rose soul mates! I could live in bliss in your garden of romantic perfection.

Carol

Thank you Paul and Carol, I guess I'll steer clear of The Bishop, then. I'll just cross my fingers that I get some nice purple-y tones out of my William Lobb and Indigo. WL is getting planted next to Great Maiden's Blush, so I'm hoping for a beautiful harmony there.

@Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b) Wm Lobb is a wonderful old Moss! A thorny guy but VERY fragrant, rich and royal and velvety in color and a true classic. I think you will enjoy him, and he is going to look stunning next to Maiden's Blush--a brilliant combo! I have no business growing WL in a pot, but I desperately want him in my life again for awhile. If you wish to try another purple Gallica, I'd boldly recommend Hippolyte even though mine is still young. Francis' photo is charming! I adore my Ellen Tofflemire, too! Such a kaleidoscope of deep pink-mauve-violet! Both of these Gallicas are mannerly to my knowledge/in my experience. Tuscany Superb is very lightly fragrant but still my favorite rose ever. I swoon at its feet every spring. :-) Carol

@portlandmysteryrose Do you think William Lobb could be trained (with heavy gloves!) into fanning out flat against a fence? That's my plan and I'm hoping to hear that it's possible 🤞 Good luck with the container growing, I can't wait to see your photos! :) I do want to try Hippolyte (and Mrs. John Laing eventually), I sure have no business buying more roses (I bought 9 more this year and they are getting SQUEEZED in somewhere) so it's probably for the best that they're currently out of stock. But next season when they are restocked, fair game haha. I shoveled a few roses this year that didn't make the cut, I'm trying to be ruthless about roses that I am not in love with. Too many to try and not enough room, the perpetual problem.

'Hippolyte', originally from Pickering Nurseries.

Gorgeous, @Paul Barden! My Hippolyte aspires to grow up and become your photo. Carol

@Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b) How's CO? This is my front garden today after a sudden storm in Portland, OR. (Insert shock faced emoji.) Carol

@portlandmysteryrose Your snow picture is so beautiful! Much of the same here, yesterday we got about 5" of snow and it went down to -8°F. This winter has been very cold and snowy here, I've hardly seen the ground in my garden in many months, it's been buried under ice and snow since some time in November. I'm pretty desperate for spring to come around by now 😅

That's a pretty picture of The Bishop. Looks pretty cold in Portland! We've had a mild Jan and Feb. My plant of The Bishop was acquired in a trade with Robert in VA. I don't know where his came from. I find that it is a vigorous plant and think the growth is a bit angular and awkward also. It is a fairly healthy rose. I think I've lost my Hippolyte. It was a smaller plant here.

The Bishop is the pinkish purplish rose in the middle.

I have not noticed it proliferating.

A baby band of "Hippolyte" came home with me today! Yayyyyy so excited

@Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b) Woo-hoo! I think you're going to be very happy with Hippolyte. I could not stop visiting my baby Burlington Gallica's first bloom last spring-early summer. I suspect Hippolyte may become one of my absolute favorite roses. We can watch our babies grow up together. Ha, ha! Carol