Help me choose: Dee-lish, Heirloom, Boscobel, Perfume Factory & more!

last year

last modified: last year

It’s the age-old dilemma: I have space for 2 roses, and want at least 7! Can anyone provide some comparisons of the roses below on the basis of bloom quantity, bloom frequency, and hot and dry tolerance?

Perfume Factory, Heirloom, Boscobel, Dee-lish, Queen of Elegance, All Dressed Up, Raspberry Cupcake (too new to say?)

Here’s a photo of Heirloom calling my name … help!

Featured Answer

Diane Brakefield

last year

I grew Heirloom for several years in my hot and dry semi arid desert. I think it was the dry that got to Heirloom, but that rose's bloom couldn't tolerate our dry. So out she went and a Love Song replaced her and has done very well since. I love Boscobel who does well in our climate, but he's getting pretty big. He likes his neighbor, Golden Celebration a lot. And GC is terrific in our heat. Diane

March of the Boscobel army coming at you.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (20)

Kristine LeGault 8a pnw
last year
The only one of those that I grew was Heirloom. I loved that rose! The blooms were incredible and the fragrance was lovely but I couldn't clear the black spot and I rarely ever see black spot . don't spray so after 2 years of complete defoliation I gave her the heave ho.

She may do better for you in your zone. If she doesn't black spot she is beautiful.
Desert Rose (10a Sunset 19) thanked Kristine LeGault 8a pnw
Related Discussions
Favorites for Nose Diving???
Q
Comments (54)
Like many things, having a sensitive nose can be both a blessing and a curse. It can be a curse when, say, being on a hot crowded train, using an outhouse, driving a rental car, staying in a hotel room, working in a medical field. It's tough when I'm at the theatre or other show, when I can smell the entire partially digested dinner from the person next to me (mixed with their fabric softener, perfume, hair product, etc). My sister said its like I'm pregnant all the time (except that I'm a guy). On the other hand, I can tell if something is starting to overcook on the stove very early. When I was practicing clinical medicine, I could smell a strep throat, sinusitis, wound infection, or various other ailments almost as soon as I walked in the room. I've been to wine tastings where the sommelier was surprised and impressed (and I'm not a wine person). Sometimes I wish I could be like a dog and have no judgements on what I smell, no "good" or "bad" (and hence no theatre nausea). But then I wouldn't enjoy the lusciousness of many roses and other flowers. Count your blessings, I guess, in either case of sensitive nose or not.
...See More
Voluptuous, perfumed and procumbent.
Q
Comments (79)
Thank-you for those extra photos Tiffandrew. Strawberry Hill looks good too. I am looking forward to growing it up a pomegranate tree with Spirit of Freedom. I find that the older I get, the more roses I need. There is a philosophical debate for you! hutchae, the rose on the wall was bought as Felicia, but it is not that rose. I believe it is Cornelia. It blooms a lot in the spring and early summer and again in the autumn. It also has a few blooms during the summer. It does have a lovely perfume. I will look to see if I have more photos of it. The purple flower in front is one of the Verbena x hybrida. They come in a variety of colours and are very useful in pots and at the front of beds. Daisy
...See More
BEST and WORST roses for your soil and climate?
Q
Comments (68)
Bump up this thread. I hope to learn from Nippstress in zone 5, Nebraska with loamy soil & less rain. Nahema as own-root was wimpy in my dense & alkaline clay and refused to bloom unless tons of rain. While looking at Nippstress' old posts, I found that Nahema did well for her. Nippstress is in zone 5, same with me. However, my soil is heavy & dense black clay and roses that are wimpy for alkaline clay California are also wimpy in my soil, like own-root Felicia which died the minute I planted in my clay. Felicia is also wimpy for Debra in CA. Felicia has Trier (hybrid multiflora) as its parent, and multiflora doesn't like dense & compact & heavy clay. Multiflora is salt-sensitive and doesn't tolerate high pH like Dr.Huey-rootstock (my tap water pH is 9). Multiflora is a cluster root and can't push through rock-hard clay like big-fat-chunky Dr.Huey-rootstock, or vigorous own-roots with thick & woody roots. Below is multiflora-rootstock, note the thin cluster roots, NO WAY that can go through rock-hard clay which broke 2 of my shovels. The wimpiest rose in my garden was Comte de Chambord (grafted on multiflora), which was 1/3 the size of my 2 Comte as own-roots. Comte as own-root bloomed many times more than Comte grafted on multiflora. Comte own-root has thicker & woody roots that can produce acid to digest the hard minerals in my clay. Below is multiflora rootstock, note the thin cluster roots, similar to hardy snapdragon flowers: Compared that to below thick & chunky Dr.Huey stock (more like a tree's root). This is a 1st year Dr.Huey rootstock that decayed in my wet clay. I dug up older Dr.Huey (15-year-old) that spread out 4 feet in all directions, and went through my rock-hard clay better than my steel shovel:
...See More
Can you recommend me some strongly fragrant roses
Q
Comments (73)
Im wondering how I have missed Velvet Fragrance? What a beautiful red and fragrant to boot Two of my favorite for fragrance are Double Delight and Memorial Day. Tess, my mother in lae and my dad were both in care factories and I know the joy that they would have received by sharing the fragrance and beauty of real roses or any flowers actually What a great ministry and blessing for those who love fresh flowers but have gardens no more Well done !!
...See More
SoCalGardenNut
last year
last modified: last year
Out of your list, Boscobel is the best for me. Deelish didnt even produce a decent bloom, so i gave it away or it died under my care, lol.

As for Heirloom, I get an occasional bloom every once in a while.

Queen of Elegance is very vigorous and so is All Dressed Up.

i never had Raspberry Cup nor Perfume factory.
Desert Rose (10a Sunset 19) thanked SoCalGardenNut
Desert Rose (10a Sunset 19)
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
Kristine: Thank you for helping me resist the siren song of Heirloom!

Diane: Is your incredible March of the Boscobel Army one bush or multiple? Wow!

GardenNut: It's super useful to hear your comparisons of 5 out of 7 of these roses. I've gotten the sense from this forum and my local nurseries that Boscobel and All Dressed Up are both good roses for our climate. Do you find that the blooms of Queen of Elegance can stand up to the dry heat equally well? And is the growth habit of Queen of Elegance particularly tall and narrow?
Diane Brakefield
last year
Desert Rose, that's one Boscobel. Hopefully, if you grow him, the army won't trample you--ha. Diane
Desert Rose (10a Sunset 19) thanked Diane Brakefield
SoCalGardenNut
last year
Queen of Elegance is in my front yard, it can withstand heat, but it can send out huge long cane, so tall is correct.
Desert Rose (10a Sunset 19) thanked SoCalGardenNut
Christian
last year
Out of your options Boscobel is my choice nice fragrance productive well behaved and pairs very well with lavander.

I have Queen of Elegance and she is tough as nails. I bought her in the spring of 2020 as a potted plant failed to plant her then took her with me in the fall of 2020 when I moved wintered her over in her pot(little to no protection) then neglected her most of 2021 and didnt plant her until fall of 2021. She seemed to settle in nicely 2022 was an awful year for gardening here in nampa but things are looking well for her so far in 2023. hopefully she impresses me this year with some good flowers.

here are a few photos of the flowers she managed to produce.
Desert Rose (10a Sunset 19)
Original Author
last year
Diane: Your Boscobel is very persuasive!

GardenNut: Thanks for the info about QoE’s growth habit.

Christian: Thanks for letting me know that Boscobel has been a great rose for you, too, and for the beautiful photos of QoE. Her colors are so complex and lovely.
sultry_jasmine_nights (Florida-9a-ish)
last year
Of those you mentioned I only have Boscobel. Totally different climate of course but does well here too. It is pink in the cooler winter/early spring temps. It is coral in the warmer temps.
SoCalGardenNut
last year
Boscobel in full sun here

small bush
Krista_5NY
last year
I'm not in your zone, but thought I'd mention that Perfume Factory has a wonderful strong sweet scent, and Dee-lish as well.

I didn't care for the fragrance and bloom color of Queen of Elegance.

Perfume Factory
Desert Rose (10a Sunset 19)
Original Author
last year
Thanks for more votes of confidence for Boscobel, Sultry and GardenNut. I just love the shape of those blooms.

Krista: Your Perfume Factory is gorgeous! I love that saturated deep pink. And I did smell Dee-lish one time, and remember being completely bowled over by the fragrance. Do these both bloom and repeat well for you?
Krista_5NY
last year
They are both so new to the garden that I can't say how well they will repeat bloom. Dee-lish is a Meilland rose, Perfume Factory is a Carruth rose. Other roses from these breeders have done well in my garden.
Desert Rose (10a Sunset 19)
Original Author
last year
At my latest visit to Otto and Sons, Raspberry Cupcake was too adorable to resist, so I took it home with me. Meanwhile, my parents ended up buying All Dressed Up, so I get to visit it! Boscobel and Dee-lish were both out of stock, but are still on my mind, as is Perfume Factory. Queen of Elegance is gorgeous, but maybe too tall for this particular spot. And I’m probably going to skip Heirloom, enchanting as its blooms can be, based on Diane’s report that the blooms don’t like dry weather.

Here’s Raspberry Cupcake at the nursery. The fragrance is exactly as advertised: very strong raspberry and lemon.
forever_a_newbie_VA8
last year
last modified: last year
Desert rose, it is interesting to know Raspberry Cream Rose is advertised as very strong raspberry and lemon. The label coming with mine says ”light green apple scent”. And that is what I smell of it. I hope when it matures it will have stronger fragrance. I love the flower

My Perfume Factory is about to open. It smells strong old rose and is certainly very beautiful

I saw an all dressed up rose at a local nursey at $69.99. I would have bought it but for the price
DDinSB (Z10b Coastal CA)
last year
last modified: last year
@forever_a_newbie_VA8 - I think you have a different rose there -- Raspberry Cream Twirl?. Raspberry Cupcake is just out this year, I believe.

@Desert Rose (10a Sunset 19) - so glad you picked up the Raspberry Cupcake! It was great seeing you there -- even if I was in my grubbies and hoping NOT to see anyone! ;-)

I grew Heirloom years ago (died in the Tea Fire, and I didn't re-plant). It smelled delightful, and it was pretty. I think it bloomed a fair amount. I think I just got tired of it. I'm growing Perfume Factory now, but it's new to me -- planted from a 1 gallon o/r I got from Heirloom Roses last fall. First bloom was pretty and very fragrant. I think I'll like it. I think Love Song beats all the lavenders for form and health, though.

I grew Boscobel and it was super healthy and bloomed a lot. I just didn't love the bit of salmon-y/coral in its coloring, so gave it to a ffriend who still thinks I'm crazy for letting it go.

I gave away Dee-Lish because the color didn't do it for me -- but it smelled lovely.

I think your Raspberry Cupcakes will do well for you!
Desert Rose (10a Sunset 19)
Original Author
last year
Forever a Newbie - Raspberry Cupcake is indeed a different rose. Your Raspberry Cream Twirl and Perfume Factory are lovely!

Deborah - It was so fun seeing you at Otto’s, and thank you for all of this great info. Perfume Factory looked great at the Huntington all last season. I bet it will be a good one for you. And I need to figure out more places to plant roses!
Ang NC_7B
last year
I’m about to give up on Heirloom in my garden. I am on my second one and it is giving me the same issues the first one did— terrible blackspot and defoliating, pitiful canes. I don’t think it likes my rainy climate. The blooms are just so pretty and smell amazing. I’ll give it this season along with some babying to see how it goes.

I got Raspberry Cupcake this year too, and I am excited to see what it does!
Diane Brakefield
last year
Poor Heirloom. It couldn't take my dry heat, and the blooms shriveled and burned, and it can't take Ang's rainy climate, either. I think Heirloom needs to retire. The roses people want keep being retired, but the older, unsuccessful roses just keep on showing up at big box stores. Diane
forever_a_newbie_VA8
last year
@DDinSB (Z10b Coastal CA)@Desert Rose (10a Sunset 19) Yeah you are right. I misse read the post. Indeed I had considered getting a Raspberry Cupcake and this puts it back in my list. thank you!