I have grown Harlekin for a few years now and I am kind of on the fence about it. It took a couple of years to get going but now it is a very vigorous rose. The growth habit is stiff and upright so I think it would be hard to train on a fence unless the fence was very tall. It takes hard pruning so it can be kept down to 6 feet but it has the potential to become a monster if you let it go. It has bright, dark pink edges which are definitely not red. It does get some blackspot here in damp Seattle but it is vigorous enough to replace the leaves that drop off. It can be unsightly though and will have bare legs because of the blackspot. In a climate with more blackspot pressure, it might defoliate. It responds well to spraying and occasional spraying of the base leaves can keep the blackspot under control. It is pretty much in constant bloom once it gets established. But I do not love it. I just don't find the flowers to be all that pretty. They are just OK. I don't like the centers of the flowers and the flowers tend to have some brown on the edges. I consider it to be a background rose but I think it is disappointing when viewed close up.

Hello and thanks so much for this fun swap!!!!!!!!! Shirley & Craftie2 & Corrine & Vina thanks for the congrats. It felt so good to win that I actually jumped up and did a dance. My significant other, Noel, went running for his camera so I calmed right down lol. No need for documentation... but I am so in love with all things garden and gardening that the idea of a "supa prize" got me up into the air. Corrine, thank you for your thoughts on attitude -- I think you've got that absolutely right and I'll be filing your examples in the back of my mind and pulling them out when necessary and applicable....probably tomorrow lol!!!! Have had a lot of fun and enjoyed meeting you all -- looking forward to sharing and hearing about everyone's gardening exploits and experiences in the coming season. Thank you so much Vina for brightening each day with your stories and wonderful pictures, games, etc. and for all your organizational effort!!! Best wishes, Barbara rhodes145

Since they live near me I have been in on day one when they gave birth at Hershey Med. That week Kate who looked much different then with short brown hair, no make up, and a frumpy body said she needed a car when they all go out as a family. I thought..so buy one and don't ask for donations. She whined and whined in every interview about the expense and all the problems. She got volunteers and treated them like crap...never speaking to them and resenting their intrusion in her house. She left post -its everywhere and fired a nanny for washing her hands in the kitchen sink. Jon was very young when they married but has really helped her despite all the screaming at him by her. They lived in a modest house and needed to move so they did. And now they live in a McMansion on many acres.Third move in three years. She screams about the paparazzi but SHE asked for it. If she had not agreed to exploit her kids, she would not cause a single person to photograph her. Jon has hair plugs, Kate has teeth work including whitening, a tummy tuck, breast work ,her hair do which is the ugliest one I ever saw but she claims people every where want to know who does it, and free dental, haircuts, doctors visits, ski vacations renewal of marriage vows in Hawaii, appearance on Martha Stewart and all the shows..Limos picking then up to go to parks , Disney..and YET this is not enough. She writes w/ a ghost writer THREE books and goes on tours letting Jon take the kids. Why? If you want your picture taken with Kate it will cost you $75. Imagine. They canceled a conference here last week because no one wanted to pay the $45 ticket price.Her whole family is estranged from her..even her brother and SIL who helped a lot . When TLC wanted to reimburse them Kate screamed that only she would be paid. Mady takes right after Kate in personality and when the little ones aren't cute anymore but sullen 8 year old like the twins , Kate's glory days will be gone. I cannot stand her and sympathize totally with Jon.They get up to $75,000 an episode and have 40 a year. She thinks she's celebrity.

Nanas- very strong fragrance to my nose. Old rose scent, maybe a bit grapefruity like Jude the Obscure? I don’t get the anise notes I’ve heard about just yet, but only one other bloom semi-opened so I’ll report back if that changes. haku- she put on a ton of growth first spring/summer (2017) with no flowers and then buds this year. She’s billed as a climber so I’m trying her on a corner trellis to break up some ugly pvc stockade fence with Madame Annisette as her neighbor. The fence shades her from about 4:00 on id say? And the house blocks out direct sun early on, so she’s probably getting about 5 hours of direct a day.