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ordphien

I've been nurturing Dr. Huey!

ordphien
9 years ago

Two years ago. Buried under a well established vine I found the remains of a very small trellis. The kind you see sold with vines in the pot. And a very small struggling rose. Much closer to the wall than the others. Maybe one small cane and one set of leaves.
. I'm honestly not sure how it was alive.

Anyway. I concluded that my grandmother had planted, and neglected, a climbing rose.

I nurtured it for a year. It grew. Kinda.
It was plagued by affliction after affliction. First blackspot, then rust, then powdery mildew. The first two are diseases I never really see.
The mildew was the worst case id ever seen.

Finally... Finally it made blooms.
They were so afflicted with mildew that I decided to cut them off and enjoy the next flush.
Mildew often recedes in summer for me.

To my surprise, no blooms! It never bloomed again. I then concluded, perhaps it was a once bloomer.
Fast forward to this year.
5 long flexible canes, good growth, lots of lovely foliage.
And surprise surprise, no diseases!

It made lots of happy buds.
I was eager to see what colour and form they were.

After much patient waiting, blooms!
And they were red, and open, and scentless.

It all clicked.

My grandma wasn't exactly a rose person.
She planted some hybrid teas in scents and colours she liked (in a far les than ideal location I might add), both for a pop of colour on the side ave to cut for the vase. Mainly for the vase.

So her planting a climber, let alone a once bloomer. It didn't make sense.

But more than anything my grandmother hated red roses. She would never plant one.
I was a little crushed. I nurtured Dr. Huey for two whole years.

I am the gardener. But nothing permanent is done without my grandpa's say so.

So I asked him. Should we keep it?

He said yes.
And I must admit I've come to like it against my wall.
It's a pretty background.

I mainly wanted to share the story, but I also want to ask...

Am I inviting disaster?
Should I rip it out while I have the chance?

The wall is covered with two vines as it stands.
My grandfather's opinion was. It's there, doesn't affect anything, and looks pretty in spring.
The wall isn't very tall. Maybe 8 feet. But it is very long.
About 20 feet. Maybe 25.

It will be tied to the existing vines. I don't really wish to give it it's own space.

I'm confused and conflicted lol.

Comments (12)

  • seil zone 6b MI
    9 years ago

    Many people have nurtured Dr. Huey over the years. It does put on a pretty spectacular display in the spring. Don't be surprised if after it's finished blooming it becomes diseased again though. That's typical for it. If your grandpa wants to keep it there's nothing wrong with that. It may be a sentimental thing for him because your grandmother planted it.

  • hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
    9 years ago

    It looks like it has plenty of competition--so much so I would not plant a different rose there where it likely would struggle. If you like the spring show, let it ride. If you want a different rose, I'd get rid of the other stuff first.

  • Kippy
    9 years ago

    I can relate.

    When cleaning up the backyard I removed all the vines that covered the windows to the bathroom and were pulling down the roof trim (and allowing vermin in to the attic). One vine my parents did not mind loosing but the rose I had to keep. I spent a couple of days trying to dig out a root the width of my calf from the yard. Finally drug the beast to another side of the house and replanted it. It died and mom was so disappointed. After all the rose on the other side of the walk was rather similar to it :) Once I got interested in roses I noted that the red rose had two different types of blooms. One with just a few petals...hello good Doc H.

    Now we can laugh about the perils of removing that beast of a rose (I had cut it down to about 5' tall) and how sad mom was that it did not make it. Don Juan is happy to have lost its suckers too.

  • dublinbay z6 (KS)
    9 years ago

    When I bought this property years ago, I found a couple Dr. Huey's growing--and let them grow for several years. They put on a good show in the spring--but are total losers after that spring bloom. Mine would be devastated with BS for the rest of the summer.

    If it's not bothering anything and you like the blooms (I enjoyed mine while I had them), leave it there--but don't plant any other roses in that vicinity or you are going to be fighting rose diseases on all the roses.

    On the other hand, why not plant Don Juan climber there? Gorgeous red blooms, not a disease-magnet, and it re-blooms.

    But it all comes down to--whatever gives you pleasure.

    Kate

  • ordphien
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Seil - I really hope it doesn't do that. But at least now I won't be surprised.

    Hoovb - alot of competition. I have no intention of replacing it. And certainly wouldn't be allowed to remove the other vines lol.
    I figured that since it was already there. Why not?

    Kippy-the-hippy - lol! That is funny. I wish my story was as hilarious. I'm happy I'm not the only one to nurture it though.

    Dublinbay - I can't have that! I'll attach a picture. The good Dr. is behind an established bed of all my grandma's roses.
    If it's going to spread disease it'll have to come out.
    I'll wait and see.

    I have no plans to replace it, as pretty as it is, for a few reasons.

    It's very crowded there.
    Theres two vines on that wall as it is. And she planted the roses far too choose together. The soil is terrible. And the sun.
    Maybe when she first planted them it got enough sun. But now, with established trees. 3 or 4 hours tops.

    It did however, make me want climbing roses in other spots.

  • charleney
    9 years ago

    I may be getting a Dr. Huey on an old, old rose right now. But usually, the good Dr. comes on faster than this one. So watching and waiting this one. Nothing ventured, nothing gained here. If it is the good Dr. I will rip it out immediately, and not look back.

  • seil zone 6b MI
    9 years ago

    If it's coming up on an already existing, growing rose then you do need to get rid of it. If left alone it will eventually kill the other rose completely. If the other rose has died and the Dr. comes up then it's up to you if you want to keep it or not.

  • thelarkascending
    9 years ago

    Hey!
    I know y'all posted a long time ago, but I saw this post and was interested. I agree with everyone else, so I won't repeat it, but um, I couldn't help wondering... do you know what that rose on the right in the last picture is? Thanks! :)

  • toolbelt68
    9 years ago

    And..... while we're on the subject of Dr. Huey, I also have him growing and will never get rid of him. When we first moved here I planted a few roses, Mr. Lincoln being one. It bloomed, had beautiful petals for all of three days. A light wind came by and blew all of them away. Sooooo, I dug that hummer up. After digging down a couple feet I still saw the roots of what I though was Mr. Lincoln. Anyhow, to make a log story short, I filled in the hole and was surprised when this neat rose popped up in it's place. I said if it can come back after that it deserves to live and live it will ! ! !
    I didn't know what type he was until you folks started talking about Dr. Huey. Keep up the good work.... Merry Christmas

  • hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
    9 years ago

    great poem, bluegirl!!!!!

    lark ascending, there are any number of roses that might be, the camera is extremely far from the flowers to make an exact ID.

  • catsrose
    9 years ago

    I have a Zephy on Dr Huey. When the Dr first appeared, I was horrified and was about to whack off the sucker. But he looked so handsome with Zephy's pink that I decided to wait until they had finished blooming. Four years later, they are still doing their spring dance. They also blackspot and defoliate together, but by the time that happens, the hydrangea in front of them has leafed out and redirects the eye of the beholder.

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