You need at least 3. In my zone it is beautiful. Since it is a Buck rose, I would think it would be good for you. I love it.
Sammy

I heard wonderful things about this rose before I acquired one. Mine was new last year (from the Parks Wholesale sale) and produced one gorgeous bloom. I didn't think it survived the winter, despite having been planted pretty deep. However, a shoot appeared through the soil, and I'm hoping it's not from rootstock. I don't protect my roses, so I don't know what will happen next winter. I try to stay hopeful. :-)

Susan

Of my 200+ roses, Distant Drums is right up there as one of my favorites. I think the colors are amazing. Must have rose.

My Distant Drums, small own root from RU, made it through its first winter here in zone 4 and is now growing like crazy. This is a fascinating and uniquely beautiful rose - don't give up on having one!

AC

I'm with Sammy. Get three. It's a real performer in bloom, and there's very little out there in the coffee color family that's as clean.

I got mine at Chamblees, but they are almost through shipping.

Sammy

I didn't like the myrrh smell which was very strong. Mine didn't survive its first winter (not planted deeply enough), and I don't miss the smell :). However - the blooms were GORGEOUS and many.

Carol

Two questions about this rose. Above the color is referred to as being coffee-like in shade. But the pictures look kind of two tone like a dusty apricot and pink. Can someone describe the color to me?

Also does DD require spraying? I am in Northern CA where we have virtually no humidity. Thank you.

Kate

It opens with a coffee- or ochre-toned center which turns to lavender-gray-mauve. It gets blackspot in the East, but not as bad as other mauve roses.

I will show mine. Showing blooms is pretty new to me.
Sammy

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It looks like I only had one in Picture Trail.

Well Sammy that is truly stunning! Thank you for sharing it. May I ask where you purchased your Distant Drums? And again do you spray it?

And michaelg thank you for your input. Spraying for a small amount of blackspot would probably work. I have two teas that I spray about twice a summer and that is pretty much my level of sophistication when it comes to spraying roses so far. I'm hoping to keep it that way.

Kate

This was a bad year for me, and when I waited a month to spray, it defoliated. Some of my favorites must be sprayed. Prairie Star is a little worse than Distant Drums, and Honey Sweet also must be sprayed.

I think Distant Drums will defoliate and bounce back without being sprayed, but I am not sure.

Woops, Kate. Northern California does not get the black spot we get - I think.

Sammy

Much appreciated Sammy.

Kate

What a lovely rose! I'm drawn to this colouring all of a sudden. However, like Canadian Rose, and many others, I REALLY don't like the myrrh fragrance. I have Tamora, and love it as it just keeps pumping out the blooms, but I don't want another rose that smells like that. Sometimes I just take a sniff because I can't believe how strange it is! Anything else out there that looks like DD, is disease resistant, but with a strong fragrance that's not myrrh? Love the fragrance of the rest of my Austins, OGR's and rugosas, just not myrrh. Thanks in advance,
Judith

If DD is myrrh, it must be a blend of myrrh and something else because it doesn't have the same fragrance as Tamora to me. I dug Tamora up!

Distant Drums

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Carol

Carol, you dug Tamora up because of the smell?! It really is pretty weird to me too. LOL Mine is very short, so I have to really bend down to sniff (and maybe fall into my pond), but I guess if it was in my face, it would be a different story. I guess I'll have to try DD myself to see if I like the fragrance - I could be wrong about Tamora being myrrh scented; I'm pretty sure I read it somewhere on the forum. I have no idea what myrrh is SUPPOSED to smell like! Anyway, I have to keep her because of those gorgeous and plentiful blooms!
Judith

The smell, the vicious thorns and the blackspot is the reason I dug Tamora up. Deadly combination in my garden. I have some Austins that I love but most of them don't do well here. Tamora was one of them. I've s/p'd way more of them than I have kept. I wish they liked it here. They are stunning in George's garden!

Carol

In my rose border which faces northwest, most will have mildew until summer. Distant Drums never gets it. It's about 4 ft. tall and blooms in regular flushes all season. The colors are best in spring and fall.
Carol, you really captured the beauty with your picture.
Mary

Well I'm just about ready to take the plunge and order myself a nice group of three Distant Drums. I'm wondering now who the best retailer would be.

Thanks everyone for your input on this lovely rose.

Kate

I forgot about the nursery. Mine came from Chamblees. I think many nurseries handle the Buck roses. Chamblees will begin shipping again sometime in Sept. They say when on their website.

Sammy

Once more thank you Sammy. And thanks for the Distant Drums enabling. I'm excited about trying this one.

Kate

It's no spray in Vacaville- z9.

I have five and am looking for five more.

CarolFM's photo is exactly what it looks like--gorgeous.

Rebloom is rapid and full even in the heat.

Lastly, people walking on the sidewalk stop to look at it. People I meet outside ask about it.

It's practically a miracle.

MichaelAT

Oh Carol..so sorry you weren't happy with DA Rosa "Tamora" I have two of those and two Distant Drums..I bought mine from Chamblee's and planted the Spring of '2006 and just adore both of them...Jeanne
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Thanks Michael:

We are not all that far from one another. I am in the town of Quincy. Appreciate your input on this rose.

Jeanne:

Both of your roses are lovely.

Kate

I just emailed my order of three Distant Drums into Roses Unlimited. I don't want them until next spring so that should work out perfectly. I am pretty darn excited about getting them though. Now I just have to decide if I want to mix these pretties in with the KO rose hedge we will be putting in the front yard next year or start a new rose bed in the back yard.

Kate

I wouldn't mix them with Knockout roses as my Knockouts are much more vigorous and have really outgrown where I've put them...I am constantly pruning my Knockouts to keep them in shape...Jeanne

Jeanne:

That's good to know. This is our first year growing knockouts and although they are doing well they are in part shade. Next year they will all be in full sun. I can only imagine how crazy they might be then! So you trim your KO's back during the growing season and not just in the spring? Care to share a picture?

Thanks.

Kate

This pic is before I pruned them...
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and this one later on as they filled in..these are the growingest buggers along with my rosa "About Face"..they can get HUGE!! and WIDE...you moved it to more sun so you'll see the difference..Mine is in sun until about 3pm...
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Well Jeanne those are great! Thanks for the pictures. Yes they do indeed appear to be quite vigorous. So is that three bushes I see there? When we make our hedge next year I think I am going to plant them about three feet apart. Does that sound right?

While both pictures are wonderful I must say that the roses look really pretty in the second photo once trimmed and made to behave. I love them, thanks.

Kate

Kate..yes that is 3 bushes planted 3 foot on center..I could have easily planted them on 4 foot center and had the same look..glad you like and I have to hard prune them like that about 3 times a season...Jeanne

Kate, Weeks sells Distant Drums budded in California every year, or they have for the past several years. I'm not sure you gain a thing by ordering this plant own root, especially by paying transcontinental shipping. And I'm a big fan of RU, that's not the issue. I've picked them up at a variety of good garden centers for three years running.

The benefit of buying them either potted or bagged in person is that you get to see how the particular plant is budded. Distant Drums is viciously thorny and rather stiffly upright anyway, so it's not so you'd notice... but I like having a choice.

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I have mine on Own root from (Chamblee's(..They have wonderful one-gallon plants and they have thrived just beautifully in my gardens..I've gone to own-root for years now and am very pleased..check out my link...they carry quite a few of the Buck Roses....Jeanne

Here is a link that might be useful: Distant Drum from Chamblee's