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irish_rose_grower

Do you have a favorite Romantica rose?

irish_rose_grower
18 years ago

Hi. I was at a local nursery yesterday and they had a lot of the Romantica series roses (all on sale). I don't grow any of these roses and was wondering if you had a favorite Romantica? I saw the 2 climbers, Eden and Collette. Do you grow these?

Thanks,

Maureen

Comments (80)

  • newyorkrita
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    The picture of Rouge Royal is stunning!!! This is deffinately going to be one of the Romanticas I get for next years garden!

  • newyorkrita
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Bumping this up for information.

  • newyorkrita
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I was able to smell a bloom of Michaelangelo at a local Nursery awhile back so that one is also on my must have list. I am wondering were I am going to put them. Oh, well, I have all winter to stew on it as I am not getting any until next spring.

  • cavamarie
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have been scanning several good vendor sites that have information about rose classes (newbie here if you didnt know) and I cant find information about what Romanticas are. Is this an old garden rose, or are these newer varieties? Thanks.

  • Micimacko
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Kathy, Romanticas are modern roses bred by the house of Meilland in France. If you check out Helpmefid they list them as separate class. There are HT type roses among them, shrubby ones, climbers as well as floribundas. Most but not all are very fragrant.

  • michaelg
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    As Marie suggests, "Romantica" is a marketing line rather than an official class. Generally they have old fashioned, very double bloom form but glossy modern foliage and, in most cases, a modern upright growth habit.

  • erasmus_gw
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Just a note that my Michaelangelo is still putting out lots of blooms but they're all being eaten.

  • Al Mitchell zone 5b (ameri2nal)
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Frederic Mistral- Bush gets tall and wide. Piercingly strong fragrance, constant repeat but late on the first flush of the season. Easy to grow

    Peter Mayle- Grows tall and narrow. Has big very fragrant flowers for me, on a clean bush. I liked mine so much, I've added a second this year.

    Rouge Royal- Wants to get wide, about 4 feet tall for me. Blooms in distinct flushes, awesome fragrance, beautiful deep color. Needs tlc.

    Yves Piaget- Mine has been moved 3 times in three years, but is the opposite of vigorous. My plant is not a good specimen. Leaves are discolored and sparse. I've had one enormous flush this year so far. Mine is ownroot and I'm wondering if maybe I should try a grafted one. Or maybe I should just leave it in the same spot for a couple of years!
    Fragrance is wonderful but the thrips adore it.

    Michaelangelo- New this year, but is growing very well. Not very strong smelling to my nose yet. Big yellow flowers that seem to hold their color pretty well in full sun.

    Bolero- Very promising white. Mine is still a small baby but the flowers last long and are deliciously sweet smelling.

    Comptesse de Provence- Still a baby, but has good repeat. Smells very similar to Madame Issac Periere to me.

    AL

  • Jean Marion (z6a Idaho)
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Recently saw Bolero and was enchanted by the blooms. I'm thinking this might be a good old fashioned white with perhaps better foilage than Winchester Cathedral or Fair Bianca...

    Anyone have Bolero for longer than a year? What shape does the bush turn out to be?

  • newyorkrita
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    To anyone having questions about Romanticas, this is a great thread with lots of info.

  • newyorkrita
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hurry, hurry, hurray!!! I was at the local nursery today that was mentioned by Irish rose grower (maureen) at the very beginning of this thread. They had all their roses (nice 3 gallon sizes) marked down to $9.99 (from the original $24.99).

    I bought Frederic Mistral so now I have my very first Romantica!!!!

  • irish_rose_grower
    Original Author
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Rita, you collection is growing very nicely. Congradulations on your first Romanitca!! And I don't have Mr. Lincoln, but got a whiff of him last year at a nursery and he sent me over the edge ......

    p.s. I'm getting my first raspberry bush (or vine??). I'm not sure the variety. I'm trading a forumer a banana plant for a raspberry plant.

  • lagomorphmom
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Another view from SoCal, probably more toward the coast...

    Favorite Romantica is tuff, maybe I can cheat ;-)

    Best bush and awsome red flower: Traviata (20" pot)
    Note: he was a one caned wonder until his move across the driveway (afternoon sun instead of morning) and now he's really awsome, if lop sided. Gorgeous dark green leaves, resistant here in the PM hell-mouth. Wish I had room for another even if he doesn't smell.

    Prettiest flower: maybe Yves-Piaget. (16" pot)
    Since we can't grow peopnies here, I love the flower form. Doesn't bloom well for me, and not enough leaves, but I'd still get another. I'm sure he'd do better in the ground (as would everthing else)

    Most awesome color: Jean Giorno (20" pot)
    Buttery, canary yellow. Awesome and lasted a long time on bush this spring. Not the best repeat here this summer, but I struggle with pot location and regular care including spray, fertilizer, also this year we were decimated after spring flush with bugs that ate everyone's leaves. Nice big bush some mildew.

    Toulouse Letrec: (ground)
    Nice yellow. Sure it has vegetative centers, but I find them unique and interesting. Probably not for your only yellow (Henry Fonda and Golden Celebration for me)

    Peter: (20" pot)
    What a great strapping bush and flowers even under my somewhat challenging conditions. Very healthy only very slight mildew here.

    RR: (20" pot)
    Thanks to the other thread on her, I think she's going over to the other side of the driveway for morning sun. Lovely flowers, some mildew. Don't see what's wrong with her leaves, but again, she's in a pot.

    Johann Strauss: (16" pot)
    Stays a nice size in this pot. Lovely flowers, doesn't ball here at all, and that's one thing I don't tolerate.

    Freddie: (20" pot)
    Nice big bush, could use more leaves (but see care disclaimer). Very pretty pink HT type flowers, smaller in the summer.

    Michaelangelo: ground
    Nice bush, some problem with mildew. He could be in a better place.

    All in all, if I lost any of these, I'd probably replace almost all of them even though my space is very limited. Like children, I love them most all equally, yet differently.

    Say, thanks for the Star link, did you see they have a Pink Traviata??? I think I'll have to start a new thread...

    Kerin

  • newyorkrita
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Bump for information.

  • kday
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Has anyone had any luck with 5 hours of sun or less on these?

  • dennisb1
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have 3 Traviata's; the parent (2002) and 2 rooted cuttings (2003).
    The parent is about 7' tall x 3-4 ' wide and constantly in bloom, very well foliated.
    One rooted cutting is in full sun and is comparable to the parent but about 2/3 size.
    The other is planted under a large oak tree about 2'or so from inside the drip line. I'm not sure how much sun it gets but it's less than optimal, probably less than 5hrs. It's a runt (about 3'), but it blooms OK, it's leaves are somewhat sparse. Not a great looking plant but healthy and comparable to some that I've seen in public gardens under optimal conditions.

    dennis

  • luanne
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My Yves is never out of flowers, buds and blooms. He is leafy, healthy and the big silky peony flowers smell to kingdom come. Favorite.
    Guy de M.-balled continuously>gone.
    Jean Giono--gorgeous flowers, disease susceptible, no scent.
    Toulous L.--wonderful citrussy scent, good cut, good repeat. Fungally fragile.
    Peter Mayle--very healthy, tall, many long strong stems, big stinky blooms, great to cut.
    Rouge Royale--burns in the heat, I have to go out and shake the shovel at him frequently. Great scent and does need to be cut rather than left to burn.
    Abbaye de C.--had one good one with a lovely scent and gorgeous blooms. Current one just got scent to the orphanage for insideous rust, could not keep it back.
    Traviata got left for lack of scent.
    LA
    {{gwi:284990}}
    {{gwi:284991}}
    Yves

  • bcmouli
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I live in Naperville, IL and new to roses. Can someone tell me
    which are the local nurseries that carry a good selection of healthy rose plants?

    In particular, I am interested in the Burgundy Iceberg variety. I vistied several websites listed in this forum, but I cannot find ones carrying this one.

  • llpnut
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I just bought two red Edens
    do they bloom any better than regular Eden?

    Yves and Fred still live here, but, in the hottest dryest summer in umpteen years, they aren't too happy

  • andreageorgia
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Nice, nice, thanks everyone for the good information and lovely pictures. I guess I'll a have to try a few of these lovely stinkers.

    Andrea

  • susan82
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I love Johann Strauss. Beautiful plant even when not in bloom! Lovely porcelain pink blooms that last forever in a vase. The only thing I would change is to add more fragrance.

    I also love Polka, which is a lovely apricot and also lasts well in a vase.

    My next Romantica will be Comtesse de Provence :)

  • cbarkston
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My favorite rose in my garden is a Romantica---Eden. I bought my Eden a few years ago at LOWE's, of all places. It was probably 3 1/2-4 ft tall when I bought it so I'm guessing it was probably a 3 year plant at the time. It immediately took off the first year and flourished--growing to the top and spreading over my 9 ft. lattice patio screen. The first flush is always the fullest but it repeats so well for me that it seems to be continuously blooming. I have gorgeous photos----I'm planning to learn how to post photos this week-end so I'll try to post one soon. I also have Yves Piaget and love him lots too. My favorite thing about Yves, (besides its fragrance, the HUGE cup-shaped blooms and bright pink color) is those many ruffly petals. I had Rouge Royale but it was so tiny when I got it that I decided to try to nurture it in the container before planting it but it died :0 (

  • carla17
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I don't know if I would say favorite but Peter Mayle does very well for me and is very fragrant. One of mine bit the dust, I also have Yves but don't remember the 3rd one. Lots of people like Comtesse de Provence. They are some sweet smelling babies.

    Carla

  • newyorkrita
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I am getting Peter Mayle as soon as I find it. I have a Fredric Minstral from last fall.

  • agility_mom
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I would have said that Yves Paiget was my favorite but now I have Rouge Royale too and it just bloomed so I have may have a tie. I also have Traviata, Francois Rabelais, Peter Mayle and Tolouse Letrec from last year and they are doing well. This season I added White Eden, Contesse de Provence, Frederick Mistral and Bolero so the jury is still out on those but so far I love the blooms.
    You can't just have 1. Next season I am going to order the rest in the collection.

  • patricianat
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I like all of them much better than the Austins, each and everyone that I Have and adore the Generosas.

  • newyorkrita
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Frederic Mistral is great this year, looks smashing in my garden. I think he would be hard to beat. I saw mature Fredric Minstrals in glorious full bloom at Susan's yesterday and can't wait until mine gets big like that.

  • susan4952
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My new white Eden...very fragrant

  • newyorkrita
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    So far my favorites are -

    Peter Mayle. Loved it so much I have two. The color is yummy and they smell great.

    Fredric Mistral - Great Rose.

    Michaelangelo - Nice yellow color.

    Those are the only ones I have but I know I will get other Romanticas next spring.

  • Molineux
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Psssst! Click the link below. Do it now. ROUGE ROYALE in all her glory.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Tivoli's ROUGE ROYALE

  • roseleaf
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Rouge Royale is great. So is Peter Mayle and Polka that I cut recently in the mix with Meilands and other roses:

    {{gwi:284992}}

  • newyorkrita
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    That is beautifull. Looks like a painting. Stunning.

  • jlalfred
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I can't explain how much I love my Toulouse Letrec.
    By far the prettiest yellow I have. Great plant with
    no problems. Of course I have never seen a JB in my
    yard. (Knock on Wood). I said once as a joke that I
    would use a blow tourch on them. Now after reading all
    of you talk about them. I just may. And roseleaf, I saved your picture to use as a background on my desktop. I promice no one else will get it from me. John

  • roseleaf
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    John,
    Au contraire, feel free to to pass it on to whoever appreciating the beauty of a rose. I imagine growing roses and nurturing a garden may just keep someone to stay away from trouble :)

    Given the ramification of image posting on a public forum, I chose to post a smaller version of my original source rather than to embed a watermark across a larger photo, which imo may appear distracting after all I decided to share something folks could enjoy without compromising the quality.

  • roseluvr
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Last year I posted about Francois Rabelais-this year I would like to say that Traviata is wonderful as well. My 2 bushes are at least 5 feet tall and always in bloom. The leaves are dark green and beautiful-just a relatively carefree rose and a pleasure to have in my garden, even if it carries no real fragrance.

  • nwroselady
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    No one here has mentioned Centennial Star, a lovely yellow Romantica with a narrow red edge. It's definitely my favorite.

  • luxrosa
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My favorites are "Toulouse-Latrec" even with the vegetative centers, I decided that if I didn't know this was a disfiguaation, it wouldn't bother me.
    "Yves Piaget" Such a voluptuous beauty, and that fragrance!

    Our "Polka" does not bloom very often, it might need more sun.
    "Comtesse de Province" is stingy with her blooms, but they are adorably nuanced in hue and scent.

    If you had a choice between "Peter Mayle" and "Frederic Mistral" which would you grow?
    thanks Lux.
    P.s Roseleaf, If I worked for Meilland I'd send you a thank you card for your photo posting. It's lovely.

  • kittymoonbeam
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    J. Strauss is so pretty in my yard. He gets morning sun so the color doesnt fade too much. This is such a pretty rose for vases and also the bush looks tidy and reblooms regularly. I think of it like a floribunda. I also love F. Rabelais. Short and sweet! The little sprays of quartered roses are charmers. Everyone wants to know what it is when I bring it somewhere. I'm growing F. Mistral too and I think its going to be a good bush. So far the flowers have been first rate. My question is ...where can you get virus free Romanticas? I'm not sure I trust the company I got my plants from anymore.

  • roseleaf
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Luxrosa, Its not easy for me to exclude Peter Mayle or Fred Mistral because theyre great cut flower with excellent fragrances so I have both. Peters perfume is heavier on old rose fragrance and strong. Fred Mistrals scent is hard to describe, but it is one that sooths my senses, sort of bringing me to cloud nine, so to speak. Im not helping much here with your selection.

    Our Polka gets morning sun and afternoon shade. Polka used to be stingy until this year when I include frequent liquid fertilizing, and she has made basal breaks and set new buds in large candelabras since late spring. This rose makes me work for the blooms but its worth it.

    Kittymoonbeam, Over there, you may want to order from HeirloomRoses or Northland Rosarium. These vendors sell own root roses, if thats what you want; and from my experience, would strive to make sure you get the clean roses.

  • newyorkrita
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    This year I ordered Francois Rabelais as I love the true red old rose form and figgured I would like it. It lists as a Floribunda. I don't think its one of the better known ones but it is mentioned by roseluvr above.

    I have to say my least favorite is Michaelangelo. It is a nice rose but never as beautiful as the pictures I had seen which made me go out and buy it.

  • agility_mom
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yves is my favorite so far. But I have several others and I love them all. However, I didn't replace Toulouse Letrec when it was eaten by a rabbit because I didn't care for the centers.

  • leelf1
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Francois Rabelais was a disappointment for me. It was a BS magnet. Also, I expected at least some fragrance and didn't find any. I shovelpruned it and replaced it with Frederic Mistral, a much better choice for health and fragrance.

  • newyorkrita
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hey, lucky me. I was able to find Jardins de Bagatelle today locally when every place I tried to order one on line was sold out.

    It is supposed to smell like french perfume and that was enough for me, I had to have it.

  • Maryl (Okla. Zone 7a)
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    How interesting to read the WOWs from almost 2 years ago. I had just about decided to give Michelangelo a try when I saw your new take on it Rita. A winter hardy yellow is not to be taken lightly. Any further thoughts on what it is about it you don't care for?

  • newyorkrita
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    In all the pictures I had seen of it, it looked like a ruffled old rose look to me sometimes with a hint of gold to the yellow. I am sure that was only lighting now.

    This rose is a light lemon yellow solid color with a typical HT flower. It has no scent to me. I was wanting an old garden rose flower. Honestly I do very much like HT flowers so we will see what I think of it this spring when it blooms during the spring flush.

    I think you can find prettier Romanticas but then everyones taste varies.

  • carla17
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    As of now I don't have a favorite even though Peter Mayle drips with fragrance.
    I received my Bolero this week and I am in love. I can see easily having 4-6 of these. It's fragrant too.

    Carla

  • newyorkrita
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I decided I liked Michelangelo more than I did last year after it bloomed for the spring flush this year. Still not my favorite or anyway near it.

  • luxrosa
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Listed by preference,

    1. "Auguste Renoir" very nice rich shade of medium pink, very fragrant, of old rose.
    2. for bloom form and fragrance, "Liv Tyler" (actress who played Arwen,in Lord of the Rings) syn. "Comtesse de Province", I treasure every single bloom. An uncommon shade of peach-pink bright but not oversaturated. Nice fragrance, of sun ripened peaches. Stingy bloomer but each rose is very pretty.
    3. . Yves Piaget. It is too hot in Oakland California to grow peonies, so I console myself with the blooms of Y.P.
    4. "Rouge Royale" I much prefer this rose over our "Mr. Lincoln" for a fragrant red, as it is much more productive of bloom.
    with reservations, even in Calfornia, doesn't open well,
    3. "Betty White" Meilland, released by Star roses, I feel this should be on Romantica list. LIke a shrub rose on steroids. 6 months after being planted she is a tall giantess,with towerlike columns of 2 canes with 14-16 blooms on each,and a good number of blooms elsewhere for something that has such big blooms, huge glossy leaves, gigantic blooms, nearly baseball sized, of creamy white and pale pink. very fragrant of old rose and rose cologne. Here it only opens well when we have 4-5 days of 80 degrees plus weather, otherwise the buds rot in the morning sea mist. Haven't done a petal count yet.

    5. Toulouse Latrec, fully 1/3rd of the blooms of our plant have vegetal centers, which makes me wonder why Meilland put it on the market, I've seen this trait appear in several T-L"s for sale.

    "Polka" is nice in arrangements but requires immediate deadheading to bloom well.
    Thank you Meilland for a modern alternative to H.T.s.
    Luxrosa

  • the_bustopher z6 MO
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Of the ones I have, I like Polka as much as any of them. I just find I have to whack it hard in the spring to get it to bloom. Michaelangelo did well its first year, but has been unimpressive since. Jean Giono has a pretty gold color somewhere between yellow and orange, but is diseased a lot and doesn't do much. Johann Strauss was beautiful its first year but went downhill because of disease problems. All in all, I am most impressed with Polka. It has the nicest and most consistent flowers.

  • newyorkrita
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Its funny how diffently we all view some of these roses. Francois Rabelais, which was new for me last year, is deffinately my absolute favorite of all my Romanticas. I love both the unusual color and the full, old fashioned flower shape.

    Every year I move some of my roses and this coming spring, no exception. Last year I did lots of work on my front yard mostly floribunda rose garden. But it wasn't yet totally done. I am going to move my Fredick Mistral and my two Peter Mayles from my griveway side yard garden into the back row of that front yard garden as I think that will work very well for the back and last row to finish off that garden.

    I am going to plant holyhocks and tall cannas were I have them now as I made the place I used to have those holyhocks and cannas this past summer into what will be a daylily garden late this fall. Meaning that I redid the area and now will just plant those daylilies come spring.

    In fact, I have probably gone over to the dark side as last years summer passion was daylilies and I send my time mostly on the daylily forum instead of the rose forum.

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