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Easy Elegance roses-they seem to be pushing them hard here

enjoy
15 years ago

Hey everyone!

I was just looking online at a nursery close to here and they are pushing the Easy Elegance series of roses as a truly perfect plant and forget rose. I'm guessing they are shrub roses. Here is what they are advertising along with a 2 year warranty which is amazing as most don't guarantee roses around here. The following is what is advertised.

"They are truly exceptional - and here's why:

Each plant is grown on its own root for unequalled hardiness.

They have superior shape and evenness of size with no suckering.

They offer everblooming blossoms all season.

Most importantly - they have unbelievable disease resistance!

"The Easy Elegance® series of roses was born out of a desire to change peoples perceptions about roses. People are no longer fussy about plants that require the use of chemicals to keep them healthy."

In fact, "there are no chemicals used in the breeding or evaluation programs, absolutely none. In fact, in a seedlings' first year they are sprayed with a mixture of powdery mildew, black spot and other disease spores so any roses that show signs of disease are quickly eliminated."

Anyone have any that they can comment on? Seems like a no brainer for someone like me who can't get into the garden many days of the week due to disability. Certainly not a replacement for many of the exquisite HT's but the pics are really beautiful and they come in 11 different colours!

Comments (43)

  • Terry Crawford
    15 years ago

    I have Funny Face and I absolutely love it. I have grown it in my garden for 2 years now and it is indeed pretty much a no-care rose. It gets very tall and wide here in Zone 5 and I do not winter-protect. It experiences a lot of cane die-back but grows so fast and is now about 6' tall and about 3' wide.

    Eric grows Tahitian Moon and maybe will jump in here and comment on it.
    -terry

  • paparoseman
    15 years ago

    After it survived the greenhouse of horrors where the blackspot spores are pumped in My Hero was test grown in both the southeast and Michigan without spray or winter protection. I was starting to wonder if my potted My Hero had survived winter because it was not leafing out with the other roses. It turns out that it delays the springtime growth much like my gallicas and albas so as not to get frost damage.

    Lance

  • Cindi_KS
    15 years ago

    They are real hard to find here. They were priced at $35 when I did find them, gulp! Have to wait on that. I'm amazed at how the independent nurseries keep stocking up on Knockouts instead of jumping on the Easy Elegance bandwagon. Every hardware and grocery store now has knockouts for $8 or less, even if they have never carried a plant before. Why aren't the nurseries trying to move ahead of the masses? Or maybe that's it...they realize at $35, the price point is beyond most rose buyers since we're now spoiled by $8 knockouts? But I wish nurseries that carry 20-year-old, $20 Austins would upgrade a bit with hardier roses, and price them reasonably. If they wait much longer, the box stores will have Easy Elegance, and then people won't have any reason to shop indies.

  • mehearty
    15 years ago

    I love my EE sunrise/sunset. It blooms from June to October, and is very disease resistent. The blooms are just lovely. This is perhaps the shortest bush I have (2 feet), but it's known as a lower grower. She got pretty fat this year and is competing w/another rose for space.

    The reason I picked that rose was that a few summers ago, we had a very wet spring followed by a very humid summer. By August, all the roses at my favorite garden center were so covered in blackspot that all were marked down to 50% off. EE sunrise/sunset had nary a spot on her. She's been a great rose for me.

    My knockouts OTOH, get attacked by rose slugs, some get canker, some get powery mildew and all get white spots. EE has never had a problem.

  • twohuskies
    15 years ago

    I've had several EE roses since they were first introduced and have been adding a few more each year. The ones I have so far are Grandma's Blessing, Macy's Pride, My Hero, Fiesta, Funny Face, All the Rage, Tahitian Moon, and Kashmir which is a 2009 intro. Their hardiness has been comparable to many of the Buck roses I grow and disease resistance is very good. As far as roses go they are very carefree, especially when compared to hybrid teas. I think the best thing about this line of roses is they are all hardy down to zone 4/5 which for some of us is really important. I can see myself adding more of these in the future. Possibly even shoveling out existing roses to make room if needed.

  • Pat Sonntag
    9 years ago

    Does anyone have a link to the Easy Elegance Roses? Can't seem to find one.
    Thanks, Blue

  • Michaela (Zone 5b - Iowa)
    9 years ago

    AH I looove easy elegance roses!!! I planted High Voltage and Kashmir and so far I love them. They are extremely healthy, and the foliage is beautiful. If I had to pick a favorite I'd probably say Kashmir - the blooms are a nice dark red. No pink in them which is what I was looking for. Both of them were just planted this summer and they have not stopped blooming. I fertilize them every 2 weeks w/ liquid fertilizer and they are mulched so I wouldn't say they are ignored but I am a newbie gardener and just thrilled with them!

    I just purchased Champagne Wishes as well yesterday, which isn't listed on their site but the tag said it was EE and it was bred by Ping Liam. It's got 11 buds about to open and it looks equally as healthy.

    The local nursery in my town carries them for $23.50 and they are in 1 gallon pots. I'd buy more but I think I got 1 of everything they sold this year. Hoping next year they'll have more of them since they are such wonderful roses.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Easy Elegance

  • nippstress - zone 5 Nebraska
    9 years ago

    I too love the Lim shrubs, though it's sometimes a little hard to tell which ones are officially considered part of the Easy Elegance line. HMF says there are 25 of Lim's 60 shrubs that are in the EE line, but he has other Garden Art or Garden Path series, and most of the HMF listings don't specify yet. I was surprised to note on the great website above (thanks for posting this) that I had all but 5 of the ones on this site, and I think they're missing some that I have like Fiesta, or Music Box or My Hero or Calypso that might be EE.

    Regardless, these really do live up to the hype as reported, though I agree that no rose is "no care" - at the very least when they're happy, they at least need deadheading! Until the last winter the LIm roses were the only breeder's roses that I've never lost from winter kill (20 out of 20 plants lived), but I did lose some roses that were new late summer plants and my well-established Yellow Submarine (for some reason) last polar vortex winter. Regardless, these roses are among my most reliable rebloomers and tend to be fairly tidy and almost blackspot free. They're more often semi-doubles than very full blooms, like Mystic Fairy - which reminds me of Eutin that's individually unexciting as a bloom but impressive en masse. OTOH, Sweet Fragrance is a double rich peach color that is one of my top 10 roses ever (out of more than 700).

    I'll let mine speak for themselves in a few photos:

    At the far left here is Mystic Fairy bleeding into the very similar Eutin (both low and dark crimson-pink).To the right of that, with the yellow buds is Yellow Submarine:

    {{gwi:263723}}

    Here's Fiesta - a very hardy striped pink/white:

    {{gwi:284395}}

    Here's a first year Sunrise/Sunset that's the low pink plant. It has gotten so wide (but no taller) that I've had to tuck the canes into the arch with Illusion behind it to keep them off the sidewalk:

    {{gwi:263726}}

    Sweet Fragrance is the lovely fluffy apricot blooms toward the top of this shot, to show you how big she grows. Normally she's blooming from head to foot, but this shot has Carefree Celebration at the base instead:

    {{gwi:284078}}

    Aww, come on, Sweet Fragrance deserves a shot all by herself!

    {{gwi:287731}}

    Tempted yet?

    Cynthia

  • farmerduck NJ Z6b
    9 years ago

    Lovely pictures! I would love to try some of Lim's roses, but don't believe any of the local nurseries carry them. Neither do my preferred online vendors carry them, except for the few offered by Rose Unlimited. It is a shame that they are not more widely available. Think a bit more: I think most of my roses are bred in Europe, and I would love to add more "locally" bred morderns.

  • farmerduck NJ Z6b
    9 years ago

    Lovely pictures! I would love to try some of Lim's roses, but don't believe any of the local nurseries carry them. Neither do my preferred online vendors carry them, except for the few offered by Rose Unlimited. It is a shame that they are not more widely available. Think a bit more: I think most of my roses are bred in Europe, and I would love to add more "locally" bred morderns.

  • Michaela (Zone 5b - Iowa)
    9 years ago

    Cynthia -

    Wow Sweet Fragrance is absolutely gorgeous. Your gardens are beautiful! I really hope our local nursery carries that one next year. Or at least some other EEs so I can get some different ones than what I purchased this year. I'm only in my second year of gardening and I'm already going to run out of places to grow roses... going to have to get creative. :P Doesn't help that I love Carefree Beauty I bought two of them at once.

    Thank you for sharing your photos!

    Farmerduck - I'm sorry you aren't able to find any locally. Maybe as they continue grow in popularity you will. :o)

  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    9 years ago

    Chamblees told me recently they were going to drop these roses as they were not selling...

    Our local greenhouses (etc) quit selling them awhile back for the same reason.

    Why they do not sell I do not know???

    I was going to try one but the online vendors that do have them want a mint!

    I'll have to check Roses Unlimited as I just now notice your post farmerduck...

    This post was edited by jim1961 on Thu, Aug 21, 14 at 20:40

  • sandandsun
    9 years ago

    jim1961 is correct.

    I checked Chamblee's online offerings, and I couldn't find one EE rose listed.
    They offered some in previous years; I bought some from them. Maybe northerners just don't know what a good source they are for own root roses? Or maybe folks just catch on too late about what's good? I don't know the reason.

    However, from a business perspective "not selling" is a good reason; it's a sound good business model practice.

    I've noticed that roses Chamblee drops (not the ones listed as currently unavailable, but completely removed listings) are usually gone for good from their mail order listings.

    So the lesson I've learned is that if Chamblee's is offering an excellent rose that just doesn't happen to be "in fashion," I'd better order it when I see it offered if I want it from Chamblee.

  • Cindi_KS
    9 years ago

    Kind of interesting to read through this whole thread. I had commented on it in 2008, and I think I was right. Our local big boxes are still selling Easy Elegance roses for under $15, and they are just flying out the door! I think THAT is why many nurseries don't have them. We do have two local family owned nurseries that stock several different Easy Elegance roses along with Drift, Knock Out and Earthkind designated roses. (and somehow, they are selling them for $25-$35!) Those local nurseries actually solicit suggestions from Rose Society members when they place their rose orders.
    Every EE that I have is growing beautifully. I have great faith in Ping Lim; every rose with his name behind it is a super performer here no matter the weather.

  • alameda/zone 8/East Texas
    9 years ago

    I adore Sweet Fragrance - was at Chamblees today - they are out of them. What a shame these nice roses are not more widely grown. I looked for sources but no luck. Anyone know a mail order source? They were sold in many places a few years ago. Thanks......
    Judith

  • wirosarian_z4b_WI
    9 years ago

    According to Ping Lim's web site you can order them directly from him but I haven't heard anything about quality of what he sends or how he ships them. Maybe someone else here has ordered from him & can share their insights.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Ping Lim link

  • Rosecandy VA, zone 7
    9 years ago

    The only online source I could ever find for EE that was reasonably priced (the only other source offered them for $50-$100 each) was this website:
    http://www.rosefire.com/alphabet_main.htm

    I ordered four roses from them and in my limited experience they have excellent customer service and great roses. The roses arrived in one gallon pots and one even had a bloom on it. Of my four roses (Kashmir, My Girl, Yellow Brick Road, and Little Mischief) Kashmir has the best rounded shape, while Little Mischief is kind of everywhere and My Girl and Yellow Brick Road put out a couple canes that are taller than the rest of the bush. Kashmir is by far the largest and between blooming times it always puts out a lot of new growth. All four roses have been disease free so far in our hot and humid weather while most of my other roses are mostly or completely defoliated (Midas Touch and Hot Cocoa are the only others that are full of leaves).

  • ratdogheads z5b NH
    9 years ago

    Cynthia, did you get your Fiesta from Hortico?

    Can anyone who has grown Champagne Wishes comment on the overall growth/shape of the bush after a few years? My 1st yr CW seems to have an identity crisis, it's sort of a HT-Flori-Shrub. I get meager clusters (2-3) of medium blooms, only on the end of long sturdy canes that all want to grow sideways. Very pretty flowers though, so I'm hoping she'll outgrow this awkward stage.

    Kashmir, 1st year, is fabulous. One of the best roses I have ever grown.

  • nippstress - zone 5 Nebraska
    9 years ago

    Hi Ratdogheads

    I've never ordered anything from Hortico yet in 10 years of rose growing, having heard cautionary tales from many folks never getting roses that were supposedly in stock. Other folks have been happy with them, but I suspect they're most reliable with rose varieties that are relatively common. I got my Fiesta from a local nursery many years ago, before EE roses were common.

    I also grow Champagne Wishes, and I can totally relate to the growth pattern you mention. I'd put her at the front of a large bed because somewhere I'd read that she was around 3' high like the Flower Circus roses. Ha ha ha ha ha ha HA. She's lovely, fragrant-ish, frequent and profuse at reblooming, but not remotely short. She also took a good 3 years to come into her own and start blooming well - I wouldn't expect much in the first year.

    My trouble was what to do with this giant octopus of a rose in the front yard, since I'm very lazy about moving roses. Initially, I had some nice luck at ruthlessly trimming back each cane after blooming to about 2' and she'd branch out from that point to 3.5-4' canes with a nicely bushed shape. This year, though, she's been working so hard to recover from being pruned to the ground after the Polar Vortex winter that I didn't have the heart to keep her pruned back as ruthlessly. Instead, I've trained her canes horizontally along a low wire fence that keeps the bunnies out of that bed, and we'll see if I get a bank of creamy blooms all along that fence. I'm doing the same with Dame de Chenonceau that's the same kind of growth in the front of the bed nearby, and we'll see if I have nonstop pink blooms intertwined with the creamy ones.

    Bottom line is that it's a lovely rose and reliably hardy and a good rebloomer for me, but it may take a while to come into its own.

    Rosecandy, you'll like Kashmir - already in its first year it's absolutely loaded with blooms, though mine is pinker than I'd expected for where I put it. My Yellow Brick Road gets pretty tall - around 5', and is also one of those roses I thought would be shorter and is at the front of the bed. I haven't been as successful in pruning that one back to bush out like the others I mentioned, so you might want to plant it where it has room to grow upwards.

    I probably have 27-30 Easy Elegance roses and have only just this winter lost any of them to winter kill. Still, they're by far my most reliably hardy type of rose, with the widest range of flower types.

    Cynthia

  • alameda/zone 8/East Texas
    9 years ago

    I got lucky and was able to get the last 6 Sweet Fragrance roses that Chamblees had! Also picked up My Girl, Super Hero, Sunrise Sunset, Centennial and Macy's Pride in the sale area. Doubt I will be able to find Sweet Fragrance anywhere else, so very thrilled! They will get prime growing area and hoping they will do as well as the one I have. Lovely rose! Hope I like the others as well.
    Judith

  • Rosecandy VA, zone 7
    9 years ago

    Nippstress I do love Kashmir! Though I must admit My Girl has also really impressed me - and that's not easy considering her many thorns and deep pink flower (my least favorite flower color). I'm a little dissapointed in Yellow Brick Road's tendancy to fade quickly and it doesn't hold up well to rain. It IS desease resistant, though, and for that I'm quite impressed. Thanks for the warning about its height! I've tried to plant my roses so they have room in all directions. Of course, our move might change that, so it's really good to know she gets really tall. Do you have any experience with Yellow Submarine? I'd really like to try it, but so far I've had no luck in finding it.

    It's close to impossible for me to find any EE roses, as no one near me sells any, so you can imagine how excited I was to find rosefire.com!

  • nippstress - zone 5 Nebraska
    9 years ago

    Hi Rosecandy

    I did grow Yellow Submarine right next to Yellow Brick Road, and both of them were slim, upright, and much taller than really fit at the front of the bed. They were probably 4-5' tall and wanted to be taller, but I kept them pruned back to 4'. Both were similar coloring, lemon yellow to start out with and fading to cream pretty quickly, with those loose blooms typical of many shrubs. Of the two, Yellow Submarine was one that just up and died on me last winter with no explanation while YBR was basically cane hardy. There shouldn't have been any difference, and both were on the zone 4 pocket side of my house. Presumably YS is a little less hardy than YBR, but both should be fine in zone 7.

    Below is a bush shot of Yellow Submarine from last year. To gauge its height, the green wire you see at the bottom of the picture is a 3' high garden fencing formed into a loop. Both of these roses grew fast and floppy enough last year to need this kind of support.

    Cynthia

  • nippstress - zone 5 Nebraska
    9 years ago

    In contrast, here's a shot of some blooms from Yellow Brick Road. Very similar blooms to my eye, except perhaps that YS shows stamens a bit more. Both start out more lemon yellow but fade pretty quickly.

    Cynthia

  • farmerduck NJ Z6b
    9 years ago

    Oh dear. How did I miss these offerings in the past as I spent so much time on Chamblee's website! I was looking to try a few Lim's roses. Chamblee's probably lumped them in their general categories. They do list Kordes and Austins as a separate group. Cannot believe that I missed them while they had it

  • Rosecandy VA, zone 7
    9 years ago

    Thank you so much Nippstress! Now I won't fret about getting Yellow Submarine, what a relief! I wonder what I'd get if I crossed Yellow Submarine with Midas Touch. Hmmm, I know a project for next year!

  • alameda/zone 8/East Texas
    9 years ago

    farmerduck, Chamblees does have some EE roses in their sale bin - last week I got My Girl, Centennial, Super Hero, Sunrise Sunset and Macy's Pride. I think you have to pick these up at the nursery. The plants all look really healthy, fall growth, and have buds.
    Judith

  • Patty W. zone 5a Illinois
    9 years ago

    Northland Rosarium has mentioned they are going to start selling EE Roses. Hope they do their getting hard to find. I love the ones I have. Can't wait till I find Champagne Wishes.

    This post was edited by pattyw5 on Tue, Nov 11, 14 at 15:28

  • ratdogheads z5b NH
    9 years ago

    I feel almost guilty for speaking poorly of my Champagne Wishes earlier. She must have heard me because she pumped out a mass of blooms and is STILL blooming, in November. The fall blooms have been the prettiest shade of pearly peach. In the heat of the summer they were mostly white with a hint of yellow. I do think I'll move her to the back row because of her blooming at the end of the canes tendency. Still, I am very impressed with these two (also have Kashmir); I have never seen such vigorous growth from own root roses. I'm eager to see how they make it through the winter.

  • sarabell
    9 years ago

    I only have 3, all Sweet Fragrance, and I adore them. I've had them in for 3ish years, they are roughly 3' around now. I'd call them the closest thing to no-maintenance I have... I deadhead sometimes, that's about it.
    They smell great, make great cut for bouquets, bloom really impressively, easy, beautiful color. I keep wanting to try more of Ping's roses (but keep running short on space!). I still have a few nice blooms, right now, also some hips.

    This post was edited by sarabell on Sat, Nov 8, 14 at 12:13

  • Patty W. zone 5a Illinois
    9 years ago

    Ping Lim no longer works with Bailey's. I had read that Bailey's was investing less in the rose business. About cried when I read this. Was afraid these gorgeous healthy roses would be become difficult to find. Mr. Lim's website indicates that his roses may purchased directly from him but I did not exactly understand the process. If anyone else does please let me know. They also appear to be selling them grafted. I like own root.

    This post was edited by pattyw5 on Sun, Nov 9, 14 at 19:13

  • Aline Murray
    8 years ago

    Last year we bought a Como Park rose and planted it in a border along the front of our yard . It was full of beautiful flowers all summer . This spring it's very hearty and has two runners approximately 2 to 3 feet from the original plant. Has anyone else experienced having runners ? I cannot remember which retailer we purchased it from . Does anyone know where the Easy Elegance roses are sold ?

  • steve_gw
    6 years ago

    Tried in vain to find a plant of Sweet Fragrance, e-mailed Bailey's salesman for my area with no response. Ping Lim's company only sells wholesale to dealers.

    Went to a couple of my local garden center type stores with no luck...

  • alameda/zone 8/East Texas
    6 years ago

    I think Northland Rosarium carries it. I adore this rose - have several plants of it. Never tire of the gorgeous blooms and it is very healthy. Good luck!

    Judith

  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Check this place also for Sweet Fragrance Steve...I never ordered from this place so research before buying if they have it...

    http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/66831-product.html

    Another place to check for Sweet Fragrance...

    https://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Fragrance-Easy-Elegance-Rose/dp/B06Y4M472T/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492698264&sr=8-1-fkmr2&keywords=Easy+Elegance+sweet+fragrance+rose+bush

  • Patty W. zone 5a Illinois
    6 years ago

    Yes, Northland does have them. I just added one to my order there.

  • inmomx3
    6 years ago

    I bought quite a few of these last year at Lowe's and am enjoying seeing how they are acting this spring here in zone 5. Due to my daughters wedding last fall I got NO outside work done, never even got my potted roses into the garage because so much wedding stuff was in there, so no winter protection at all.


    Little Mischief has tons of foliage and was mostly cane hardy. It's a short plant that has filled in quite well after being planted in the dead of summer last year.

    High Voltage was mostly cane hardy as well. Much taller.

    Two that I cannot find a tag for (but are the same - it's a symmetrical bed) I am pretty sure was Music Box. They were taller and mostly cane hardy as well. Wasn't expecting that from Music Box as I had read their vigor and hardiness was somewhat questionable.

    Grandma's Blessing was not cane hardy at all - just pruned it way down this week. Pretty sure it will grow back from the ground though.

    Have Champagne Wishes across the sidewalk and it wasn't very cane hardy either but is pumping out growth now.

    In a different bed (more exposed to wind and less snow cover) Sunrise Sunset planted late summer was almost fully cane hardy and has growth the entire length of sprawling 4' long canes. I suspect it's going to outgrow its spot in the bed and head into the yard this summer.

    My Girl looks good as well. Had to prune out some winter kill.

    Calypso had quite a bit of cane die but looks like it will grow back well from the ground.

    Unfortunately I had about 5 more still in the growers pots that never got planted and never got put in the garage. Whoops. I think one (super hero maybe???) may still be alive but the others don't look promising. That's my own fault though.


    They had had a whole bunch of them at Lowes earlier this week. I may have to go get a Kashmir (don't think I found it last year) and look for a Sweet Fragrance - debated on it last year and don't remember seeing it the other day. I did pick up two Above and Beyond climbers at Lowes - not Easy Elegance but same company. Never saw them around here before and want to put them on an arbor I got from Lowes 90% off the fall before last :)

  • Moses, Pittsburgh, W. PA., zone 5/6, USA
    6 years ago

    A couple or so years back I phoned P. Lim at the number provided at their web site. At the time I was trying to purchase Kiss Me (unavailable locally), which was reported to be the most fragrant of his line. I'm a fragrant rose pushover.

    Having grown Sweet Fragrance for some years then, turned into being a favourite of mine, although only mildly fragrant to my nose, I felt KM would be equally great, with strong fragrance, too.

    I believe I spoke directly to a Lim family member who gave me a price for a 2 gallon size, including shipping, that was just under $50.00. I couldn't justify buying a rose sight unseen, with not much provenance on it, at such a high price. I passed up the deal.

    Perhaps if you make contact by phone in your quest for the Lim rose you want, you will be successful, and maybe the price will be agreeable to you also.

    Moses

  • steve_gw
    6 years ago

    Thanks to all for the help in locating Sweet Fragrance. I'm going to pass for now until I get to see and smell a plant in person....

  • wirosarian_z4b_WI
    6 years ago

    steve....I had Sweet Fragrance in my z4 area for a few years but ended up shovel pruning. WHY?....it was a fragrant & pretty bloom but never a vigorous plant, only one year did it get much over 12-15" tall & then only maybe 24" & reverted back to its smaller size the next year.

  • inmomx3
    6 years ago

    wirosarian - thanks for that info about Sweet Fragrance. I found one at Lowes tonight and bought it. I won't set aside a huge space for it and won't be disappointed if it doesn't thrive for me, but I think I will give it a try.


    Steve, they were $20 at Lowes for a gallon (or more) sized potted specimen. Most of them looked lush and healthy at the moment, at least at my zone 5 store. None were in bloom yet though some had buds set.

  • steve_gw
    6 years ago

    I found a plant today at my local Stein's garden center, out of approx 50 Easy Elegance roses there, only found 1 Sweet Fragrance, so decided to try it and do some crossing with it. Appears to be an own root, but a large healthy plant. $22 in a 2 gallon pot. They also had several Yellow Brick Road that I've heard compliments about, but did not get that one...


  • alameda/zone 8/East Texas
    6 years ago

    Sweet Fragrance is a rose that I would like to have a whole bed of. The color is beautiful, it is healthy - one of my very favorites. I am sure you will like it.