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Strike it Rich vs. Livin Easy

claudia303
14 years ago

I'm looking for an orange-colored rose--an orange blend with yellow would be perfect! Or a coral or peach color would be fine too, but orange is the color I'm shooting for.

My favorite nursery has 2 choices right now, Strike it Rich and Livin Easy. These are both in the color range I'm looking for but the Livin Easy seemed to have more pink in it than I want. There were no Strike it Rich in bloom so I'm stuck wondering which is the most "orange".

Thanks for your help!

Comments (18)

  • boxofrox
    14 years ago

    I have alternating 'Livin Easy' and 'Easy Going' covering a 5' high wall (3 of each). The only time I see any significant pink tones is when they fade and are about ready to be spent. Definitely not as orange as say my orange climbing 'Blaze' but still a very nice orange when contrasted with yellow.

    Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:295771}}

  • sunnishine
    14 years ago

    I have both and I definitely prefer SIR. Much more vigorous and covered in roses.

    LE is not that orange to me just a tingle of yellow toward the center. SIR gets an orangish flush with the sun but neither is really orange too me. SIR is just a great rose.

    You need pumpkin patch or something like it.

  • maele
    14 years ago

    I just saw Livin' Easy at a local nursery and it was so pretty, I was surprised at how nice it was. They had it next to Lady Emma Hamilton and Pat Austin and they all looked orangish to me, but not orange like bright orange. Octoberfest was more attention grabbing orange, with an upright floriferous habit.
    For softer colors in that family, my favorites are Sunset Celebration, Tuscan Sun, Just Joey, and Brandy. And Chris Evert is breathtaking, but has more yellow.

  • Zyperiris
    14 years ago

    LE and SIR are totally different roses. My LE is very tangerine. I had a SIR in my last home..it got much larger than LE. If you search this site there is lots of information on Orange's and yellows. I have planted a side rose garden with oranges and yellows.

  • mark_roeder 4B NE Iowa
    14 years ago

    I don't think Livin' Easy is pink at all. For years I promoted Livin' Easy because it is disease resistant and hardy, and was a great rose for me. The past two or three years, however, it is one of my roses that attracted repeat infestations of spider mites. So I am a bit down on it.

    I have Stretch Johnson, which is very hardy, and prefer it over Livin' Easy. I don't have a photo, but while its color will vary each bloom cycler it is usually deep florescent orange but does have yellow, sometimes white defining the center and tips, it is scented, very hardy, very floriferous. The bush is tall and upright. It may have more flourescent deep pink/red/orange at times than you desire, but take a look at the link. The bi-color color contrast is much greater than you find in Livin' Easy which makes it a more striking rose. I prefer it. It is difficult to find it in commerce.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Helpmefind Stretch Johnson

  • curlydoc
    14 years ago

    I have Strike It Rich. It is a tall prolific bush, has beautiful orange blooms, the blooms have moderate fragrance. I highly recommend it.

    STRIKE IT RICH
    {{gwi:295776}}

  • jason101other
    14 years ago

    Strike it Rich is a little taller plant for me. The foliage is more matte and it has kind of a leggy growth habit. It blooms pretty abundantly, though the blooms in my opinion aren't as beautiful as Livin Easy's. I think Livin Easy's blooms have more attractive form and more of a glow. My Strike it Rich has different size blooms and some are not well formed, for some weird reason. Livin Easy's blooms are more uniform in size and conformity.

    Another orange that reminds me a lot of Strike it Rich is About Face. Nice dark foliage that stands out nicely with the orange blooms.

  • claudia303
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Thanks to all for your opinions, suggestions, advice and info!

    Since I was only able to select from 2 choices at the nursery, I decided to go with the Strike it Rich. This rose bush is going in my butterfly garden and I like that I can expect abundant blooms! This will help to add more interest to my garden during certain times when certain plants are not in bloom.

    Thanks for suggesting other beautiful orange roses too! I will certainly check those out for future purchases!

  • canadian_rose
    14 years ago

    boxofrox - gorgeous color along your fence!!!

    Carol

  • boxofrox
    14 years ago

    Thanks Carol,

    My wife hated that wall but I had to have it for structural reasons. Those roses were part of my solution and now we simply ask........What wall ?

    Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:295773}}

  • claudia303
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    I agree with Carol, boxofrox! Beautiful!
    Just realized you had posted that photo. I see the two different roses--one certainly looks orange and the other yellow. The orange one seems to have more bloom in that photo. Is that the LE?
    Thanks!

  • boxofrox
    14 years ago

    Yes, the orange is the LE. They kind of go back and forth but between them they produce a lot of blooms. I picked them for their resistance because that bed is so full, I didn't want to have to constantly battle to get back there to spray. The whole bed in front of them is carpeted with sedum 'Dragon's Blood' so very few weeds but also hard to step. Here's a pic of what's planted in front of them so I venture in for cutting and pruning but not to treat BS or PM ;-)

    Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:239177}}

  • texaslynn
    14 years ago

    boxofrox - I have an EG that is also an LE! Take a look:
    {{gwi:295777}}

    This is an EG that I planted sometime earlier this year......imagine my surprise when it produced that LE bloom! I am waiting for it to do it again!

    Lynn

  • boxofrox
    14 years ago

    I can never remember which one's the sport of the other but I'll just bet you're cheering for them both to be good sports again :-)

  • boxofrox
    14 years ago

    Lynn,

    I shot this pic this AM, it almost looks like they're on the same bush but not :-)

    {{gwi:295778}}

  • newyorkrita
    14 years ago

    boxofrox - I love the way you did that hedge of the alternating EG and LE. What a great idea. It looks great. The two really go well together as I can especially see in your closeup photo above.

  • boxofrox
    14 years ago

    Thanks nyr :-)

    It's kind of like function met form. Early in the season (they just started blooming here) you can still see the wall my wife hated. This garden makeover has been a nonstop 7 year project. A few years ago, I tore down an old deck and ran the 2x2's from the railing through my planer to take most of the paint off. I used them to attach somewhat of a makeshift framework for the roses. I dug up this old picture from right after I planted them. In hindsight, it was kind of like "Gorbachev, er I mean Boxofrox, tear down this wall or at least hide it "

    Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:260989}}

  • texaslynn
    14 years ago

    boxofrox - thanks for the additional picture of the LE and GEs! The picture that I posted was taken about 6 weeks ago and the GE hasn't produced another little orange bloom - but I keep hoping!

    And I looked at the picture of The Wall and while I can't say that the wall itself is the most picturesque I've ever seen, the "stuff" surrounding it is beautiful.

    Garden makeovers don't ever stop, do they? Could be worse, I have a sister-in-law that redoes the inside of her house twice a year (it seems)!

    Happy Gardening!

    Lynn