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Rose Combinations

marcindy
9 years ago

I admit it, I am challenged when it comes to grouping pleasing rose combinations together. That's why I seem to always come to you all for help. Recently, while browsing through the forum, I found a thread on here from August 2009 that had so many wonderful combinations it was like Christmas had come early. I hope you don't mind me shamelessly copying some of them, they were just amazing. Please know that I will always give you the credit, no boasting here..:-)

The one combination that has me dreaming in my sleep was from harryshoe, he showed two pictures of a pastel garden bed with Scepter'd Isle, Tamora, Tiffany and Molineux. Breathtaking. I want to emulate that look in the front of my house. I have this bed that is right next to the walkway from the driveway to my front door. My house is single floor with dark brown brick that has some yellow in there as well, so the tones of peach and soft yellow in the roses would look great from both close up as well as from the street against the dark brick background. I thought about substituting Molineux for Julia Child, and add a Belle Story to the group. I always wanted that rose and I think it's color would work well with the rest of the roses.

I have a few questions though... first what will be the approximate height of the roses in my climate? I don't want them to become a four foot wall blocking the view from a window to the street. Also, I haven't seen a good picture of what Belle Story looks like as a shrub. It's one of the older Austin roses, but I have fallen for its look in pictures every time I see it. And finally, even though I don't anticipate this to become a problem, the bed in question is almost full sun in the summer, but in early spring and late fall the shadow of the house prevents the sun from hitting it. So it's sunny for most of the growing season (summer), with shade, but open sky, the rest of the year. Oh and I shovel tons of snow form the walkway to my door on that bed, so insulation is not an issue...:-)

With all that said (sorry to be so wordy), can you chime in, maybe show me a picture of your Belle Story, make suggestions, etc.

Thanks so much in advance!!
Marc

Comments (9)

  • boncrow66
    9 years ago

    I'm not sure, maybe someone else will
    Chime in but I don't think Austin roses will get to be huge in your zone due to winter die back.

  • nippstress - zone 5 Nebraska
    9 years ago

    Hi Marc

    I am in your zone and I have all the roses you mention in your particular list. The only one that stays below the 4' wall effect you mention would be Tamora, which for me is between 3-4'. That's short for an Austin, and the lowest reasonable height for Austins even in a winter climate. Scepter'd Isle is between 5-6' if I prune it back, Molineux is more like 5', and Tiffany was the typical HT height around 4-5'. I haven't grown Belle Story, but I think it would be larger than you want.

    If the main thing you're looking for is the fluffy pastel effect, you can get that with shorter Austin-like blooms, and there are a lot of options. The Kordes Elegant Fairy Tale and Floral Fairy Tale are light cream or apricot (respectively) and have the full Austin-like blooms, yet stay no more than 3' for me. Don't be fooled by other Fairy Tale roses, though - Lion's FT and Golden FT are easily 5-6'. Julia Child should be nice although when happy she can stretch up to 4' or more. She also isn't as full as the others, but she would blend in fine. Other short Austins for me include things like Pretty Jessica, Charlotte, Darcy Bussell, The Prince, Happy Child, Sharifa Asma (might want to stretch up to 4').

    There's another thread about short Austins circulating now that might help. You have a lot of options. Your growing conditions and sun situation sound a lot like mine, and the Austins and other roses you have discussed have been nicely hardy for me and should handle those conditions fine. If you want to revise a plan and post it looking for feedback, we can let you know how big they might get in similar zones.

    Cynthia

  • marcindy
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thank you, Cynthia. I hadn't anticipated that the roses mentioned would grow this all even in our northern climates. I wonder how tall they were in harryshoes picture. It's always hard to guess from a picture, but I would have guessed his were around 3ft tall, and he is in a similar climate to me... sigh. Well, I think I will follow your advice and look for shorter Austins and Kordes roses I have been wanting to try them for a while now. Thanks also for your confirmation that the location should work. Thanks again!

  • iris_gal
    9 years ago

    I'm glad someone from your zone answered. You can certainly get a look just as nice as Harry's. Do you have a link to that post? Or its title?

    The 4 roses mentioned have different bloom shapes. So you want a globe shape, a high centered hybrid tea, a petal packed, and a looser full petaled..A pastel pink, an apricot-pink, a yellow-base pink and a yellow. You can do it..

  • marcindy
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hi iris_gal, I totally spaced it, I had meant to include the link to the thread here earlier. Here it is, the title of the thread was "Your favorite rose combinations?" from around August 2009. I saved that thread in a document so I wouldn't lose it. Here is the link:

    http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/roses/msg0818571730945.html?12

    When you scroll down a little, past the delicious looking Gemini and Fragrant Cloud combo you will see harryshoes pictures, I believe the date is from August 5, 2009. Doesn't that look incredible? :-) Anyways, thanks for the summary, you are right, time to look through websites and catalogs and start ordering! lol

  • iris_gal
    9 years ago

    Thank you, thank you for the link. My weakness in roses are the pastels. Which is why I am so interested in your project.

    I saw 'Molineux' this spring and was shocked to see it being a "hard" yellow. No buttery tones. In pics it changes to having wonderful peachy tints. Maybe as the weather warms? And it was included on a list of shorter Austins posted on the Antique Roses forum.

    Some listed shorter ones (no personal knowledge):
    'Ambridge Rose' a short Austin, warm pink
    'Charity' - Austin, apricot or gold center petals
    'Jalitah' - cream pink apricot, 2ft. HT from Netherlands
    'Pastella' an Evers shaded pink, lotsa petals
    'St. Cecelia' - Austin pink like 'Scepter'd Isle' - some say short
    'The Shepherdess' a short Austin. Lovely pastel, cupped yellow-base pink in pics.

    'Floral Fairy Tale' suggested by Nippstress looks like a winner.

    My best results are when I choose a "swooner" rose and then take a bloom and put it against others at the nursery/rose gardens. LOL - I picked a lavender to be a perfect combo with 'Heritage' and the man kindly let me have a bloom. Taped it to the fence and stood back. Disaster! And most nurseries will let you return a rose that doesn't work (within a few days of course).

    Keep us posted! Cheers.

  • meredith_e Z7b, Piedmont of NC, 1000' elevation
    9 years ago

    I have a couple of roses from other breeders that might work for you.

    These two are of questionable hardiness, so you'd have to ask around: Sans Souci (Barni), and Anne Hathaway aka Iris Clow.

    Then there is my mystery Brownell who I think is really Dr Brownell, but I don't know how tall he'd get in your area (or if he's for certain the rose I mean!). He's absolutely lovely, with the colors you are looking for. Mine never has very bright yellow but otherwise looks like pictures and descriptions of the Dr. Mine doesn't get tall here (none of my Brownell shrubs do for some reason).

    If you need a short, mannerly climber, you have to consider Colette if she's hardy enough for you! No doubt she's taller than you are talking about, but her colors are perfect for the look you like :) I have a whole side garden of these colors, but most of mine are pretty darned tall, lol.

    Edit: Actually, Paul Bocuse might really work for you, so I should mention him. He takes forever to get tall here, so he might stay short where it's cold. Mine is always those gorgeous sherbet colors, never the really bright ones some picture show. I love him!

    This post was edited by meredith_e on Thu, Nov 13, 14 at 19:36

  • marcindy
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Cynthia, I looked into the two Fairy Tale roses you mentioned and OMG! They are absolutely beautiful. Thank you so much for suggesting them.

    Iris_gal I totally agree with you on Molineux. It's color is a hard yellow. Not a bad rose or color at all, but I wouldn't add it to a bed of pastels.

    It's funny, like you I have picked up a perennial or shrub before and marched around a nursery holding it against other plants I consider as possible combinations. One time a fellow gardener and I got kinda carried away and had a whole perennial grouping worked out with gallon size potted plants before we realized we had an audience of the amused nursery owner and several other customers. The owner told me later that she sold two complete sets of our little layout exercise...lol So yes, she didn't mind at all!

    Meredith, thank you for suggesting Anne Hathaway and Sans Souci... I want them both!!! Sans Souci for its incredible color and shape, not to mention the name. Anne Hathaway has a great "presence" from the pics I saw online... I am not sure how healthy she will be though. Much as I like Harkness roses, they tend to not be the healthiest or hardiest roses in my corner of the country. It would be great if she were an exception. Maybe being planted close to the house would help in the hardiness department. Sigh... so many great choices... I fear for the evergreen yew shrubs further down the line of my foundation planting...at this rate I will have the foundation beds all along my house filled before we hit Christmas...lol

    You are all so wonderful generously recommending roses that could fit my dream bed... how cool is that?!

  • nippstress - zone 5 Nebraska
    9 years ago

    Hi Marc

    Glad you have more rose ideas than you can use - now you need to make more rose beds to put them in (smile)! You've gotten some great suggestions as well from other folks, and I thought I'd add my two cents about height or hardiness in my zone.

    Ambridge Rose is rock solid hardy and a nice bloomer, but gets at least 4-5' for me, and that's true in two different spots in my yard

    Sans Souci sounds like it would be worth a try - I don't have that one but I have plenty of Barni roses in my yard that come through the winters fine. You might want to look at Antico Amore, that a friend in Omaha swears by (it's a nice medium pink, and not too tall). Anna Fendi is a nice apricot that fades to cream, and Stile 800 is an apricot that mostly stays apricot and it's in the 3-4' range (of the two, I prefer the latter)

    Paul Bocuse is lovely and an intriguing mix of apricot and yellow, but I think it'll get too tall. It's a survivor in my zone 4 pocket in front of my house, but tends to be at least 5' even after being trimmed to the ground last spring

    Of course we want pictures when you're done!

    Cynthia