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gardenerzone4

Please comment: Country Dancer, Hawkeye Belle, Iowa Belle

gardenerzone4
12 years ago

How do the Buck roses Country Dancer, Hawkeye Belle, and Iowa Belle do for you in terms of:

- fragrance

- thorniness

- disease resistance

- hardiness

- cut flower lasting power

- size of shrub

Thanks!

Comments (7)

  • seil zone 6b MI
    12 years ago

    I only have Iobelle. It's a lovely rose. Very pale ivory with an edge of deep pink. It has some fragrance but I wouldn't say it's the strongest of my Buck roses. I rarely pay attention to thorniness so I don't really know for sure but since I haven't notice it as being super thorny I'd say it's probably about average. It does black spot for me. It's potted and comes back each spring very well. Cut flowers last about 2 days inside. I'd say my bush is about 3X3 in size. It's a very pretty bloom and opens well even in humidity.
    {{gwi:345478}}

  • michaelg
    12 years ago

    I've grown Country Dancer and Hawkeye Belle. Both are normally thorny and not significantly fragrant. (HB smells like beer or something.) Both have been reported blackspot resistant, but HB was fully susceptible to a race of BS that I have--and you may or may not have. CD is somewhat resistant and can be grown most places without spray. Both are tip-hardy here. I've heard that HB is one of the hardier Buck roses.

    CD is one of the more vigorous Bucks that I'm familiar with. HB makes a sturdy shrub wider than tall. Both bloom well. CD opens to a wide semi-double disc, very showy with intense color. HB has a well-formed, very double flower with a reticent fawnish pink color. Both are fine for cutting. HB was quite susceptible to petal blight or balling in my climate, which is why I discarded it.

    CD needs deadheading for best repeat bloom.

  • wirosarian_z4b_WI
    12 years ago

    I have CD & HB in my z4a garden. Both are winter hardy for me, the canes die back to about 3-6" but rebound quickly in the Spring. I put a 5 gal pail of wood chips around the base of each plant in the Fall because I'm never sure if I get a good snow cover--if had good snow cover I wouldn't need the would chips. Both have good disease resistance. Give CD more space in your garden because it sets sprays with larger blooms that cause it to be wider than tall. HB does not like overhead watering/rain on its blooms as the water causes brown spots on the petals.

  • stlgal
    12 years ago

    I only grow CD--here it is disease free, requires no attention at all, blooms regularly, and has gorgeous flowers that stand out all the way across the lawn. The pink is really striking, one of those roses that even stands out at dusk. The fragrance is not very strong, although when the weather is right I detect a hint of apple-like scent.

  • professorroush
    12 years ago

    I have all three, although Iobelle is only a yearling. all repeat well, Hawkeye Belle is the more vigorous of the three...about 3foot tall and wide. all three pretty black spot resistant here, none very thorny or fragrant, Hawkeye Belle best in vase, Iobelle second. For more details, search my blog.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Musings blog

  • mantis__oh
    11 years ago

    Hawkeye Belle most of the time browns and/or balls. In a different climate, it might perform better. It also gets a lot of black spot here. I shovel pruned it.

  • nippstress - zone 5 Nebraska
    11 years ago

    I agree with the statements already about Country Dancer here in Nebraska, Mindy. It's hardy, trouble free, not particularly scented, and a nice bushy shape, though I wouldn't call it a favorite for cutting. Iobelle seems to have survived its first winter here, but no final word till spring.

    Cynthia