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leezen4u

Comparing Route 66, Int'l Herald Tribune & Twilight Zone

leezen4u
10 years ago

If you grow any / all of these how would you rate these roses on a scale of A to F...

Bloom frequency / repeat

Bloom quantity

Fragrance

Shade tolerance

Color

Height / width in feet

Thanks

Lee

Comments (12)

  • kstrong
    10 years ago

    I have all three, and I'm also in zone 10, sunset 24 -- So Calif. very coastal.

    I'd recommend either Route 66 or Twilight Zone, but not International Herald Tribune. IHT has been struggling along here for years, not quite dead, but never thriving either. It stays under 2 feet tall, and usually has but one healthy cane. The other two are fairly rambunctious plants, around 5 foot tall and spreading, both of them. Both have adequate bloom quantity, but I wouldn't say a great quantity of blooming about either of them. But that color is to die for, so worth the wait between cycles. No scent that I have noticed, particularly.

    And actually -- a better plant in that color range for our area is Della Reese, which is available now at Armstrongs. Go get that one.

  • leezen4u
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks Kathy,

    You recommended Della in the past and I did buy her. She has the most beautiful purple flowers with a great scent. She is in a bed along a wood fence with all hybrid teas.

    I want to plant 2 purple shrubs in another (somewhat shady) location. I am looking for a more informal bush.

    The 2 bushes will be planted at the base of the retaining wall where the black pot is and to its right where the bare spot is. Behind the black wrought iron fence is a white iceberg climber in the middle and 2 climbing Americas (coral) to the left and right. I thought dark purple would go well with white and coral.

    If you had to choose between Route 66 and Twilight Zone which one would you choose?

    Lee

  • jerijen
    10 years ago

    We are also Sunset Zone 24, in coastal Ventura County -- a bit cooler than the more southerly beach communities.

    Route 66 completely defoliated here, in one of our rare warm/humid periods -- and is No Longer With Us.

    We have grown IHT for many years, and for us, it is one of the most highly disease-resistant -- nay, disease-FREE -- roses we have ever grown. We must have 8-10 plants of it.

    The secret to growing IHT successfully in our conditions is to LEAVE IT ALONE. Don't prune it. If you don't deadhead, it will bypass the old blooms, and repeat rapidly. If you want to deadhead it for neatness-sake, just snip off the dead blooms. DO NOT CUT DOWN THE CANE.

    If you treat it with benign neglect, in our conditions, IHT will almost always be in bloom, and can reach a good 3 ft. in height. I have been told of a 4-footer, but never seen one.

    Have not grown Twilight Zone.

    Jeri

  • leezen4u
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks Jeri,

    It seems you just have to try something you like and see if it likes your garden!

    I assume all your IHT are own root?

    Lee

  • jerijen
    10 years ago

    Yes, Lee. They are all own-root. In fact, everytime we have had to move one, we have split it, and made more -- which is why we now have so many.

    I don't have a place to do it, but I've always thought that IHT would make a superb low hedge, surrounding a bed of bigger roses.

    Jeri

  • mendocino_rose
    10 years ago

    In my garden Twilight Zone outperforms Route 66. Route 66 blooms in flushes that to me are a bit far apart. Twilight Zone, which I only just planted this spring bloomed continuously. Route 66 is an unusual rose that I really like. I think it is still maturing here.

  • kstrong
    10 years ago

    I'm a fan of Route 66 for the location you mention. Blooms more for me, partly BECAUSE the petal count is low. Rte 66 also tolerates my misty weather better than Twilight Zone, which can put up a hissy fit if it gets no sun -- in which the buds turn into balls of mush without ever opening.

    And I know there are drawbacks, but if you live in a coastal zone, you can;t beat Rhapsody in Blue. But you MUST be truly coastal for that rose.

  • leezen4u
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks ALL for the shared experience, it really helps!

    Kathy, I do have Rhapsody in Blue (photo with Lyda Rose in a cool & shady location) and everything you have posted in the past about this rose has been right on. It's still very young but the colors have been true to the photos and it's especially nice when cool. I'm still trying to figure out how to prune it to encourage more blooms lower on the bush. Any suggestions?

    It's good to know TZ does not do well in shade as the location I am planning for is AM sun only in winter / spring (4-5 hrs.) but more sun 5-6+ hours in the summer.

    Perhaps I will buy one IHT and one R66 and let them show me who is the better grower for that spot. I can always give away the rose that comes in second to someone that has a location that suits it better.

    Lee

  • kstrong
    10 years ago

    Rhapsody in Blue just likes to bloom high. I don't really have a solution for that one. Even when you bend the canes to be purely lateral, it still puts off side shoots that go up. The only thing I can think of is to put the laterals further and further down so that they parallel the ground in a relatively low position.

    Where mine is growing is along the top of a 6 foot wrought iron fence, and both the rose and I are happy with the "fence topper" look.

  • leezen4u
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for the heads up Kathy

    Lee

  • kstrong
    10 years ago

    Btw, that's a beautiful shot with Rhapsody in Blue and Lyda Rose. They grow similarly. And now that I'm thinking about it, there's another one that I would put in that mix if it were mine -- Golden Wings. That plant also has kind of a "fluffy" look to it, like the other two, and the color would a nice soft contrast with them.

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