This phenomenon, even sometimes comes down to micro climates, or soil or sun differences in different locations in your garden. Having limited space, I am fairly ruthless in getting rid of roses that do not perform with respect to growth, vigour, disease resistance and yes rebloom. Though if I really love a rose and it does not repeat well or even at all, I will keep it, as long as it performs well otherwise.

I will usually give a rose about three years trial to see how it does. Even then, I often move it to a pot, or to my garden's last chance bed. Occasionally I will do both. I instituted the last chance bed a couple of years ago and suprisingly, it has turned out to be an eye opener with respect to the effect location has on some roses. The last chance bed is on the northeast side of the house and gets less sun than the prime locations in my garden. The soil is what mother nature put there, but it is a cooler location with less hot sun during the height of summer. Currently, I have Abe Darby, The Reeve and Tamorra, all in that bed. All of them are doing very well there and are now off of the shovel prune list, even thought they are now in what according to common rose wisdom is a less choice location. No soil ammendment, no extra fertilizer, just water and all three plants are now thriving, though they hated it when they were up town.

Another example is Radio Times. I grew him as a band in a pot and he did not grow much and defoliated three years straight. I put him in deep shade in the last chance bed and did not even winter protect him. He grew a little, flowered much better and survived winters without protection for three years. So last summer, I put him back in a large pot in a location shaded from afternoon sun and now he thrives. New canes, growth, a potent fragrance I had not detected before and he has earned a permanent home in my garden.

Radio Times, late last September, sharing his pot with Snapdraggons and Wave Petunias; and still growing, in perfect health, blooming and loving life despite crowding and root competition.

Have any of the rest of you noticed this with roses you have given a second chance?

PS - Happy Valentines Day everyone. Particullarly to all the rosarian ladies on the forum, who make the world a more beautiful place both with their gardens and with their beautiful spirits.

Cheers and winter rose bouquets, Rideau Rose Lad, aka

Rick

Ingrid

In a recent thread, Paul Barden related how Treasure Trail hates being grown in a pot, but flourishes in the ground. "My rose", Kim Rupert, is another which hates growing in a pot but will explode in ground. Then, there are those which demand hotter roots to perform. There is an historical account where Mme. Ferdinand Jamain was brought to the US for use as a florist rose. It was a famous variety in Europe as a cut flower. It was either Gurney or Hill who potted them in the green houses in expectation of being able to supply the famous American Beauty rose, only to be disappointed when they refused to grow and flower.

The potted plants were collected by the boiler for disposal, when other issues demanded more attention. When they went to dump the offending plants, they discovered the heat from the boiler had pushed the plants to flourish and explode into flower. Had they not experienced that happy accident, who knows if American Beauty would have been as legendary in the US as it became?

Roseblushlyn has reported how her standard of Sweet Chariot mildewed badly in the front garden at her previous home, but simply moving it to the rear garden, where it obviously enjoyed greater air circulation, perhaps a bit more heat and less humidity, the mildew cleared by itself. Unfortunately, there is no established list of what does best where and how, but moving them around to find their preferred situation is definitely the best suggestion when and where possible, before sending them off to the great compost heap in the sky. Finding them more suitable homes elsewhere is an even better idea. I can't list how many times I've admired a rose in a friend's or relative's garden, only to be told, "YOU gave it to me!" Kim

I too have been trying to abide by the three year rule, if they don't perform or survive my winters then out they go or I give them away to someone who is more willing than me to pamper the plant. I don't winter protect so any rose I grow must be tough and strong.

Often after a rose is moved it will take a year to settle back into it's new home so I don't expect much from them but after that it is threatened with the shovel. LOL

Rick, I too have Treasure Trail. I just got it last spring from Rogue Valley. It was a band. I let it bloom once and it was so beautiful, exactly what I wanted. A friend of mine in the Annapolis Valley is a landscaper and he says this rose is a great one for our climate. I hope it survived the winter well. It should, there is lots of snow cover.

Thanks for the valentine wishes. Hope your day went well also.

Valerie

Ingrid