Jackie

To those of you who have found it possible to grow this cultivar well with a "reasonable" investment of effort and attention; kudos to you. When it does what its supposed to, its very beautiful and an olfactory joy. However, I have grown it three times in three different gardens over the years, grafted onto R. multiflora, and the result has been the same every time: year one it grows reasonably well and adds some size beyond the original wood. Year two finds a number of the canes died back by at least half, and vigor is poor in spite of the best of care (feeding, fungicide to protect the HIGHLY disease prone foliage). Year three sees further decline in both size and performance. Year four? Gone. Dead. Removed from its site and replaced by something that has some will power to thrive.

As pretty as it may be, it will never find a home in my garden again. If it seems to be unfairly maligned, it is because many people have the same experience as I have.

Another example of a rose that shows this trait is the Pemberton musk, Penelope, whose semi-double white blooms open from apricot buds. V. Sackville West wrote that this gave the "effect of white without being white" which she thought could add much-needed interest and variety to a white garden (the concept she was most responsible for popularizing).

Plant geeks simply go wild over small variations like this.

The plant of Fair Bianca is also unique in having "stance", which I think refers to the pleasing way the leaves and buds are displayed on the bush.

Other exquisite whites opening from colorful buds that come immediately to mind are Leda, Louise Bugnet (seemingly unobtainable in the US), and the Portland, Marie de Saint Jean, which like Fair Bianca seems to lack vigor. My specimen died a week or so after its arrival as a puny twig from Vintage.

Maybe these miffy specimens need to be grown as "only plants", to be cosseted and fussed over, the way they sometimes do in Japan. Of like the rose of Le petit prince.

Doesn't have the unexplained dieback, bare stems, and months with no flowers, either.

Ingrid

As for me, I am trying (and have been trying for years) to grow another Austin rarity, "The Nun", which I thought would look nice next to my beloved Golden Wings. But so far, the one I've managed to keep growing for four years (I mostly don't spray) hasn't bloomed for me. It's alive and wants to live, though (touch wood -- this winter!) I probably have too many other plants crammed into my tiny postage stamp.

Some people really love Grey Pearl but insist it can only be grown grafted.

Her blooms are, IMHO, immaculately beautiful.

Also, a group of FB planted in a public garden and not sprayed froze out in their first zone 7 winter, having been weakened by defoliation from blackspot.