Here in SoCal, I finally gave up on her because she wanted to grow very tall, and bloom right at the top. But in a colder climate, that might not be a problem, and she is among the loveliest and most-fragrant of roses.

JEri

Olga, thanks so much for the offer of cuttings this spring. I've sent you an email:)
Judith

Jeri

Mark

Mark

To me, this has got to be one of the most photogenic roses ever. Notice how sometimes the beauty of a rose depends on who took the picture and when? Almost every picture I've seen of Yolande has been drop dead gorgeous.

And pictures are all I've ever seen. I ordered it once, late in the year and planted it in the ground rather than growing it on. Normally this wouldn't have been a problem in my Zone 9. But right after planting it we had the coldest wettest winter ever, and Yolande didn't make it. I'll try again someday.

Good luck!

Judith

For the first couple of years mine wanted to shoot up tall the way Jeri described. I tried training it horizontally but found it too stiff. So then I moved it to a different location and began to cut it off at about 4-4 1/2 feet. Since then it has given up its tendency to climb for the sky. Now its blooms are mostly around eye level. I like it very much, and here it is pretty healthy. I grow it right next to Pierre de Ronsard, which I also grow as a large shrub very satisfactorily.

Rosefolly

Heirloom Roses in Oregon also has Yolande D'Aragon and they say all payments are to be made in U.S. funds, so they might ship to Canada. You could check out their website or e-mail them for more information.

I've ordered from Heirloom Roses before and had excellent service :)

Yolande is a very tall, upright and leggy plant which in the spring will give you a few blooms on the very tip of its few long canes, but barely any rebloom, at least not in a hot climate. If you're lucky you'll get a couple of flowers in the fall. I've tried pruning her down, sometimes more, sometimes less, sometimes not at all, and none of this made any significant positive difference, neither in terms of controlling legginess and filling out the bush, nor in terms of enhancing rebloom. Also, Yolande's oversized light green leaves are very much on the less attractive side of things and do not make those leggy stems look any better. It really is a poorly proportioned and very unattractive plant, except for its flowers. And it is immensely prone to BS.

Now, its flowers, which are for very good reason usually all you see on photos, are very big and pretty, and they smell good. However, I always thought they they are overrated in both categories. There are many roses that to my nose smell a lot more delicious and stronger, and also many that to my eye are just as or more beautiful, in terms of flower shape, color, leaves, growth and all.

Maybe Yolande will perform and look better for you in a cooler climate, but I doubt there'll be that much of a difference, given its extreme habit. If you manage to get a plant, maybe you can report back to us.

Sorry to disappoint,
and good luck!

Andrea

Sorry!
Andrea

Rosefolly

I hope someday you can get her for yourself.

Celeste

Anyway, when I pruned this rose, whether it was down to 2 or 3 ft (from original height of 4-5ft), it just send out usually one (!) cane, sometimes two, from the top of the pruned one straight up like an arrow, no 45 degree or so angling, but 180 degrees straight up. So I ended up with the same as before, often even taller. It rarely produced new basal shoots, not even with alfalfa tea that usually works wonders. That's why I don't grow this plant anymore. Mine also came from Ashdown, grafted on multiflora.

Andrea

Maybe own root would make a positive difference in terms of basal shoots and overall growth pattern. However, for something old and pompously beautiful, I'd rather get myself a Charles de Mills!

Cheers,
Andrea

I sent you an e-mail. Many Thanks!!