Thanks!

Josh

That is great to hear. In your experience, how do you feel it would handle my warmer climate considering it has Gallica genes? I can get away with growing Hybrid Chinas well. Our temperatures regularly drop to 20 degrees at night during the winter and don't rose above the 30s.

Thanks!

Josh

Josh, I'm am planning to dive into some of Paul's rose as soon as I rearrange my garden space. I'd be curious to hear how they fare in your area since I'd like to recommend a couple to my sister in Dallas. I've heard great things about Paul's roses from gardeners in my area regarding disease resistance, growth habit and bloom. Marianne, although once-blooming, seems like a good choice for a healthy, floriferous Abraham Darby replacement.

Carol

Mr. Barden also has a rose called Oshun that actually has Abraham Darby in its lineage. It's a great sunset color! Rogue Valley Roses carries it.

I personally can't wait to get my hands on Golden Buddha. Some friends of mine are having triplets and Buddhist. They're rose fans, and I would love to gift three GB to them!

Josh

Golden Buddhas: what perfect gifts for your parents-to-be buddies! I don't have triplets, so maybe just one will do for my garden. :-)

I've been researching Oshun, too. Since Paul's roses all do quite well in this area, I'm sure Oshun would, too. I've suffered through a roller coaster relationship with Abraham and his illnesses but love his color, fragrance and habit. Oddly, Abe has been behaving since I wacked him and moved him to a spot with better sun exposure and air circulation. Almost NO disease! We'll see what happens this year.

Hope you thaw soon!

Carol

I hope someone from your own climate can speak to that; I can't really say. But given its pedigree, I would guess that it will perform well for you. It won't need the same kind of long-lasting, deep chill that many Gallicas require, so....

P

If you consider Marianne your "best rose," I will take that to heart. You have so many wonderful new hybrids that your words carry great weight. When I complete my revised garden preparations and begin assembling as many of your roses as I can accomodate, I'll also begin posting progress reports. Eventually, I may send a couple of your roses as gifts to my sister in Dallas, TX, since she has so graciously been performing large portions of the care required for our several elderly family members. I can get updates from her on your roses in her garden to add to data accumulated from Josh's and others' reports. If you could be persuaded to name the top 5 of your own roses, Paul, which 5 would you list? If I'm setting up an impossible task, please disregard my question. Just thought I'd get a recommendation straight from the breeder since he's on the forum. Thank you!

Carol

P.S. I'm on Rogue Valley's waiting list for La Ville de Brux. To your knowledge, this company does have the real deal, doesn't it? No more imposters!

I can do that quite easily, with, of course, the caveat that my choices are climate-dependent and they are not going to be right for any/all climates.

1) 'Marianne'
2) 'Won Fang Yon'
3) 'Mel's Heritage'
4) 'Jeri Jennings'
5) 'Joyce Barden'

I was sorely tempted to place 'Umbra and/or 'Allegra' on the list instead of some of the others, but the five I chose are in that list because they are superior in some way or another. That is not to say that they aren't all without shortcomings or flaws -- I will be the first to admit that 'Jeri Jennings' cannot be successfully grown in a region where Blackspot pressure is high, at least without fungicide application. But if you do choose that route, it can be astonishingly good, with mountains of fragrant bloom in 3-4 cycles per year.

'Marianne' is - of course - a spring bloomer only, and in places where the Spring warms up fast, it might provide a fairly short bloom period ( 3 weeks or less). I've come to see this as a plant best grown by training long canes on a support of some kind. Looking for a rose to train horizontally on a low split rail fence, perhaps? This would be a great rose for that.

I'm starting to think 'Mel's Heritage' is close to flawless, actually; it repeats in strong flushes, few (if any) disease problems, strong grower, tolerant of poor soils, and surprisingly hardy, given its pedigree. This winter we had a cold snap with temps as low as minus five Fahrenheit! and my huge 'Cecile Brunner' is 95% dead brown canes now, but 'Mel's Heritage', grown only inches away, is still green and viable. I'm very very surprised, considering that this is a 'Crepuscule' hybrid.

'Won Fang Yon' is one of the most shapely shrubs of Tea pedigree I have ever grown; it can be grown for years without any "secateurial intervention" and remain rounded, full and healthy. It isn't likely disease free in all climates, but it does really well here in the PNW, and I have heard from several Florida growers who said that it is an exceptionally good plant for their climate.

It seems fitting somehow, that the first rose I chose to name and introduce should also be one of the best - 'Joyce Barden'. It has been remarkably healthy for me (and many other) growers, and is mannerly, reliable, and quite beautiful. I get the impression that it does better in climates where Spring weather is warmer and less wet than here -- it dislikes persistent rainy spells while it is opening its first blooms. They don't "ball", but they tend to collapse before opening fully if they stay wet and cold for long.

No rose is perfect -- not a single one. The genus is plagued by many faults, and sometimes the most beautiful flower can be found atop the worst possible plant; one that requires "life support" measures just to keep it going. Roses like 'Lavender Pinocchio' immediately come to mind when I say that -- and so does 'Anvil Sparks' -- and 'Soleil d'Or'. The list is long, now that I think of it.

In a way, I'm glad to see that we are entering another "Dark Age" of rose growing (yes, there have been others before). Fashion, cultivation challenges, economic pressures -- you name it -- have conspired to bring about a collapse of the industry, and many cultivars will be lost, just like before. Right now, many lament the disappearance of all kinds of lovely "museum pieces" (you KNOW what I am talking about), but what remains in 50 years will be roses worth growing. We've viewed the cultivation (and the marketing culture) of roses through the 1950s lens of "Better Living Through Chemistry" which the American breeders in particular saw as their ticket to a previously-unimaginable freedom; the ability to market any rose that performed well enough (*ahem!*) as long as you applied fungicide as a regular part of your growing routine. Now, we are seeing exactly where that industry mantra has taken us.

I'm sorry to say it, but the Queen of Flowers is dead, and decades will pass before some Prince comes to breathe new life into her. Mark my words.*

"I'm on Rogue Valley's waiting list for La Ville de Brux. To your knowledge, this company does have the real deal, doesn't it? No more imposters!"

To the best of my knowledge, yes, they do have the correct variety. In fact, Janet's supply may well have been my plant IIRC.

*What few people realize - at least not fully - is that rose growing has been a fashion that has waxed and waned many times over the past 400 years. In fact, if you examine the data available, you will see that rose "mania" runs on an (approximately) eighty year cycle. Its happened before, and right now, we are on the waning slope. I file this condition under "Accept what you cannot change", since there isn't really anything we can do to change these facts, except hold on to plants you think are valuable, and make an effort to share them with people who can and will preserve them.

Its succinct comments like this that make the disappointments seem trivial, and the failure to create a self-sustaining endeavor inconsequential. Revenue is just a resource. Genuine appreciation is lasting and exponentially more valuable.

Thank you.

Just to let you know, I hardly spray my roses anymore, in fact, I had probably only sprayed a couple of times last year and JJ did beautifully. Some bs, but not enough for me to get the Bayer out.

I think it has to do with it's being matured in my garden now.

Thank you so much for answering my request and in such helpful detail! I am printing your reply for reference and will begin making rose choices this spring. Also, thank you for supplying the info re La Ville. Like all the other fans on this forum, I deeply appreciate your hard work in the field of rose breeding. I have followed your efforts for a long time and am excited to finally be able to include some of your gems in my garden. Each of your roses is a testament to the time, energy, and other resourcs you invested in creating beautiful, healthy plants which will grace our gardens and lives for years to come. Thank you!

And for all those wonderful photos posted by various members, thank you, too!

Carol

Now....when can I get 'Carolyn Supinger'? I know, I know..."contact RVR"...but just letting you know I've been checking, and can't wait to add that one.

:-)

~Christopher

I surrendered all but the original plant of 'Carolyn Supinger' to Janet at RVR over a year ago, and it was her plan to have it propagated immediately to build up inventory. I do not know the state of production of the cultivar at this time. So, did you call RVR to inquire, and if so, what information were you given? You probably know more about it right now than I do!

I have found 'Marianne', so far, to be extremely vigorous and healthy. I also have 'Rook' and am anxious to see both of these roses grow up. I plan to acquire 'Mel's Heritage', 'Gallicandy' and 'Crested Damask' this spring.

Best regards,
Chris

And drat! I had tried to order Marianne off my phone, and apparently the order didn't go through (stupid contraption). I just realized this today when I hadn't received an invoice yet, and when I went to check RVR 'Marianne' was sold out. Ah well, next year!

But in all seriousness Mr. Barden, your efforts have not gone unappreciated. Hopefully we can keep your roses around for when the world emerges from the dark age we are entering.

Josh

I don't believe there is anything "dishonest" about Northland Rosarium's decision to include one of my roses in their inventory without contacting me, since this is done all the time, all over the world, with roses that are not patented. It is assumed that nurseries can do as they wish in this regard. I don't expect differently, but that doesn't mean that I don't feel disappointment that breeders are not given more respect for the work they have sent into the world.

Nothing about Northland's choices and actions should make you think of them as "dishonest" or unworthy of your business. I will state that in no uncertain terms that I do not want my comments to be turned into "witch hunt fodder".

Once again the nuances on the English language have eluded me. I did not mean to suggest they were being deceptive by not contacting you, but rather that I feel it would have been more honorable to be forthcoming with you. Seeing as they acknowledge on their page that they know exactly where the rose came from, in my opinion they should be compelled to seek permission or compensate you. Plagiarism in the literary and artistic communities is not acceptable, and I can't help but feel this is a similar situation; perhaps in my youthful naivety I am being too "black and white" about the whole thing. Yet if we do not reward those who work to continue the legacy of hybridizing by, at the least, respectful observance of their efforts, how can we hope to encourage others to perpetuate this class of plants? I know it is a hard time for nurseries economically, but I would hope to see greater respect and honor for those who give us years of their labor.

I too do not want this to be a witch hunt on Northland. We need all the nurseries we can these days.

Josh

I received it as a band from Rogue Valley Roses only last spring, and you can see how big it's gotten already (it's dropping a little due to some heavy rains earlier today).

I know will look forward to this rose's stunning display every spring.
-Chris