Luanne has the right idea by showing her beautiful pics ... words alone are not enough for this rose. You must experience it in person to fully appreciate it.

Randy

Souvenir de la Malmaison:
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I used to call it a kleenex rose becuase it balled in wet May's here and then 1 day I was looking at it in a late light and I became hooked could'nt stop taking pictures of it, After all it's just another pink rose right....nah it's and amazing pink rose somtimes silver it emits it's own light. Then I had to get it's white sport Kron Princessin Vikotria nota powerful fragrance but a gfragrance that has power to make me go back again and again.

Banner Maxx and Mancozeb keeps most everything spotless at Heritage Rosarium when I remember to use them every 2 -3 weeks. The problem is that they are so good and require being used less frequently than the older fungicides that you can forget when you last sprayed. I guess that is a good thing. Even spraying half of the garden that needs it (perhaps 250 plants) requires only about an hour with a back pack sprayer once every 2- 3 weeks. - Best

PS - get both SDLM and SDSA. Both are exquisite!

OK - now I need it too. And so far I can't find it - anyone know a vendor that still has one

I tried the organic sulfur spray and when I kept it up I found it was very effective. My problem was keeping it up consistently, but even occasional spraying helped disease resistance better than doing nothing at all. SDLM can get by without any spraying although mine is less vigorous but I don't mind a smaller bush in the spot I planted her.

Here in humid southwest Florida it does just great! I have it in a container. I have never sprayed it with a fungicide and it has stayed spot free for me! This is my favorite rose too. :-D

rozanna, Chamblee's has Malmaison, and St. Anne too but they're not up for sale just yet, it says " Coming Soon" and since I've never ordered from them( will be though) I really don't know that that means...I'm assuming fall availibility?

Alright, I'm going to try her out as soon she becomes availible for purchase, and I'll try the sulfur spray too, since my other roses besides the ones that don't need it, could benefit a little bit from it, and quite frankly I was kinda oblivious to Mutabilis's sheding, just something he did. During the summer I have my daily rounds anyway, watering, gotta make sure the trumpet vine babies are pulled from the lawn and no pods on the momma plants are allowed to set... adding some spray come really late afternoon when it cools down might not be that troublesome to do.

I asked Chamlbees, and they said that "coming soon" meant September. Maybe a few would be availabe the first of May. That is close because they suddenly stop shipping in May, I think.

Sammy

I prefer Mystic Beauty for humid areas like my garden in Jacksonville because it hardly ever balls, a weakness of SDLM. Mystic Beauty is the pink sport of Kronprincessin Viktoria and KP is a sport of SDLM, so they are all some form of SDLM. At Roses Unlimited I saw Mystic Beauty and SDLM growing side by side and while both were beautiful, all of Mystic Beauty's blooms were opening but half of SDLM's were soggy and getting brown in the bud. Mystic Beauty's flower is also larger than SDLM, more the size of the Climbing SDLM. If you are having trouble with SDLM opening, try Mystic Beauty, which is like SDLM on steroids!

Yes you do! But see how it growa in your area. Out here in CA I would not be without it! It blooms for months and if well watered, will bloom again. I have it in a really hot spot and it blooms for months. I am not a faithful waterer in the heat of summer and it gets its fall flush late but I love this rose. Check with you local rose society to see if it grows well there. If it does --go for it--you will be so happy!
Sonbie

Absolutely! Without doubt 'Souvenir de la Malmaison' is my most successful, most beautiful, most loved rose. Her flowers are gigantic for a heirloom rose and beautiful as a bud, partially opened and fully blown. She has a wonderful scent.

If I were forced to grow only one rose it would be 'Souvenir de la Malmaison'.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:236758}}

Thats a really nice rose! Does it repeat flowering very well compare to the Austins?

I'm in the stage of choosing between Nehama, Pierre de Ronsard or SDLMalmaison...I'll probably get all three.

I just got SdlM today! I'm so excited! Between bursts of rain, I ventured out and got it. I got an own-roots gorgeous, healthy looking one from Raft Island Roses. Yeah! My 4th OGR. It was so hard walking by an Alfred de Damas Rose too. They have such an amazing selection of all kinds of roses! It's very dangerous living a few miles from there. The family that owns the nursery is soooo nice too.

Here is a link that might be useful: Raft Island Roses

jumbojimmy, it is a great repeater.

jumbojimmy, it repeats extremely well for me too. Even in the hot summer months!

Randy

She is also shade tolerant and will put up with as little as 5 maybe 4 hours of direct sunlight a day.

I'm gettin' nostalgic. Just like the good old days.

Someone asks "do I need this rose" and the fun begins. A little Molineux prose, a Luanne picture and Presto! The entire Forum is bankrupt.

By the way Oath, SDLM grows great in a container.

Not that I am implying that any of this enabling is intentional.

Of course it's intentional. Forum members don't pile on to a thread in such large numbers to sing the praises of a rose unless they feel it's worthy of some enabling.

A bit of perspective.

The rose is called:

Souvenir de la M-A-L-M-A-I-S-O-N

As in Empress Joséphine de Bonaparte's legendary rose gardens at Malmaison.

You can't call yourself a respectable lover of Old Garden Roses unless you have this goddess in your collection.

Now go buy it!

Image of SdlM by Raffaele1961 at Hortiplex

I have 2, a bush and a climber. The bush is about 3-4 yrs. old and this is the climber's 2nd blooming season. The blooms on the climber would take your breath away! They are perfect shell pink and quartered. The only problem was the severe case of PM on the foliage. I used Bayer 3-1 to prevent thrips and disease I hoped. The thrips were eliminated but not PM. I have sprayed twice with
Rosepride and it seems to be abating. The bush form has never had a bloom as perfect as the climber. Both are from Chamblee's I think. Buff

Well, I just ordered 2 SdLM from Rogue Valley roses. (Also ordered Sutter's Gold and William R Smith) I couldn't take the raves anymore about form, fragrance and disease resistance! I had to find out for myself. Hopefully, in a few months I'll have pretty pictures to share, too. :)

I have started my first SDLM a few months ago and guess what, the first flower balled! The plant is still small (from Chamblee). I hope it will get better with time.

Randy,
Great pictures. You team well with the other enablers.

Patrick,
I'm not sure I can stick to my "not intentional" position any longer. You are evil.

But folks, if you are only gonna have one OGR, SdlM is the one.

Harry,

He-he-he-he-he...

Does anybody know a good nursery that has it in stock and won't be too outrageous in terms of price ( as in shipping to Maryland)? My usual sources Ashdown and Antique Rose Emporium don't currently have it, not that they'd be inexpensive anyway, lol.

I ordered mine from Rogue Valley Roses.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rogue Valley Roses

An update. We had a 1 inch rain yesterday. Today is absolutely beautiful: clear, no humidity and breezy. I just went out to inspect my usually inferior bush-form of SDLM. It has several perfect,quartered, flawless, smelly blooms and dozens of buds. These blooms are every bit as lovely as the climbers were (it's slowing down now)! Once again, gardeners are rewarded for patience. IMHO, SDLM is a wonderful rose. Buff

I just witnessed my first fully open SDLM (my first one balled). It really has that heart-melting light pink color that I crave, and smells wonderful too. It smells a little like Mme Issac Pereire, but more notable to my nose. For some reason, Mme Issac Pereire does not seem to be extremely fragrant to my nose. I wonder if it is the tea rose parentage in SDLM. I am so glad I am growing this plant and may grow its other sports too.

Out of the three roses, which has a stronger fragrance? a) SDLM; b) felicite palametier or c) madame Hardy. And which would you choose?

Jumbojimmy, I assume you mean Felicite Parmentier...

Of those three I would get SDLM.

For fragrance, out of these three, Felicite Parmentier will beat others hands down. However it doesn't repeat, so if you need repeat SDLM, if you want unbeatable fragrance FR.
Olga

I've got Felicite Parmentier. Lives through the winter fine. It struck me that it looked a lot like SDLM. Wonderful fragrance. It has a tendency to tumble to the ground, getting herself messy, which I don't like. The flowers are like pretty babies, smaller than some others. But there are a lot of them. She gets about five feet.
There is a lot of similarity in the flowers, which is odd, since Felicite Parmentier is supposed to be an alba, while SDLM is a cross between a Bourbon and a tea.
One of history's mysteries, since the parentage of FP is unknown.
Of course, it's hard to tell from a photo. If you had those two side by side, you might think they were way different.
Felicite definitely is an easy care substitute for me, but I know nothing about blackspot and rain and balling would be welcome. Our problem here is hot wind blasting the roses. FP blooms before the hot wind comes.

Here is a link that might be useful: Felicite Parmentier

SDLM has long been the very favorite flower in my "fantasy" rose garden. But now the beds are prepared, and 5 "bands" are due to arrive next week.

Something about this rose that really moves me...quite excited to start the adventure of growing her.

Bill

This morning when I was walking through the garden, I noticed that one of my SDlM plants was blooming quite a bit, in a pot, (fortuniana rootstock) 2 years old this week; I quit counting blooms when I got to 48, so I would say about 60 pounds on this one, although the ones on their own roots are about half that amount. (I have two on fortuniana, two on their own roots; something about the fortuniana rootstock or the pots made them do better than the others).

I'm glad to hear good things about Mystic Beauty. I have one coming from RU next week :)

Barbara

Some people say they can see no difference between SdlM and Mystic Beauty, so Gene's observations are interesting. I never planted SdlM because we have one of the worst climates for balling. I have MB, and her flowers are good when some other roses have problems. It will occasionally ball or get wet brown spots, but no worse than the average for all roses, not something I'd consider a fault. Of course, since I'm not growing SdlM, I can't say MB is better, or even different. On casual observation, it looks the same as SdlMs I've seen.

Between SdlM and Felicite Parmentier I would definately choose SdlM. The flowers are bigger and you get them all season long. Okay the fragrance isn't as glorious as Felicite's Alba parfume but it is still strong and nicely complex (think cantaloupe with a spicy kick).

Image of Souvenir de la Malmaison by Archduke at Hortiplex

Pat Henry told me Mystic Beauty was a much better plant than SDLM. I have SDLM but she's growing v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y so I'm looking for good things out of MB.

Barbara

I really liked Rouge SDLM but it took sick with a case of Downy Mildew from an imported rose and since it was still under 3 years of age, it could not recover, but the two years I had it, I was quite pleased. KPV was planted in a bed with unruly hybrid teas with fortuniana grafts and could not overcome their vigor for taking over and they did.

Patrick (and anyone else)

I am torn between SDLM and Jacques Cartier. I have space for only one more (townhouse, small garden), and I may just leave the rose in a container for a year (until I can move one of my small floribundas to another spot).

So between SDLM and Jacques Cartier / Marchesa Boccella, which one pumps out more blooms, and which has more fragrance? (How do the fragrances compare?). Which is more disease resistant? (I get some bs on my roses, but I'm usually good at cutting it off before it spreads)

-Basil

²I already have souvenir de la malmaison, three times in fact,
the first came in place of devoniensis, the second was specially bought for itself, the bush form, but it is finally the climbing form, and the third is a cutting, that is already on a arbor and full of roses, after only a year!
My question: does is stop balling!!!?

Basil, marchessa bocella doesnt ball!! can't compare the fragrnce, my marchessa is wonderful but my malmaison is quite rotten!

I started to post about Mystic Beauty and thankfully Gene did. I just purchased one and it smells heavenly. I bought it on fragrance alone. Not as pink as SDLM but supposed to be healthier. SDLM seems to be zone picky and hardly ever blooms for me past spring.

Carla

I am not Patrick but I grow roses, and have had both Jacques Cartier and SDLM. I think in your climate, Jacques Cartier is a better rose for you and fragrance is much better than SdlM. However, JC does not like my southern heat so we shovel-pruned it, but in other gardens it is wonderful and I hated to get rid of it for the fragrance alone. It is probably the most fragrant rose I have ever had.

Nova,

If I had to choose between the two then Souvenir de la Malmaison wins hands down. Marchesa Boccella is a very pretty and worthwhile rose but it lacks of the WOW factor that SdlM has in spades.

Flower: MB's blooms are a about 2.5-3 inches wide with a knotted button eye in the center. The outer petals form a scalloped edge. Bud color is deep rich pink that progressively lightens to an uniform light cool pink. SdlM flowers are bigger and the quartering is more "tight". The form is absolutely perfect on each and every flower. The outer petals form a circular disc with the inner petals pulled into segments, culminating into a pinpoint center. Only a few OGRs can match SdlM for consistency and perfection of form. Color is a pale icy pink that verges on white. The image included in my last post is very accurate in terms of form, color and petal texture.

Fragrance: very different. MB has a strong Damask scent; i.e. "classic" rose fragrance. Unfortunately, it is very much a one note fragrance. SdlM, on the other hand, has ravishing blooms blessed with a gloriously complex fragrance. Now to be honest, some folks can't smell it. I can and to me it is pure whiff of heaven.

Growth Habit: Both are short to medium in height but MB is more rigidly upright. I prefer the slightly wider habit of SdlM.

Disease Resistance: Good for both. I found SdlM to be slightly more resistant but to be honest I didn't keep MB around long enough to do a fair comparison.

Repeat: Good for both. SdlM is slightly faster to repeat.

Vigor: MB is better. An own root specimen is likely to mature the second year. SdlM makes you wait a year or two longer because she blooms at the detriment of putting on shrub growth.

Patrick

Thank you for that run down. You've sold me on SdlM, it will be my next rose purchase! By the way, Chamblees agreed with you (although they have JC/MB in stock, but are out of SdlM), I guess that indicates it is one fine rose!

I may put it off buying SdlM for a year (space issues, not sure I want to run a "container ghetto"), but I will decide that in the next few days (I'm going back and forth). But thanks nonetheless, I read your postings avidly, esp since you live in same climate zone

Your posting on Molineux sold me on that rose, I bought and planted 3 from Chamblees (hoping they grow into a brilliant blooming hedge). My Jude the Obscure is 3 years old (my 1st rose) and is about to put on a show, he has 25+ blooms on him. I'll have to take some pictures as he unfolds

-Basil

Carla, Mystic Beauty repeats like a modern bush rose for me, but SDLM should do that too-- unless, as you say, there is some magical threshhold of latitude. My MB has been slow to develop, but is showing good vigor this spring, after being one of the last to bud out after the freeze. It is also more cane-hardy than the tenderer moderns like Elina. I'm really glad to have it.

molineux, how is your SdM holding up in terms of blackspot this year so far? I'd like to know, I'm surprised with my own roses, my Queen Elizabeth has yet to loose one leaf.

My SdlM got sprayed with Mancozeb about two weeks ago. That is the ONLY spraying it has received this season. I looked at it yesterday. There are two yellow black spotted leaves on the lowest cane to the ground. Otherwise green and lush. Sure wish my other roses looked that good. I've been lazy with the spraying and unfortunately most my roses are showing the neglect.

But not Souvenir de la Malmaison.

I have to say I am falling in love with this rose. A couple of weeks ago I posted a thread saying I had very mixed feelings about it. I went outside and cut off all the brown dingle balls hanging off of her and muttered that as soon as I found a "better" rose she was getting replaced.

Wouldn't you know I went out the next day and she had the most exquisite bloom that I cut and brought inside. No thrips either. She's been doing great since, but does need to be deadheaded to look tidy. I haven't sprayed for a month because of all the wind we've been having, and the foliage is still beautiful.

I think I scared her enough to straighten up. I'm glad, because she is budded on fortuniana, excellent quality, was mail order, and therefore wasn't a cheap rose.

Sandy