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jacqueline9ca

Climbing Crimson Glory

jacqueline9CA
10 years ago

Tale of a lazy gardener, or how to create mysteries in your own garden and then be surprised by them:

I have a Climbing Crimson Glory (accd to Gregg) which I rooted from a rose in the garden of a cottage near my house that was about to be (and was) torn down and replaced by a parking lot (I know - sounds like an "urban legend", but it is true).

It was climbing about 15 feet up a pine tree. I have since researched that garden on behalf of another rose I got from it, and determined that the Cl Crimson Glory was planted no earlier that the 1930s, and probably no later than the 1960s. Anyway, it rooted fine and has turned into a lovely rose in my garden. It is wrapped around a 5 ft rose "folly", and then has jumped up to an arch covered with 'Sombreuil'. Looks fantastic up there, occasionally joined in blooming times with the large purple clematis jackmanii (see pic).

Anyway, years ago rosefolly said that she wanted one, and had bought one, but it didn't climb.

I gave her cuttings at least 3 times, but she had no luck rooting them. So, I have tried to root it several times in the last few years, and all of the cuttings died (how amazing that the one cutting I took from the original plant years ago rooted...).

Fast forward - I am very lazy, and so the last time (about 7 months ago) that I had various cuttings root, I potted them up and put all three pots on the top of the soil in an empty (of plants - full of dirt) half wine barrel that I use for tomatoes because they got water there, and would be protected from deer by the cages we use to protect the tomatoes. Well, of course when we went to plant this year's tomatoes a few weeks ago, there were these three roses in pots, now growing madly, and very happy. I realized that I had NO IDEA who they were at all! We were going away for a 2 week vacation, so I just put them in a garden bed where they would get watered automatically, and left.

When I retrieved them out of that garden bed the other day, I realized that one of them had put up a 3 ft tall climbing cane, out of its one gallon pot, and had also put out some other new growth from the base, and was very happy. I stared at it, trying to remember what I had been trying to root last year......(I know, I am supposed to put labels on them, but I always think I will remember..., and as I said, I am lazy).

I caught site of my old bush of Cl Crimson Glory out of the corner of my eye..... the new leaves are the same color, and look the same to my ignorant eye, and they both even have 6th and 7th vestigial leaflets on some of the leaves. No blooms or buds yet on the new one, unfortunately, but there is a high likelihood that this might be a successful rooting of my old cultivar of Cl CG, because I have been routinely adding it to each attempt to root things for a while.

So, rosefolly, my plan is to wait until it blooms, but if it is Cl Crimson Glory I will let you know, and you are welcome to it if you still need one.

Jackie

P.S. One other of the plants MIGHT be a clone of my ancient Le Vesuve, and the third looks suspiciously like a white version of Margo Koster, which I have and which sports to different colors constantly - I sometimes try to root them, but they usually are not stable - this one has lots of pure white blooms...another mystery - gardening is so amusing if you are lazy!

Comments (22)

  • zjw727
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    What a fabulous picture, the color combination is perfect! And what an exciting mystery!

  • sherryocala
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Gorgeous pic, Jackie. Love the colors and the plant combination.

    Sherry

    Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation...

  • sidos_house
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    What a fun story, Jackie! I often find that it is my "whimsy" that gets me into trouble or creates amusing mysteries in the garden (morning glories in the kitchen garden, random rose clippings stuck here and there throughout the garden). The picture is stunning, kind of patriotic! Thanks again for the story, it was a great pick-me-up for one of those endless afternoons at the desk.

  • jerijen
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Love the picture. Love the story.
    What a BEAUTIFUL rose that is!

    Jeri

  • ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Jackie, what a stunning mix of blooms and a great story. I hope your cutting turns out to be this rose. I really dislike red roses but this one has enough of a purplish tinge to be beautiful in my eyes, not to mention that old-fashioned, many-petaled appearance. Really lovely! I also hope your cutting of Le Vesuve is a success.

    Ingrid

  • fogrose
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Beautiful! My kind of gardening. Letting the plants intertwine.

    Hope it's Crimson Glory for Rosefolly's sake.

    Diane

  • Kippy
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Beautiful story and rose!

    I am bad about labeling too. I will have to wait and see what blooms in my cuttings.

    And in the garden in 3 sections; I have 2 sections of moms favorite cucumber, 1 of lemon Cucumbers, 1 pickling cucumbers. The problem....4 types in 3 rows....hmmm wonder which section I planted 2x

  • nancylee2
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Jackie: So pretty a composition. Do you cut back the clematis each year or let it climb more? -Nancylee

  • rosefolly
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Jackie, I am absolutely thrilled! My fingers are crossed. Thank you so much.

    And ---I'm sending you an email.

    Rosefolly

  • floridarosez9 Morgan
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Loved your mystery story, Jackie. We really have some wonderful writers on this forum. So much talent here! I'll bet you have a constant line of cars driving past, ogling your roses and other bloomers.

  • mendocino_rose
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I love the story and I really love the photo. I've been told that if you take your cutting from a lateral that it won't climb. I don't know if you did that. My first Climbing Crimson Glory didn't do well but I've got two more going now and I'm hopeful,especailly after hearing your story.

  • strawchicago z5
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Jackie: That's absolutely pretty combo: red crimson glory and blue clematis. I have a crimson-glory own-root hybrid tea, it's my favorite. It's 100% clean here, easy rose, fresh scent. It blooms way-better than Austins.

  • zeffyrose
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I LOVE stories like this----it makes me happy ----the picture is glorious----Many years ago I had HT---CG ----wonderful fragrance---I do hope your cutting is CG for Paula's sake--I'm sure she will treasure it ----
    Please keep us posted---
    Florence

  • strawchicago z5
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Heartbreaking beauty! I love CG! Thank you, Jackie.

  • jacqueline9CA
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Just an update on the above story - Paula came over to my house and picked up the Cl Crimson Glory baby in its small pot. By that time it had bloomed, and also put out a 7 ft long cane, so I was sure it was Cl Crimson Glory. She told me recently that she has planted it next to a chimney - I can't wait for pictures from next Spring.

    Of the other two mystery rooted cuttings, one does look exactly like Margo Koster, except that is is white (so far 100% of the time). So, I am assuming that I rooted a white sport of MK (which I have a vague memory of doing), and I planted it in my oval bed along with Margo and another sport of her which is a dark dark pink (that rose sports amazingly!). The third one is still TBD, but definitely looks like a tea rose. I planted it in a large pot on the patio, and if the deer will stop pruning it I may find out who it is.

    Aside - I know deer are awful in the garden, but we get them in only ones and twos because we live so close to downtown in our town. A few weeks ago a doe had her fawn in the back yard of our next door neighbors (my upstairs tenants were witnesses!). Since then she and the fawn have been hanging out in my garden, or others very close to us. Yesterday we watched the fawn nursing in a sheltered sort of wild part of our back garden. Then the doe and the fawn spent a few minutes licking each other. They have been pruning my roses, of course, but I really don't mind - I love all of the wildlife in our garden.

    Jackie

  • michaelg
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    How much repeat do you get from Cl. Crimson Glory?

    I think it makes a much nicer climber than other HT sports because the flower stems are short and droopy.

    This post was edited by michaelg on Tue, Jul 30, 13 at 17:12

  • taoseeker
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    What a beautiful rose, and a wonderful story Jackie I love the old fragrant hybrid teas, I'm not as strict with the red colour though. It is particularly nice to have one from an old garden in the neigbourhood. The only one I have which can compare with yours is climbing Etoile de Hollande, which I planted mostly for the fragrant flowers. I have it up my wall, and it is between flushes, with two flowers at the moment. It repeats fairly well. Have you fuzzed with clever pruning techniques? Climbing hybrid teas are suppose to be a bit difficult.

  • jacqueline9CA
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Michael - it has blooms on it all summer, but not a full flush as in the Spring.

    Taoseeker - Hah! I do not do any fancy pruning techniques on any of our 120 roses. This Cl Crimson Glory was supposed to be twined around a rose folly. That lasted maybe 12 months, then it took off and is growing on the next door arch which was intended for Sombreuil. Now we just prune off the dead stuff, and tie up the new canes onto the arch - it likes it up there. I have two flowers at the moment too - they are so beautiful - here is the bud:

    Jackie

  • rosefolly
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    It took me a while to get Cl CG in the ground. I had to move several plants to give it the feature spot by the chimney that I wanted, and I didn't want to do any transplanting while the heat was at its worst. To make room I moved Madame Plantier to the all-white garden near the cottage. And that had to wait until my DH made me a new copper trellis, and I had repositioned a mature blueberry bush, a white clematis and a couple of white delphiniums. You get the picture. But all is done now and I am happy as a clam. With a little luck, next year I may be posting pictures much like Jackie's.

    Rosefolly

  • nickl
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Jacqueline:

    Really enjoyed your story - but one tiny correction. 'Climbing Crimson Glory' wasn't introduced in the US until 1946, so it couldn't be from the 1930's. Of course, it could have been from any time after it's introduction. Just keeping things historically accurate.

  • taoseeker
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm tyring to find the best way to prune my climbing hybrid tea, I dont' have much experience either. They have a reputaiton for not repeating very well, if at all, but it seems to be all about pruning. I have an old rosebook (graham stuart thomas), and he writes they need to be pruned ever so carefully since they only for buds on the sideshoots of the twigs and canes which already have flowered. That might come naturally if left to nature, but if pruned too hard, the plant will only sprout lots of green leaves. I'm not sure if this matters at all in Calefornia zone 9 where there hardly is any winter, but where I live roses go dormant and it very much does. Anyone esle growing climbing hybrid teas?