How wonderful, Riku!! Those are some impressive potted roses. :-) Are all five Lillians and what are your plans for them?
My two new LG's are in bloom right now and are very pretty. I can't wait for them to attain some height and match my two Nancy Parker's on the opposite arch someday. I'm so grateful still for Suzy making that post about this hardy rose.

Hi Annececilia

Yes all the roses are Lillian, I waited a long time for this opportunity to have this prairie heritage rose. They are planted in various spots in the gardens from benign to adverse winter areas (protected to exposed) and partial shade to full sun ... pretty good testing. We will see how they do. They are very large grafted plants but the root ball does not look trimmed that much and I speculate from the growth pattern they been awhile in the pots. All have numerous buds.

If all the antique prairie roses I planted in the last two years survive to 5 to 8 years old it will be like a forest now that I moved from knee high to "tree high" hardy strategy. I believe it was height that had something to do with their loss of favor over the decades as people went to small - been there done that now I want right rose in the right place.

although we do not have the severe weather limitations in the UK, I have been following the Lillian Gibson story - it is so good to see a revival of an old treasure - and one so clearly appropriate for hardy planting. I am baffled by this continued desire for dwarf plants. There is a whole list of names used by nursery people - such as wee, dwarf, compact, fairy, bambino, nana, mini and so on which I try to avoid. Not least because many of these plants have enormous blooms on titchy, tiny plants which just look awful. Even in a small garden, tall, statuesque, elegant FULL SIZE plants look better than some stunted runty travesty. Riku, a 'forest', surrounded by billowing roses, sounds good to me. Well done, persistence clearly has its own rewards.

Hello Campanula

Have to agree with all your points as hard not to after seeing Suzanne, Prairie Peace, Therese Bugnet etc. in full bloom. My big surprise, albeit pleasant, was that today during my weekly nursery tour I was astounded to see they only had about 4 left. My guess is they started with some thing like 25 to 30. When I commented they sold well they said they had been pushing them. I sure N.E.Hansen would be pleased that at least in southern Alberta for a brief moment nearly 70 years later there was a tiny explosion of 25 to 30 plants in availability. Thank god Bailey's did not plow the field under ... even bought one of their yellow submarine roses as an esoteric thanks gesture - not hardy here but zone 5 close enough for re-start in spring.

I love to hear about species hybrid roses, and the photos at helpmefind.com of "Lillian Gibson "are charming.
When I saw the words "prairie hybrid" I thought L.G. had been bred from R. setigera, the prarie rose, (ooops!)instead of having been bred on the praires, This rose was bred in the Midwest at the Minnesota Agricultural Experimental Station in the early 1930's.

For anyone who is interested
Lillian Gibson
Seed Parent: Rosa blanda, also called the Labrador Rose as it grows in that Canadian province, among other nick-names.
Pollen Parent: Red Star, a red Hybrid Tea that was bred in the 1920's.
backyardgardener mentions rabbits are drawn to its (L.G."s )folige.
Luxrosa.

That is good info to share as I thought the chap did all his work in North Dakota. Also rated to zone 3b not 3a yet ... though I think Leo or the Morden Ag centre grows it in zone 2 or 3 in Manitoba.

Lets keep our fingers crossed that blanda hybrids will be good enough in the Rockies foothills area of Calgary. I have given it 7 chances in different micro - climates (yes I was bad, I got another two today). It appears to do well in Brooks Ag station located in pure prairie, however there is a large spruce hedge around the entire plot of old roses. Cold wind is a key slayer of rose canes that do not belong out here.

Roses fool me all the time, R.Virginiana is doing well here with no protection over winter - surprised me but the long haul only counts.

For those interested in more of the history visit the Hansen page and below is some more info from the NE Hansen page added by a Canadian who I believe lives in Alberta.

"Lilian Gibson - Red Star x R. blanda - Hansen There are two distinct clones grown under this name. Both grow to six feet tall. Both kill back somewhat under severe conditions, both are covered with beautiful double roses on favorable years, both bloom once, and neither sets seed.
The one usually considered the true Lillian Gibson has a few prickles, and the flowers are shell pink. The other, which I call Lillian Gibson Sibling, is completely thornless, and the flowers are a deeper rose color, slightly smaller, and not quite so double. At their best these are excellent ornamental shrubs. (Margit 1-28-08)"

Mine I believe has "prickles" but not many.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://web.mac.com/jHistory of Hansen

Oops seems his bases were Iowa and South Dakota, not North, not sure how the rose ends up being stated as being bred at a Minnesota Ag station. Maybe in the deeper history or a mixup.

Okay now this is ridiculous, I spend years trying to get this rose and tonight I go to Home Depot and there it is as a bagged Paramount rose ... or should I say a rose labelled Lillian Gibson, with a pink hybrid tea flower for a picture. The canes are thornless and close. So I bought one to see what comes out .. if it is true (wild shot) I think I know where the rest of bailey's LG's went.

oh dear! That is frustrating...yet OTOH if it gets more LG's into the hands of the public, that is not a bad thing. I just hope that buyers of those bagged roses are not expecting hybrid teas as pictured. Wow, would they be in for a shock! I'll have to check the H.D.'s in this area. (And what are they doing getting in bagged roses NOW in zone 3???)

Off and running to Home Depot; hope they've got it for me (and that's actually what it is) because I missed hearing about this rose till now!

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Musigns blog

No Joy on the Home Depot run, but I'll keep an eye out for it!

Hi,

The bare rooot is as bad as I remember them - actually really bad root cropping. I won't be getting anymore as it was about $8. Annececlia there are a smattering of bag and box roses here and there. March is the traditional time to see them here in Homedepot CTC and Walmart (none yet). I use to get heavy into them in the early days. I think there is only one still going after about 10 years and that one is surprizingly - it was one that was suppose to be delicate - WhiskeyMac. By the way the rabbits and deer have had a field day with the two of three Lillian's I planted last year in the front yard. The cane that remains looks okay though I did cover the bases.

Abbotsford, B.C. has them at Home Depot. As much as I swore I'd never buy a body bag again, I did cave in and bought one. The canes are huge and just starting to bud. Hopefully no RMV but not holding my breath.

Jackpot! On a trip to Kansas City, stopped and the Home Depot had Lillian....and as a side benefit Charlotte Brownell, which I hadn't seen before. I'm hoping the Lillian isn't mislabeled because the canes on all the ones labeled as Lillian Gibson were different from the other roses; winter red like Therese Bugnet. This HD also had Adelaide Hoodless but since I've got two own-root, I didn't grab it up this time.

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Musings blog