Lynn

I'm on a list, too. I think several others besides Burling list it, but I don't know of anyone who can send it right now.

:-)

~Christopher

Diane

Anne

Ingrid

Renae is a beauty. We were drawn to everything we saw, what I read, but especially the coloring of A.L.M. Strawberryhill posted the image and that was IT for me. My hubby took one look and described ALM as the epitome of what draws him to a rose visually.

It will be a special rose for us so I shall wait for it.

I have 2 Annies: One bought last year, which didn't grow until I put used lemon to bring down my pH of 8 hard-well water. I also put acid fertilizer for azaleas in the pot, which made her rootball grew to be 2-gallons for survival in my zone 5a winter.

Annie is a heavy bloomer, so keeping her root ball moist helps with blooming. I achieved that by planting her 4 inches below ground level, plus more mulch. Own-roots are wimpy ... it's best to plant her in good potting soil in a few hours of morning sun. When the root ball reaches 2-gallon size, then plant that DEEP below ground level, so it won't dry out.

This year with the second Annie in the pot, I tried a different approach: I put cocoa mulch, acidic at pH 5.4, NPK 3-1-4 on top. It doesn't work as well as my previous Annie. Pots require more nitrogen due to leaching out, so I'll put some acid fertilizer NPK 10-5-4.

With the Annie in the ground .. she's really short with just cocoa mulch. This month I pushed Jobes' tomatoe spike, only 1, at NPK 8-16-8, deep down to the root zone. She doubled the growth in a short time, which confirm that for a heavy bloomer like Annie, fertilizer is a must.

Since I bury all my roses 4 to 5" below ground for winter survival, fertilizer on top doesn't work ... even chemicals have a hard time passing through my heavy clay to reach down below. Phosphorus for blooming stay put where's applied, one experiment showed it moved max. of 1 inch. below soil per year. Jobes' spike driven down with a wooden post helped to put fertilizer deep where the root zone is.

My sister e-mailed me from Southern CA, stating that her Annie doesn't grow whatsoever ... she re-potted in twice in different potting soils, she tried vitamin B, etc.. I told her to put vinegar in her tap water, and it worked. Dry and hot climate tend to have alkaline soil or water, which bind up phosphorus and potassium, essential for root growth.

It helps to put gypsum in the pot or mix with your soil for Annie. Last year Annie balled in the pot, but after I put gypsum (calcium sulfate), she doesn't ball whatsoever, even with our constant rain. Calcium also helps with root growth, and that's vital for tiny own-roots.

Below is 2-month growth of Annie, after I pruned down to 4 inches due to snow and hail in April. I'm in zone 5a.

Ingrid

Anne

I made a big mistake... Blanked out and bought a huge bag of potting mix instead of potting soil. I have no indoor plants...any suggestions regarding use of it?

Other hands-on experience:

From ChicagoJoe: 1 to 2 Tablespoon per gallon to bring pH of 7.8 down to 6.5. Another person posted 1 tablespoon of vinegar per 1 gallon of water for his 7.4 pH.

I am on the list for ALMcD too, but not holding my breath for one any time soon.

Kim, are they all budded or rooted? Is that because it is slow to take off?

Renae was dumped from many majors' lists for various reasons. It was originally produced by Armstrong until they had their Cl. Pinkie ready. They introduced Cl. Pinkie and dumped Renae. They owned the patent on Pinkie. They paid Ralph Moore royalties on Renae. Week's was the last major producer to offer Renae as a budded climber. Some years ago, they limited offering it as only a budded weeping tree rose. Part of the reason was the size of Renae's buds works better with the thicker standard stocks. Her growth habit suits being permitted to hang downward and can be an issue when and where a more upright habit is required for production. I've heard some dumped Renae because of the urban legend which became gospel about her being "insufficiently cold hardy". It's sad how misinformation so quickly becomes "truth".

All of these slow to mature types benefit from warm (not hot!) situations where there is good sun (preferably morning), with protection from the hottest afternoon conditions. A good, moisture retentive potting soil which doesn't dry out quickly and won't remain soggy after watering, helps, too. But, they are going to take their own, sweet time maturing. It just their genetic nature, very much like Reve d'Or and others of that type. There is just so much you can do to push them faster. Providing optimum conditions, feeding and watering well and not permitting them to flower are the best method to speed them up. But, continually messing with their roots, either by constantly checking their development or by repeatedly repotting them will slow them down. It will interrupt and slow down the development of any plant. Perhaps you can speed them a bit by playing with the pH. I don't know. That's much too much effort and wasted time for my plate and patience. I just give them what I've found works for me in my conditions; put them in the optimum spots I have; keep them watered and leave them alone to do their things. It works for me.

Once they've developed the root mass they require to support the top growth they are programmed to produce, they will quickly show you they're ready. Until then, be patient!

None of the producers for Renae and ALmD bud them. They're all own root. I sent bud wood to K&M this summer for them to test it in their gardens. If they like it, they may bud it to Fortuniana. I've heard nothing yet. Kim

Thanks for the info on why Renae is used as a weeping tree rose. I personally don't care for that look in my informal country garden and would have been thrilled to have seen a "natural" Renae instead. Of course the big companies know best what their customers want....

Ingrid

:-)

~Christopher

:-)

~Christopher

I am looking forward to Renae, but as long as she is growing, I am being patient. I have other plants that were supposed to flower after a year and the ground that I am still waiting on..... (I can hardly remember what they were supposed to be-but there they sit)

I am with you on letting happy or holding their own plants be. First I have too many other things to do to worry about them and second, I figure messing with them is more likely to kill than help.

After retiring, they moved to Chatsworth, buying a condo adjacent to Chatsworth Park South and discovered The Homestead Acre there. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnie_Hill_Palmer_House She, and her wonderful husband, Dean, joined the Historical Society and took on the restoration of the gardens at "The Acre", as their retirement project. It was there, I met them in 1983 at one of their open gardens, which were held monthly. Rather quickly, they had me joining them, volunteering at The Huntington Library in their rose gardens. My earliest 'funny colored roses' came through Candy, primarily from Peter Schneider (American Rose Rambler editor) who imported many and dedicated his rose, Eden Ellen, in remembrance of their daughter who was killed by a drunk driver. John MacGregor, Clair Martin's predecessor at The Huntington, donated a number of old and rare roses to help jump start the garden restoration. Several were already growing in the garden when Candy and Dean began their efforts.

The Acre hosted an annual Rose Festival, featuring old, rare and unusual roses Annie Laurie propagated. It wasn't long until their festivals also included roses which had passed through my Newhall garden which were decent roses, but not exactly what I had thought, or hoped they would be, with cutting grown and seedling roses added to the mix. They spent "winter" here in the San Fernando Valley, escaping the summer heat at her grandfather's "cabin" in Beulah, Colorado. Each return brought something new and exciting for the garden from their summer exploits. The rose, 'Pike's Peak' was one find. The Pike's Peak seedling, 'Beulah Belle' was my 'thank you' to the member of The Belles who supplied the cuttings. The Beulah Belles was their ladies civic organization, though the self proclaimed purpose was to "get together monthly to celebrate birthdays and get sloshed". R. Arkansana "Peppermint", the stippled Arkansana, was another. Many came from Denver Botanical and most still grace my garden.

There were many shared dinners, garden tours and visits and much local exploration over the years. Roses and a lot of laughter were the main themes. I'll let the entry in Comments section I posted to Help Me Find pick it up here.

A number of years ago, Mel Hulse, of the San Jose Heritage Rose Garden, along with others from that garden, visited my garden in Southern California to obtain cuttings of my collection for their garden. One rose Mel was particularly struck by was Annie Laurie McDowell. At that time, it was simply referred to as Renae Seedling. Mel and others in San Jose began referring to it as "Super Renae" and Mel continued singing its praises. Along the way, I lost the original seedling to flat head apple borers. Mel maintained Annie Laurie McDowell and two or three other Renae seedlings he had collected from my garden.

I wanted to name a rose for a very dear friend who was responsible for introducing me to The Huntington Gardens and Library and encouraging me to become a volunteer there. Super Renae was the obvious choice. I emailed Mel and asked if he could bring me as many cuttings and bloom spires as possible as we were to meet in Visalia at Sequoia Nursery to film a documentary about Ralph Moore.

Being the kind gentleman he was and the loyal friend I'd grown to love, he not only brought me cuttings, but a large, foam ice chest FULL of blooming material! All were carefully wrapped and placed in ice to maintain them for the four days it would require before they could be taken to their potential namesake. We spent the time at Sequoia and accomplished our mission. I brought the ice chest home and called my dear friend, who invited me to join her for breakfast the following morning. I brought the ice chest and spent well over an hour cleaning and recutting the stems under water while she prepared our breakfast.

When all stems were finished, I'd filled a large antique water pitcher with many dozens of bloom clusters in prime condition. The pitcher was her grandfather's, and we placed it on her grandfather's secretary desk. He was a doctor and the case was full of his instruments and medical books. We enjoyed our breakfast while admiring the pitcher full of Annie Laurie McDowell sitting on her grandfather's desk. At that time, Annie Laurie was about 71, so you have an idea of the age of the desk, equipment, books and pitcher and water bowl.

Annie Laurie had sought the old Hybrid Tea, Annie Laurie, for years. It was an early Twentieth Century sport of Ophelia. The rose is extinct.

Had it not been for the keen eye, dedication and kindness of this fine gentleman and loyal friend, Annie Laurie McDowell would have become extinct years before finally accepting the name of my dear friend. And, Annie Laurie wouldn't have had a rose she loved bear her name in her last years of life. I sincerely miss them both.

Cath

Comment on potting soil: I have accidentally dumped expensive potting soil into my rose bed native soil mix oh-so-many times over the years due to rushed prep, waning daylight or night gardening conditions, etc. or due to sheer laziness and no other amendments on site. My roses adore it and respond with extra gratitude.

Strawberry: your home-made test revealed that I have naturally slightly acid soil, but my beds are almost neutral. I puzzled over this mystery until I researched the acidity of ash tree leaves. I use them to create amendments and to mulch the beds. Apparently, they are alkaline. Mystery solved?

Carol

I should repeat, once you've received your band plant, repot it into a larger pot. If you have issues with heat extremes and aren't reliable with the water, put her into a two gallon can. Otherwise, a one gallon will suffice. Keep the water flowing so the plant will begin growing steadily. Let it dry out too far and it will shut down until it makes up the water stress loss. Feed "weakly, weekly". I'm getting growth out of the few I rooted here to generate bud wood from by using plain old Miracle Gro All Purpose, one TEASPOON per gallon, applied every week. I water well today, usually by letting the bands stand in about three inches of water in a deep plastic pan for a few hours, then let them drain over night. Tomorrow I'll put them in the pan and then pour the Miracle Gro solution through them once or twice to make sure everything is well saturated, then put them back on into the nursery flat to drain. Between fertilizing, I water them every two to three days, even though I'm using moisture control soil, because it is HOT. It is WINDY. It is ARID and the sun is EXTREME for the few hours it shines directly on them. I bunch the pots to shield them as much as possible from the sun shining directly on their sides in hopes of preventing the soil balls from cooking and damaging the roots. And, I am having to pinch flower buds from them regularly. The plant pictured is right at five months from freshly harvested cutting and was one of the "culls" of the liter, one which hadn't pushed significant growth. Kim