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ingrid_vc

Late Summer "Good Rose" Lineup

Earlier in the summer I had commented on which roses were doing well in the heat and promised an update in August. I suppose "late summer" is a misnomer here, since September and October can be hellish, and indeed October is our official wildfire season. My weather is dry and my garden a heat trap because of lots of hardscape, huge boulders and a high hill adjacent to the front yard, which also has a very large concrete pad. Rose heaven!

I want to say that these roses are now being watered every day and they are mulched. Without that I'm sure it would be a different story. I'm not putting these in any particular order but the best do head the list. None of them have disease issues.

Le Vesuve: One of the best, not fazed by the heat as long as it has adequate water, with constant new growth, blooms and buds. The flowers are normal in size and appearance on my two bushes.

La France: Not a mature rose or a large bush yet, but wants to bloom in the heat, and the beautiful blooms are full-sized, normal in color and intensely fragrant. I love it so much that I bought a second band from Burling in November which I'm having to constantly disbud. A great rose for the hot, dry garden although I know la brea in New York also grows it well.

Souvenir de President Carnot: Another early Hybrid Tea that I absolutely love. Some of you may have seen photos of it that I posted earlier in the year. It's right next to the concrete pad but keeps putting new growth on its still gangly, young frame and continual buds, which I've disbudded to induce more leaves. However, I'm leaving one bud now to see how the flower performs in the heat. I can't recommend this rose enough for anyone with a similar climate. Rogue Value has it although mine was from Vintage.

Rosette Delizy: Blooming like gangbusters, although the color is mostly yellow instead of its usual two-tone. A rudely healthy and bushy rose.

Souvenir de Germaine de St. Pierre: This tea rose oddly blooms best when it's cut back frequently, which is necessary to curb its gangly tendencies. Covered with buds right now. The very floppy and short-lived cerise blooms are not to everyone's taste but I've changed my mind about taking it out.

Bishop's Castle: A consistently good performer with somewhat smaller but still pretty flowers and pretty bush, which continues to push out new growth in the heat.

Spice: I wrote a thread about this rose some time ago, complaining about its unspectacular blooms, which fry and shatter very quickly in the heat, and many of you agreed. However, it's staying because it's blooming so well now and is a nice, dense and healthy bush. Ruthless as I am about culling, I can't bring myself to get rid of this willing bloomer.

Marie Pavie: A very good bloomer and grower in the heat, and I'm sure it's my fault that it doesn't enthuse me more, but it too is not going anywhere, and I suspect in a few years it may come into its own.

Souvenir de la Malmaison: Not as spectacular as last year for some reason but still performing reasonably well, and the blooms for me are still pink and almost of normal size.

Little White Pet: A recent addition but a wonderfully healthy and pretty little shrub. I've been disbudding it and have only seen one or two blooms, but it has so many buds that I suspect pretty soon I'll just let it bloom away due to fatigue (on my part).

The Ingenious Mr. Fairchild: Not mature and I'm disbudding it, but a good grower in the heat since I moved it to a better spot. This rose seems to have good potential for a hot, dry garden.

Baptiste La Faye: Also a younger rose which has filled out very nicely and has pretty, small purplish flowers. It withstands the heat very well and continues to bloom.

Romaggi Plot Bourbon: This rose has really improved in year 3 and is constantly making new flowers, which are bigger now even in the summer than the somewhat diminutive ones of the past years. A charming Bourbon that I can now recommend for the hot garden.

Burbank: This sleeper of a pink China rose is rarely seen in commerce (mine is from Vintage) and has improved very much with more maturity. I was doubtful and thought of taking it out but decided to let it mature more and am very glad I did.

Potter and Moore: One of the earlier Austins (available at Rogue Valley), with lovely cupped, many-petalled pink blooms which I find enchanting. The blooms are not as good in the heat, but not nearly as bad as some, and right now this rose is putting out new growth and buds after the last flush.

Mutabilis: Not what it is when it's cooler, but still there are new growth and blooms, and it's a large and healthy shrub which gives backbone to the main front garden area.

Lavender Mist: Bravely putting out its lavender blooms, although not in great profusion, the charming small leaves and flowers on a well-clothed bush are still a pleasure to see.

I'll briefly mention some of the disappointments:

Souvenir d'un Ami (nothing happening at all)
Belinda's Dream (gaunt, almost no bloom)
William R. Smith (gaunt and bare)
Bermuda Kathleen (no blooms for quite some time)
White Meidiland (is taking forever to grow and bloom)
Earth Song (now replanted and putting out new leaves)
Young Lycidas (may just need more age)
Sophy's Rose (not nearly as good as earlier in the summer)
Miss Atwood (gaunt and bare)
China Doll (non-performer for several years, now replanted)
Rasberry Parfait (won't grow in a good location)
Mme. Cornelissen (seems to have deteriorated)
Aunt Margy's Rose (blooms are balling in the greater heat)

I hope this has been of some help to you in similar locations. I'd love to know about your late-summer assessment of the roses in your garden.

Ingrid

Comments (22)

  • ogrose_tx
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hardly anything is blooming in our Texas August heat, but have hopes for a beautiful October rebloom. However... in my first foray into the more modern roses, Gentle Giant is very healthy and covered with blooms, it just seems to laugh at the heat. I'm going to love this rose, I think, as it matures.

  • hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    How old is your 'Belindas Dream', Ingrid? It takes a few years to get going. Mine are loaded with flowers right now.

  • jacqueline9CA
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My Le Vesuve, Duchesse de Brabant, Rosette Delizy, Little White Pet, Safrano, Anna Olivier, Sombreuil, Cl Crimson Glory, and an old hybrid tea called Duet are all blooming like crazy, and have been all summer.

    Jackie

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

    ogrose, it's interesting that a modern rose seems to be your best bloomer in the heat. You just never know what roses will do.

    hoovb, my Belinda's Dream is mature and bloomed nicely a few months earlier when it was cooler but it's really shut down now. It did much better last summer at this time.

    Jackie, I do envy your being able to grow Duchesse de Brabant well. I tried twice to grow this rose here and it couldn't take my heat. When it did look good it was such a graceful rose with lovely blooms. I remember seeing Duet years ago and still remember it because I thought for a hybrid tea it was quite an attractive rose.

    Ingrid

  • lou_texas
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My two HT Tiffany have bloomed through the summer as well as anything else and much better than most. Ditto Don Juan. Love them! But of course over all, I prefer the shape of the OGR bushes. Lou

  • jacqueline9CA
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I forgot the old polyantha Leonie Lamesch is putting out blooms madly, as it has done all summer. It is in a very big pot, and is staying about 2 feet by 2 feet - it is nice to have some roses in the garden that do not immediately want to be 10 feet high!

    Jackie

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

    Jackie, I've had LL in the past; it certainly is different from other polyanthas. Mine was not a graceful bush because the canes were rather think, with not enough leaf cover, but that might have just been my growing conditions. Yours sounds lovely.

    Ingrid

  • ms. violet grey
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    'Belinda's Dream' & 'The Prince' today 8//26 in Texas,
    after 2 days of light rain

    Belinda's Dream - The Antique Rose Emporium
    The Prince - Chamblee's

  • ms. violet grey
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    raspberry scent

  • Poorbutroserich Susan Nashville
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences. I've clipped all these comments as it's alway good to know what blooms in the heat. Some of these are OGR's and some are not but all are 2 growing seasons or less...
    Pumping out all summer:
    Felicia. She gets the award! I love her flowers and the scent. Just gorgeous!
    Clotilde Soupert--in close 2nd place.
    Marie Pavie, Verdun, Ivor's Rose, Perle D'or, Green Ice and Sexy Rexy are pumping them out.
    Everybody else is a bit languid. But healthy, really healthy and putting on buds.
    Susan

  • windeaux
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ingrid -- I was pleased to see your assessment of 'La France'. Wonderful rose! I avoided it for years because my success with early HTs was (and remains) deplorable. When I learned that Brent Dickerson now classifies 'La France' not as an HT but as a Bourbon (my favorite class), I had to give it a try. SO glad I did. It's a stellar performer for me, too.

    I have it as both an own-root plant and grafted on multiflora. I was surprised that my grafted plant (the older of the two) is not as vigorous as the one on its own roots. In doing a bit of research, I found quite a number of early references (from the U.S., Europe, New Zealand) that advise AGAINST grafting 'La France' because it performs best on its own roots. My own experience certainly supports that.

    Since 'La France' is doing well in your garden, consider adding its color sport, 'Augustine Guinoisseau' (aka 'White La France' -- not usually white, but a VERY pale shade of pink). AG prefers a bit less sun and is looser than LF, but is equally as fragrant and has an ethereal beauty all its own. Mine came from RVR, but I note that Burling also offers it. Had I become a 'La France' freak earlier, I would have placed a custom order with Vintage for its other sport, 'Duchess of Albany' (aka 'Red La France' -- not red, but a deeper shade of pink). One can't have too much of a good thing.

    Via one of your previous posts (quite a while ago), you "enabled" me to add 'Romaggi Plot Bourbon'. It's just now beginning to strut its stuff for me. What a charmer! Thanks.

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

    windeaux, I'm so glad you like Romaggi Plot Bourbon. It doesn't crisp in my garden although it does fall apart, which doesn't bother me.

    I happen to have Duchess of Albany although it's having a hard time taking off for some reason. I've seen only one bloom open and I must say I prefer the color of La France, but the jury is still out since it's such a puny plant. Augustine Guinoisseau I had years ago in another garden but as I remember it seemed floppy and weak to me, both the bush and the flowers.

    How interesting that La France is now considered a Bourbon. They do well for me too as a class, although this summer SdlM is not nearly as stellar as before, and neither are Mme. Cornelissen or Kronprinzessin Viktoria. Mme. Dore is lovely but the blooms don't last well in the heat and the plant is still very small after at least three years.

    If you ever do try the early hybrid teas again, I can't recommend Souvenir du President Carnot enough. It's amazing how well it stands the heat even though it has few leaves and is rather gaunt, not being a mature plant. The flowers are wonderful and last very well.

    Ingrid

  • Kippy
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    While searching a different rose I found this tread and thought it might be fun to updated a year later

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

    Thanks, Kippy, it was interesting for me to see how this list compared to the one now. Sadly, Baptiste Lafay, Burbank, Souvenir de Germaine de St. Pierre, Souvenir d'un Ami, Rasberry Parfait, China Doll and Earth Song are all gone.

    On a brighter note, William R. Smith, White Meidiland, Young Lycidas, Belinda's Dream, Miss Atwood and Sophy's Rose are all improved, I'm happy to say. Souvenir du President Carnot has been moved to a new, less stressful location although I'm afraid that now it may not have enough sun. Potter and Moore is still pumping out blooms on a graceful bush that is easily kept within bounds. The Ingenious Mr. Fairchild is still gangly but blooms fairly well, with no disease whatsoever.

    Bishop's Castle, SdlM and Le Vesuve are all doing well and blooming, with no disease to speak of. The same goes for Rosette Delizy and Mutabilis.

    The rose I've fussed over the most, Annie Laurie McDonnell, has been in the ground for a few months and I was happy to spot a few buds which I'm going to allow to turn into flowers. It's still a very small rose but seems quite healthy, although I notice some of the newer leaves are quite a bit lighter.

    My biggest wish (and I imagine I'm not alone) is to have a very rainy fall and winter filled with rose blooms, but which will also revive the trees and shrubs that are so dried out.

    Ingrid

  • mendocino_rose
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Please let's have a rainy Fall. I'm thinking back to one year that we had to stop pumping water out of the pond October 1st. Many roses went without water for two weeks and then the rain came to save them.
    I must mention Le Vesuve. I water it once a week. Right now it is covered with blooms and buds as if it were Spring.

  • ArbutusOmnedo 10/24
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oh Jackie, that Niles Cochet is stunning! How old/large is your plant?

    Since planting it for my mom in June, Madame Lombard has been a very floriferous tea. Sydonie has continued to pump out blooms in the "heat" of our summer. Winchester Cathedral has been very good all year and hasn't slowed down in the summer. It could be the best Austin either my mom or I grow for frequency of bloom. As others mention, Belinda's Dream scoffs at summer. Orchard's Pride is great. Pink Pet is pretty small, but it's been a bloom machine since I received it this summer. Julia Child, Rosette Delizy, Disneyland, and Gourmet Popcorn are also seldom without bloom in the summer from what I've seen.

    Here's the last photo I took of Mme. Lombard. It's quite hard to capture all of her different subtleties. It has a very clear tea rose scent to my nose also.

    Jay

  • jacqueline9CA
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    To answer your question, my Niles Cochet is about 5 years old, and maybe 4 feet tall and wide. It would be much bigger, but a doe with 2 fawns moved into our garden this Spring, and they visit us about every three days. Niles is one of their favorite treats. When I remember to spray it with that rotten egg deer go away stuff they leave it alone, and it bursts back into bloom. I got mine as a cutting from a plant in the neglected back garden of a 100 year old cottage about a block away from my house.

    Jackie

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

    I wish now I had chosen Mme. Lambard as one of the roses for my Tea Row. I've grown it before in another garden and it did very well, but I was a little afraid the stronger color wouldn't assort well with the paler roses I had there. I need to be a little more adventurous in my color choices.

    Ingrid

  • jacqueline9CA
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Here is Rosette de Lizy pic taken yesterday. This rose seem to just keep blooming and blooming no matter what the weather is doing!

    Jackie

  • dublinbay z6 (KS)
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Can't believe how all those California roses keep on blooming during August. Back here in the Midwest, I can always count on my August gardens being my sparsest gardens--in fact, August usually means a number of burnt brown edges in my gardens--and that is with fairly heavy watering!

    Right now, this last day of August, the heaviest bloomer out there is--surprise!--the hybrid tea Elle. And my new hybrid musk Felicia--and she's barely over a foot tall. What a winner. Otherwise, a bloom or two here and a bloom or two there. So depressing.

    But the temps are going down this week--so there is still hope!

    Kate

  • rosefolly
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Like many of us, I am praying for rain to fall all rainy season long, all over the west. We need it desperately here in California, but we are not alone in this. Texas has been in bad shape even longer than we have, and the same is true of several other western states.

    Late to the rosy tea party as I am, my teas are all still fairly young and on the small side as yet. However I would agree with previous posters that Le Vesuve and Rosette Delizy are most satisfactory, and pump blooms out despite heat.

    Other roses I notice blooming well for me this time of year are Dueil du Dr Reynaud (despite its seasonal PM starting to show up and I don't care), Marie Pavie (always reliable), Anna Alexieff, Glendora, and surprisingly, the modern hybrid tea Pope John Paul II (on fort). If someone is looking for an intensely fragrant white modern HT, I cannot recommend PJPII to that person highly enough. I do recommend growing it grafted. I am growing a rooted cutting as an experiment, and it has nothing like the vigor of the grafted rose.

    Rosefolly