It's not a Polyantha, but I find the Micro-Miniature, 'Elfinglo' enchanting.

If Burling doesn't have it, we need to see that she gets it.

Jeri

Ingrid is right about Blue Mist doesn't like the heat. Its best is cool spring and fall. My picture was taken right before frost, at the fading end of fall flush... each flush lasts more than a month. The colors in HMF is right on Verdun - too bright for my taste, same with Orange Miss Edith Cavell ... the colors actually hurt my eyes.

Sweet Chariot (though not a polyantha either )might also be a good choice for you Straw. It even has a very good fragrance. Digger who used to post on this forum grew it up in Montana - so you should be able to grow it well too - see link and the other pics on HMF. It is my favorite Moore Rose (along with the charming little Renny).

Here is a link that might be useful: Sweet Chariot

Thank you, Niels, for info. on Sweet Chariot and Renny. I appreciate that. I should check on the English Roses Forum for any new pics. that you post ... I always enjoy them.

It's been only fairly recently that I've come to appreciate the charms of Polyanthas. I've no idea what took me so long. Perhaps it's merely that simplicity in all things becomes more beguiling (if not more essential) as the years slip by . . .

But, but, but....Blue Mist is a mini not a poly. The only point being do you want a similar plant or a poly?

Take a look at Sunshine, Martje Caszant (both polys).

The Fairy and Gabrielle Privat are both good polys.

Thank you, Landlady and Eahamel for great choices. I looked up Martje Caszant but couldn't find, will try a diff. spelling combination. Gabrielle Privat is like a bouquet, very nice.

Like Windeaux, it's only recently that I appreciate the charm of polys and minis. It's amazing how a small bush can light up the garden with its always-blooming bouquet form for a month per flush. They look great in vase, I cut Marie Pavie as a spray in bud-form, and it's so charming in a vase, lasted 3 days! I hope to do the same with Kim's Lauren, which won a cut-flower category.

Here is a link that might be useful: Gabrielle Privat polyantha

Oops, of course you couldn't find her. I spelled her name wrong. It's Cazant. Here's a link to her at Vintage Gardens.

Here is a link that might be useful: Martje Cazant

Polyanthas are very wonderful roses, I think. A new one for me that has been healthy and bloomed a lot for being so young is 'Tip Top.' 'Petite Francoise' is very bloom happy and cute. I love it in a vase with larger roses.

I am glad you mentioned 'Lauren' - that rose blooms all summer long here and still has blooms now. Other young ones for me are 'The Faun' and 'Sweet Pea' both wonderful so far. 'Excellenz von Schubert' is beautiful too. I love 'Baptiste La Faye.' So many wonderful choices among the polys.

This is 'Tip Top'
{{gwi:317086}}

'Petite Francoise'
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Also look at The Fairy. The link is for the Antique Rose Emporium, and the pic shows it growing at their nursery.

I saw it yesterday at HD.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Fairy

I second the suggestion for the Fairy. It was one of the mystery roses i received from Rogue nursery this summer. It's a bloom machine.
i've had to be strong and cut off many buds so that the plant grows and survives the winter.
Speaking of winter, so far this has been a wonderful Autumn. The leaf peeping has been so special. We're planning a short trip to the Oregon coast this weekend before the rainey season hits.Enjoy your gardens each day.
Jeannie

landlady, I suppose we could call it either a mini or a polyantha since it's a rosa polyantha "nana" seedling. Either way, it's a lovely rose.

Well, you can call it anything you want to call it I suppose, but it was registered by it's breeder, Ralph Moore, as a Mini. Personally I think that's silly, since it looks so much more like a poly, and I have had this conversation before about how breeders give their roses the names which are most popular at the time so they are most likely to sell. Still and all, Ralph Moore registered it as a Mini.

Here is a link that might be useful: information on registration of Blue Mist

Well, my own opinion is that Strawberry is on safe ground calling 'Blue Mist' a polyantha. For one thing, Vintage classes 'Blue Mist' as a polyantha, having moved it from the miniature class.

Ralph Moore is quoted in the entry in the Vintage catalog for 'Blue Mist' - "As Ralph Moore said, 'If it looks like a Mini, it is a Mini.' This doesn't and isn't. A graceful, bowing, spreading small shrub. Exquisite color.'"

I've never really understood what a miniature is, other than it has small blooms. Well, so does 'Petite Francoise' but that is a poly. The lineages of the minis I've looked at have polyanthas all mixed up with other miniatures, wichurana, multiflora, and chinas and who knows what all else. It's no wonder that the rule is that the breeder gets to pick; it's too mixed up to make hard and fast rules. I've read that the ARS may combine them all into a 'cluster flowered' class. Does anyone know anything about that?

And I almost didn't mention 'The Faun,' seedling x 'The Fairy,' because although it is classed as a poly, it is also classed as a shrub and a floribunda. Too confusing.

Oh, and does 'The Fairy' have a lot of thorns?

Well, well, well. I'm always on the Gregg Lowery/Vintage Gardens side of any naming discussion, and had I looked at the Vintage site rather than the HMF site before I commented, I would not have. Go for it. I'm on board: Blue Mist is now a Polyantha at my house....I'll have to go out today and see what I put on her label....sorry, Ralph.

I have Verdun, Blanche Neige (AKA White Koster) and Zenaitta. Of the three Zenaitta is by far my favorite and the best. Healthy, hardy and is a regular bloom machine all season. Blanche blooms in cycles but there's quite a while between flushes. Verdun blooms the least and is also the most disease prone. I had La Marne and I LOVED it but it didn't winter well for me.

oh, well, shoot, Landlady, you'd be safe to maintain it was a mini also. Who knows, anyway? It's fun to discuss, and that's the whole point. I'm sure no expert about anything.

I just happened on to this old post and in hopes that someone might still be interested in "what makes a mini a mini".
Here is what was explained to me many years ago by Ralph Moore himself, " the classification for a mini rose is determined by the size of the foliage not the size of the plant".
Blue Mist has very small foliage but the plant itself will get more than 5 feet tall in our central California climate, the same goes for Sweet Chariot. For those living in colder climates you will find that the winters will keep the growth in check. I have several micro mini's that are 6 to 7 feet tall and still growing but the leaves are still micro mini in size.
I hope this is helpful to someone.

Do you have a list and their sizes in SoCal? I would be interested

Kippy-the- Hippy, I will compile a list with some pictures and post in a day or so. What mini's are you growing at this time ?

I like Lindee but am not sure whether it's a mini or poly. It has dime sized white blooms on a vigorous plant. Mine is about 4'x 4, healthy and repeats. Has proven to be very hardy. Has clouds of white blooms:

Porcelain Rose is very hardy, healthy, and blooms a lot with very sweet pink blooms with white and green reverses.
Sometimes they're cabbage shaped. Lynnie and Lauren also came through the winter well. Both are healthy and bloom a lot. Here's Porcelain Rose from last year:

RosePat, that is a great question. I know I have two, but might find that I have more.

No photos yet, they have not blooms for me and are new to the garden for this season.

Cinderilla with Oakington Ruby sneaking into the left side of the pic. They both are up to the top of the wall of the house now. Both of these roses are reg. as micro mini's.

This post was edited by rosepat on Thu, Apr 10, 14 at 20:17