1. Mrs. B. R. Cant
2. Duchesse de Brabant
3. Mrs. Dudley Cross
4. Bridesmaid 1893 (Catherime Mermet sport)
5. Monsieur Tillier
6. Devoniensis
7. Rosette Delizy
8. Lady Hillingdon
9. Madame Lambard
10. Maman Cochet

Is the above top 10 list mine? uh uh, I just gleaned it from a widely available publication. But what I really want to know is-- which do YOU think belong in the top 10?

Sherry

But that's today.

Jeri

Randy

Thanks y'all

Olga

Souvenir de Elise Vardon
McClinton Tea
Souvenir de Pierre Notting
Faith Whittlesley (probably shouldn't list 'cause it's still a relative newcomer to my garden)
Souvenir de Madame Leonie Viennot
Mlle. Franziska Kruger
Rival de Paestum
Mrs. Dudley Cross (of course)
Madame Lombard -- especially in the fall

A few others do well in my garden, but have never 'rung my bell' (Safrano, for example). Don't know why I've never tried Duchesse de Brabant. Maybe in 2009 . . .

1. Mrs. B.R. Cant
2. Marie Van Houtte
3. Georgetown tea
4. Lady Hillingdon
5. Duchesse du Brabant
6. Francis Dubreuil
7. Monsieur Tillier
8. Mrs. Dudley Cross
9. William R. Smith

Ducher, Maman Cochet, La Biche, Franzisha Kruger, Antoine Rivoire are all a year or two old, and I have not formed an opinion about them.

Sammy

*** No.
Not at all!
But she is less-mature than those I listed -- so ...

Jeri

Duchesse de Brabant on order, considering Mrs. B.R. Cant.

Eric

Duchesse de Brabant
Mrs, Joseph Schwartz
Mrs B R Cant
E Veyrat Hermanos

I'm loving the potential I am seeing in
William R Smith
Souvenir de Pierre Notting
Marie Van Houtte
Madame Berard
Niles Cochet

As an aside; I have had basel breaks on four different plants this month! The only things that are different is that A. most are getting fairly mature and B. I started carrying out the coffee grounds and dumping them on indivisual plants rather then sending them to the compost.

Sherry

Jeri

I thought it might also be partly due to the cold fall we have had and now this warm up... I think there were four or five fronts that brought us down to near frost.

Also, I didn't get my "fall flush" until mid December.

I love my teas so much. I have Souv. d'Elise Vardon and Maman Cochet arriving soon, along with Papi Delbard and Jaune Deprez. From Ashdown... for my birthday.

And now I have several to add to my must try list.

thonotorose, Ditto! I'm nursing Souv. d'Elise Vardon back to health after a potting problem. Maman Cochet is about 4 months in the ground & Jaune Desprez on order from Ashdown, too - Christmas Gift Certificate!!!

Sherry

Teas who have been sent away:
Mme. Joseph Schwartz--a plethora of mildew
Alliance de Franco-Russe--the same mildew, such beautiful blooms, it broke my heart.
Perle de Chardins-balled her life away
Tipsey Imperial Concubine--so fragrant, two good blooms per year--think she is a hybrid tea.

Among tea noisettes:
MAC--just splendid
Reve d'Or--fabulous rebloom and health of leaves
Gloire de Dijon-beautiful in the extreme--very spotty foliage--an untimely demise.

la

Mamam Cochet
Lady Hillingdon
Marie Van Houtte
Francis Dubreuil (whether a real tea or not)
Mme. Berkeley
Baronne Henriette de Snoy
Niles Cochet
Mrs. Dudley Cross
Mrs. B.R.Cant or Etoile de Lyon
Arcadia Louisiana Tea (still a baby but a robust one)

Sadly Gone:
Safrano (for mildew)
Franziska Kruger (for mildew and balling)
Clementina Carbonieri (for failure to thrive)

Colleen

Randy

I was just noticing that Marie d'Orleans has really filled out and is about 5 ft wide and 4 ft tall. Not only that, but she's keeping her leaves through the winter, which is nice because I have mostly roses in my front yard and right now it looks a bit bare.

2nd would be Mlle Franziska Kruger. I love her blooms. I did have a problem last year with thrips and balling, so I didn't get to enjoy the blooms as much as I would like. Hopefully I will not have those problems as badly this coming year.

Many of my Teas are young; many, according to Maurizio/MorrisNoor are likely misnamed, and so I'm wary of listing mine. Actually, of all the Teas I've tried in the garden the only one I actively dislike (loathe, despise) is 'Perle des Jardins': it rarely blooms, gets every disease under the sun, and yet it refuses to die. Bah, humbug.

For the rest, my mature and satisfactory Teas are the following:
'Archiduc Joseph' (this may be the U.S. 'Monsieur Tillier')
'Mme. Antoine Mari'
'Clementina Carbonieri'
'Mme. Berkeley'
'Mrs. B.R. Cant'
'Bermuda's Anna Olivier' ('Etoile de Lyon'???)
'Safrano'
'Isabella Sprunt'
'Bon Silène'

I have what I think is 'Maman Cochet' that is very reluctant to bloom; could be that the conditions are just too hostile and I need to move one of the two plants to see how it will do in a more favorable site. 'Safrano' and its lemon yellow sport 'Isabella Sprunt' both get mildew at times, but they're both tough and beautiful: I think 'Isabella Sprunt' is one of the very loveliest of all yellow Teas. The rest of my Teas are too young and too doubtfully identified for me to comment on, but a lot of them are looking promising.

Melissa

P.S. I forgot that I also hate my 'Lady Hillingdon', which is either an exceedingly poor clone or a different variety entirely. Own root plants reach about 18" and rarely flower. Obviously this is not the American 'Lady Hillingdon'.

Do you have the bush or climbing form of 'Lady Hillingdon'? How long have you had it?

I was preparing to get rid of my climbing LH last fall after it had completed its 3rd (4th?) lackluster year in my garden. I consulted a friend/fellow Tea freak in Charleston who strongly advised me to exercise patience (and restraint with the shovel).

For what it's worth, conventional wisdom here in the coastal Carolinas has it that Climbing LH takes an inordinate length of time to establish, but that once hitting her stride, she's the very best (ie, most floriferous) of the climbing Teas. We'll see . . .

In the meantime her recalcitrant ladyship occupies prime real estate in a very crowded garden, and patience isn't among my limited number of virtues.

Dana

All of these were found within 6 miles of my house, all growing without pruning, fertilizer or summer water. They don't get much from me either. LH blooms all year. It's the climbing form, and I do have to prune that one to keep it under control. Don't give up on yours, Dana. It just needs to develop a big enough root system to support the plant before it really starts growing. Unless you have lousy soil or a virused plant, it will grow.

All perpetual bloom machines, after 3 years of getting settled in

Not only is Noella Nabonnand available at Vintage right now, but she's only $7.50 for a band.

(I know this because I spent hours upon hours looking at their roses wondering if I should add to the order I just placed!)

My plants are eighteen INCHES tall and the cuttings they grew from were taken five years ago. They're the only roses in the large group I propagated at that time to have remained that small. Maurizio/MorrisNoor mentions a Tea that has flowers identical to those of 'Lady Hillingdon' but which is a smaller plant; that's why I thought mine might not actually be LH. I'm hoping he's going to pay a visit in May when the roses are in bloom and help me sort them out.

Melissa

Ingrid

Duchesse de Brabant -- 7
Lady Hillingdon -- 7
Mrs B.R. Cant -- 6
Mrs. Dudley Cross -- 6
Monsieur Tillier -- 5
Maman Cochet -- 5
Mme. Berkeley -- 5
Rosette DeLizy -- 4
Mme. Lombard (Lambard) -- 4
Georgetown Tea -- 4
Francis Debreuil -- 4
Clementina Carbonieri -- 4
Marie van Houtte -- 4

Six others received at least 3 votes. According to my count, a total of 55 varieties were named as favorites (several of which are of 'questionable' Tea status).

Compiling lists of mindless calculations like this is one thing a body can do while waiting (and waiting, and waiting) for the arrival of the repairman who will surely be able to determine what the h*ll is wrong with the heat pump & restore warmth to ones dwelling place by nightfall.

Clementina Carbonieri for color and rebloom
Georgetown Tea for color and rebloom
Mons. Tillier, until it got RRD
Mlle. Franziska Kruger rebloom
Faith Whittlesey rebloom
Baronne Henriette de Snoy, when not balling

Carla

I don't think our humidity is like New Orleans or like New York. I really don't know how to describe our weather.

Yes, I have driven everyone here crazy with my switch to a no spray garden. I hope my new rose work well. The ones I listed had black spot, but not enough to discourage me from growing them.

Jaxondel, I hope that guy arrives soon. I hate to be cold.

Sammy

Hope the heat's on soon and that it's a cheap and easy fix (more $$$ for roses that way!)

i have only five that are more than a year old. These four have stolen my heart~

Mrs. BR Cant

Mme. Joseph Schwartz

Mlle. Franziska Krueger

Duchesse de Brabant

1. Mrs. B. R. Cant -- the ultimate rose, IMHO
2. Miss Atwood -- huge plant, apricot-colored, fragrant flowers)
3. Mons. Tillier

Those three will all grow to be gigantic shrubs here (we graft all of them to 'Fortuniana' always).

Then to continue the list, not necessarily in order of preference:

4. Cl. Devoniensis
5. Mrs. Dudley Cross
6. Duchesse de Brabant
7. Miss Caroline (cactus-flowered sport of DdB)
8. Lady Hillingdon
9. Rosette Delizy
10. Safrano
11. Trinity (Bermuda Mystery)
12. Papa Gontier (Bermuda's form of it)

Malcolm Manners

Sammy

In my garden it is disease free, and is still blooming and setting new buds right now. It blooms in partial to not so partial shade, also. A gorgeous combination of buff with brick red on the back of the petals, to light pink to light yellow, depending on the weather and its mood.

Other teas that are great in my garden:

Mme Joseph Schwartz
Duchess de Brabant
Niles Cochet
Le Vesuve (blooms 12 months of the year)
Safrano (also still blooming now)
Mme Alfred Carriere (tea noisette - climbs tall trees, buildings, mountains...)

Mons Tillier - easy care, great performance, my favorite - I love the guy!

Rosette Delizy - love those flowers!
General Schablikine - he must be MT's cousin; I think he's going to be just as great
Mme Antoine Rebe - red crepy flowers last a long time on the bush, very healthy
Mme Antoine Mari
Mrs B R Cant
Louisiana Arcadia Tea - very healthy in a lot of shade
Maman Cochet
LaSylphide - very delicate lovely pale pink flowers
Marie d'Orleans

Sherry

Sherry

I should tell you why I'm asking. I am replanting an antique rose garden at the arboretum where I work (Chesapeake, VA which is just west of Virginia Beach). It had been filled with damasks, gallicas, and Portlands and albas all of which were failing or had reverted to an unknown rootstock. The garden was replanted with teas, chinas, noisettes, and polyanthas-- and some long-cane Bourbons were replaced with Maggie and SDSA. One section remains to be redone, currently occupied by Sir Thomas Lipton, Mme. Isaac Pereire, and Hansa-- none of which is very satisfactory here. SO thank you, all. I've no public garden to go to anywhere nearby where I can see tea roses in person. I wanted to be sure that the best are included in our garden, and these results help a lot!

If you have room for a workhorse and want some red, you might think about him. Even now, he has no bs leaves, is still green despite temps that have dropped to the low 20's and looks as if he would be happy to start blooming at any moment. Not a run of the mill pretty face - lots of character and strength, though! Think "rugged individual!"

Great family connections as well: Rosette Delizy is a child and Souvenir de Therese Levet a parent... How could you go wrong?

I'm new to growing Teas as well. I do happen to have all of the roses in your last list (except Georgetown Tea which got lost somehow). I will add a few more to consider..these are doing wonderfully in my garden so far:

Etoile de Lyon
Safrano
Marie van Houte
Mme. Antoine Mari

I would also suggest Mme. Lombard. I have seen a glorious mature specimen of this rose in Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond. I do have a small potted one to plant this spring.

Robert

Carla

Yellow Teas
4. 'Alliance Franco-Russe' for its' changing hues from season to season, now white and pink, and then pure yellow. For the same hue changing reason I love my
5. "Mrs. Dudley Cross' which my landlady saw and said "there's something special about that rose...,
6.'Etoille de Lyon' its' scent was called 'delicious' by one author, to me it has a scent like honeysuckle and cream.
7.'Marechal Niel' I've never seen a modern rose with the grace and hue of this rose.
Pink and white
8. "White Maman Cochet' love it love it love it.
9. 'Mme. Antoine Mari' I've wanted this ever since I saw it in Luannes garden.
Tree sized
10. 'Susan Louise' hybrid gigantea, I love those big Tea blooms that dangle from the tree sized plant, so temptingly.

Thank you for the question, now, if I ever buy property I'll know what I want to plant first. I grew up in Seattle and never cared for my mothers modern roses,(but loved her Mlle. Cecille Brunner') but since I've moved to California and Luanne introduced me to O.G.R.s, Teas have been my favorite class of rose.

Luxrosa

William R. Smith(huge blooms held somewhat upright, cream blushed with pink. Lots and lots of blooms)
General Gallieni( red, beautifully muddled blooms.Little disease)
Marie d'Orleans (blooms herself silly all summer long)
Lady Hillingdon (big yellow blooms framed by maroon new growth)
Rainbow(love the soft stripes)
Devoniensis (the fragrance!!!!)
Noella Nabannond (she's just huge and gorgeous.)
Clementina Carbonieri(wonderful sunset colors. The fragrance!!)
Mrs. Dudley Cross(big ole color shifting blooms from cream to pink)
Francis Dubreuil (He's still considered a Tea. Gorgeous and the fragrance is amazing)
Mlle. Franziska Kreuger (except in spring when she balls, she is a thing of beauty)

These are in no particular order. I guess my absolute favorite will always be Lady Hillingdon.

Carol

In our coastal CA garden these are doing well for us so far:

Mrs. B.R. Cant - a bloom machine
Gilbert Nabonnand - gorgeous blooms and few thorns
Mrs Dudley Cross - ditto and next to the hedge so the thornless idea is important for the hedge trimmer!
Georgetown Tea -- is it really Duchesse de Brabant without the mildew? Whatever it is, it's lovely.
M. Tillier
Mme. Lambard

Those we're not so enthusiastic about:

Lady Hillingdon - canes blackened and then she died.
Duchesse de Brabant -- so gorgeous but we saw heritage roses at an old home in Cambria that were martyrs to mildew so we've avoided her
Marechal Niel -- still sulking, but he's young so we're hoping.

Ingrid

Colleen

I have about 20 teas; I love them. But they are big, like Colleen said. I'm trying to branch out and buy some different teas, but it takes time to evaluate them and they take up a lot of room. We just have to figure out other creative ways of finding places to plant them and we need people in our own areas who try out and grow them to see how they do. I've realized it's important that I participate in hmf because it's a good way to see who grows what in an effort to learn what else will grow and thrive in our own areas, lest we lose all of them except the ones designated as 'earthkind' and the ones talked about most readily.

I appreciate people who grow many, esp people like Connie, growing so many and then starting a nursery to sell them. Melva is doing the same; her list above includes some different ones that I've had to check out. And BarbaraG, growing them in a public setting. And a lot of other people, I'm sure ...

Although it's wonderful to discuss favorite roses, we don't want to discourage each other from trying some lesser known or appreciated varieties. While many may be disappointed in a particular rose, sometimes it's just a matter of having a healthy specimen, getting the cultivation right, being in the right climate, or being adequately nurtured long enough to get established.

Many a wonderful rose has bloomed unnoticed and faded away forever. So sad. I want to bring these orphans to the bosom of my yard, but my yard is too small. So if you hear of an sunny acre plus in the vicinity of Santa Cruz for sale cheap please let me know. I we can't find something with established old roses, I'll settle for an abandoned fruit orchard. Visualize, visualize, OMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

-Gala

Hi, Gean, one little aside on those "840" teas on HMF. Most of them have synonyms, and many of them have many synonyms, so that reduces the number greatly. When I have poured over those many pages of teas, it was surprising (and frustrating) how many are presumed extinct. And many are only available in Europe not in the US. So the actual available roses aren't that many. And then the found roses that are similar to or could be the same as another rose create the problem of duplications which is not acceptable in a small garden. I've been going for the unusual in my garden as well as the tried & true and have 21 now, but as you mentioned, they're babies mostly, and when I went back over my list, they're really weren't any that weren't mentioned above by someone else. Size is a big issue (no pun intended), so as much as I'd love to have some of them, I can only fit so many monsters, those being Mons Tillier and Mrs B R Cant. That means I'm hoping Maman Cochet won't be a monster. I think we're not alone in this regard.

It's just a pity so many have been lost. I wish there were more (and the ones in Europe make me drool) since they are the ones along with Chinas that will do best in my climate.

Sherry

Gala, Friend of Plants

Lux.

White MC is one I would have loved to have and Souv de Pierre Notting looks nice.

Sherry

I was just trying to say that there is a lot that is available and to remind myself to branch out a little and order some that are unknown to see how they will do. Otherwise, what we do have will be lost.

If we don't have room, we can try to find someplace creative to plant one and reminding myself to get my garden onto hmf. Most of you are ahead of me in that regard.

I think about planting in the common areas of our small neighborhood - when I'm done with MY yard. The neighbors will certainly think I've gone off the deep end if they see me digging elsewhere! There's also the matter of watering them, so maybe not.

Sherry

A new rose that Lisa at Countryside has is a tea that she says is recently imported from England, Souv. de Francois Gaulain; beautiful red-violet with a white streak. Ashdown and RU carry it too. Another I'll let you know about in three years.

Have you seen Beaute Inconstante? or you have that one, don't you? I just ordered it. That's different.

I am planting an old rose in a new cemetery that our church has just started on its grounds. I'll have to hand water it for a year or so, but I think it will be worth the effort. If I can do it, you can too. :)

I am ordering this one, too, from Lisa. She told me they would not be ready until late April. I'd better get my order in now. Lol...

Veronica

I think Beaute Inconstante is a big one. That's the reason I don't have it even though I can get it locally. If it's not I need to know.

I also like Comtesse Festetics Hamilton and Mme (or Mlle) Something Soupert. I think Melissa? Oh, I think she's in Ashdown's Library.

Sherry

Sherry

Randy

1. Souvenir de Pierre Notting
2. Etoile de Lyon
3. Monsieur Tillier
4. White Maman Cochet
5. Niles Cochet
6. Rosette Delizy
7. Mrs. Dudley Cross
8. Baronne Henriette de Snoy
9. Safrano
10. Lady Hillingdon

I had a hard time leaving out some others, which I'll put in the "also great here in OC" list

11. Mme. Lombard
12. Mme. Berkeley
13. Marie van Houtte
14. Beaute Inconstante
15. Le Pactole

All these roses are first-rate.

Jerome

1. madame jules gravereaux - a gorgeous mix of oranges and salmon nuances
2. archiduc joseph ( your monsieur tillier) - fine foliage
3. gloire de dijon - heaven on earth
4. madame lambard - she's so variable through the seasons
5. francis dubreuil - the fragrance of damasks
6. paul lédé - even if it's listed as a hybrid tea some
times
7. madame bérard - soft temptation
8. marie d'orléans
9. e. veyrat hermanos
10. général schablikine

should i tell you about the other 65 favourites...?

Ingrid

Rose Nabonnand--I was lucky and grabbed it up from Countryside, and I've never seen it offered again. It's pale to blush pink, very vigorous and smells like fruit.

Thomasville Old Gold-from Vintage, a found tea rose. Love the changeable colors, the wood is a very pretty russet, and very vigorous. Smells sort of fruity too. (Downside--not good in a vase at all. It fails to open and breaks my heart every time I try.) Also, it roots quite easily.

Bridesmaid--the pink sport of Catherine Mermet. For me it stays on the smaller side for a Tea, it has a strong fruity scent and absolutely incredible fully opened blossom.

Elaine

ahhhhh..the rest of the fovourites...it's hard to say much about because they are still little plants that i've purchased one year ago. among them the better known items of the lists above. in a few weeks will arrive some found teas from vintage which we feared they would give up their business.
let's tell me more next season..the total listing of my plants you will find on hmf.
let me at least apologize for my halting english.
best,
kai-eric

Le Vesuve
Spice
Mme. Melanie Willermoz
Souvenir d'un Ami
Mme. Joseph Schwartz
Souvenir de Germain de St. Pierre
Rosette Delizy
Blumenschmidt
Enchantress
Cels Multiflora

Ingrid

I have had problems with the following roses balling in the spring: Mme Franziska Kruger, Amazone, William R. Smith, Mrs. B.R. Cant, Mrs. Dudley Cross, Niles Cochet. But, Safrano and Mme Antoine Mari never ball.

Does anyone know of any other tea roses that do not ball?

Thanks-

Carlene

Absolute favourite: G Nabonnand (never balls, flowers continuosly)
Just love the rest, General Gallieni, General Schablikine, Mrs B R Cant, Marie van Houtte, Lady Hillingdon (flowers all year here), Henriette de Snoy (worth the wait for non balling blooms), Safrano, Sv de Madame Leonie Viennot and the indefatigable Mrs Herbert Stevens.
How cruel to leave out the rest of the teas!

Sue