22,795 Garden Web Discussions | Roses

Sharon - just to encourage you to consider a membership in helpmefind, I have found it immensely helpful even when I stop into a store to see what I can buy. Being able to look up a rose I'm unfamiliar with helps me decide if it's going to be a good rose to try or more trouble than it's worth. It's a great resource for all of us however much we may be casual or serious grower of roses.
Seil - thanks for the reminder of the air-layering tool. I've meant to order one for a while and your reminder is good enough to do so this year.
Cynthia

I bought two of the expandable hoses spring before last, used them all that summer and all of last year. I was careful not to leave them in the sun and not to drag them across anything sharp. One started leaking yesterday and the other seems to be fine. I am with Buford, if I have to replace them both every year it is okay but these have lasted two years. I can't pull heavy hose and these are the answer.

I also have grown Brother Cadfael for years, Love him. Stingy with blooms after the first blush. Gets HUGE! Too big for a pot. Princess Alexandra of Kent is one of my favorites. She also gets HUGE. Long, long canes. Much thornier than Pretty Jessica. Evelyn has a scent to die for, (as does the Brother) but she is also HUGE and thorny.

I am sorry about your losing the rose Love and Peace....I have grown mine for over
five years and love it!....I am in zone 6b-kansas. There was quite abit of die-back
this last winter on it( as with many of my other roses), but has come back budding and
blooming great.....
Carol

I've grown Love & Peace since it was introduced. It came back fine for me. You might consider trying it again, burying the graft union a little lower, or on a different rootstock (or own root, if available). Palatine had Dream Come True on R. multiflora rootstock this season.
HelpMeFind defaults all roses to zone 7a, and that's how it stays until someone requests an update.


I bought this rose on impulse at the end of last year's growing season - not even sure where, (but searching here leads me to think I got it at Lowe's). I'm (currently) going for a theme of red roses randomly placed around in pockets of my front-of-house landscaping, and I had a spot where I thought it might work. I don't want any reds that aren't completely RED-red. Crimson red, blood red, etc. No lipsticky, fading, changing red.
The year is still young - and so is this rose - but I am so happy with it! I'm thinking of trying to find it again for a couple of spots in my back yard. Easy to care for, growing into a nice bush with green leafy fullness, buds popping out all over - and it so holds on to it's crimson red color! We are in a high blackspot area - which it's not really peak season here (central Maryland) - and no sign of that yet.
My rose is the Forever and Ever MILANO, not the Kardinal. Oops.
Now you know about Milano!
And oh - btw, mine is in a partial shade area.

I didn't intend for this, but I've observed that the local squirrels seem to not like the feel of the coffee grounds I've been spreading in the garden beds. My little front yard garden used to have squirrels and various birds eating the leftovers I'd toss there from my Amazon parrot. While I keep seeing the birds feeding, the squirrels never touch ground there, as far as I've seen. Even tossing out some whole almonds failed to entice them to walk across the coffee grounds. Of course, your results may not be the same, but for those who have "squirrel issues" in their beds, it's worth a try. And even if you don't, collecting used coffee grounds from Starbucks or other neighborhood coffee joints helps decrease what goes into the landfill. And besides that, it's a really great, nutrient-rich, FREE soil amendment that will cause your earthworm population to explode.
:-)
~Christopher

It sounds like deer. You need to spray Liquid fence every week for 5 weeks, then you can cut down to every 2 weeks, then once a month. I just sprayed liquid fence tonight, rabbit ate some of my newly planted roses. Liquid fence is not cheap, $30 a bottle. It's easier for me just catch the rabbit. Just set up a live trap with lettuce! Can you hunt deer in your yard? Check out this thread, it might help you. http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/3042886/deer-repellant-that-worked-100


I like the tradition of growing roses in cemetaries. Out here (in LA; and maybe everywhere?), in the newer ones at least, nowadays they mow them every week, so even the bouquets get tossed once a week. It's understandable, I guess. Not so poetic perhaps.
There are a few trees allowed though.








Enchantedrosez - great looking roses, and I'll bet they'll be lovely once they start blooming! Since you also mentioned Easy Elegance roses, I'd love to see a thread from you in a year or so to see how they survive the winter for you and bloom in your BS-heavy zone. That's been an unknown quantity for a while here on GW, as most of us posting about Easy Elegance roses have been from other regions of the country. I love this series of roses, and I'll be interested to see if they're equally good for you in your region.
Cynthia
Hi Cynthia, I can't wait for the blooms to start. Right now the peonies are blooming a bit. i always lose most of the buds to some weird issue and the irises are blooming for the very first time. Yay!! I have Easy elegance Centennial Rose that I bought last spring. It overwintered in a pot and is covered with buds and suffered very little dieback. The roses are gorgeous and I didn't have any blackspot that I can remember. I don't spray for disease at all. The only thing missing is scent but they are own root from the grower and guaranteed for 2 years. Centennial Rose was purchased at a nursery so it's a good size rose. I bought some bands form Northland this year. They were the only nursery that had a good selection since Chamblee's is no longer propagating them. I have Music Box, Sweet Fragrance, Champagne Wishes and High Voltage. They seem vigorous so far and two have flowered at least once. Music Box was so-so, hopefully it will improve with age, but she is already putting out new buds. Champagne Wishes was really pretty, very tea rose like but so far Centennial is my favorite.
Here is Centennial Rose, still in her pot. She hasn't even been fertilized this year.
Sharon