22,153 Garden Web Discussions | Roses

Ingrid, perhaps some of the following may help with getting your roses to last longer in the vase? :-
"Collect the blooms early in the morning or in the evening and plunge them deep in water for several hours. The water and the container must be fresh and clean, at air temperature rather than cold. Commercial additives are generally worth using, but the traditional aids of copper coins, aspirin, charcoal and sugar in the water all help to keep the blooms fresh.
As you place each stem into the arrangement, re-cut the stem under water in order to rid the stem of air pockets in the sap-stream. Splitting or scraping the stem allows more water to be taken up. Display your arrangement in a cool, draught-free position if possible, as the warmth of fires and appliances will dry out the flowers. An occasional fine spray of water through an atomising sprayer will keep them looking fresh."
From: A Manual of Heritage Roses by Deane M Ross, 1989 (For anyone interested, this is a great little introduction to the whole subject of older roses from a local multi-generational family rose growing firm. It was my original basic 'bible' on the subject and I still refer to it quite often.)
Comtesse :¬)
PS Did a quick Google check and found an interesting variety of techniques suggested; one that sounded as if it might be especially good for hot areas/weather was adding plenty of ice to the water, renewing regularly - several commentators swore by this one.
Has anyone else got other/ better tips?

Sara Ann, just in case you're not familiar with it, the Peter Beales online catalogue is another useful resource for finding roses to match specific criteria like yours - you can select various combinations from quite a long list. Of course, you can then cross-reference to HelpMeFind for additional pictures, member comments, where to buy in the US, etc.
Incidentally, it appears that Beales no longer stock DAs - I think they're developing their own range instead. Their climate (in Norfolk, England) would be equivalent to US Zone 8a (?) I suppose - same as Marlorena's and Campanula's - but you can include selecting for 'growing in a cold climate'; AND 'hot climate' if your summer temps are regularly over, maybe, 80 or 90'F max.
Comtesse :¬)

For a short one, I use Sweet Pea (mauve to pink) and for a taller one, I use Lavender Dream (pink and mauve) in my shade rose garden. Also Natchitoches Noisette, who has bigger flowers and scent! She's tall (eventually) but can be pruned shorter with no issues at all.
But that's not with 4 hours of direct sun. They basically just get filtered sun and not even all day at that.
New Dawn is the absolute best in the shade (my clone repeats well), but she's a monster climber, so that's just a bit of trivia, really :D


If the canes of the standards are very dormant, you can do what I used to do to get them started:
Get a large clear plastic bag, take a couple handfuls of very damp spaghnum peat moss and pack it over the bud union. Take the bag and place over the canes and secure with a couple twist ties, under the bud union, make some air holes in the bag (you can clip off the corners of the bag).
Keep them in some filtered sun, and watch them, in a few days the canes will start to bud and new basal breaks often emerge from the bud union.
Gradually give the bag more air spaces as you are ready to remove the bag and moss.


There used to be a discussion/ chat forum for us rose folks on the old site but now all those got mixed in with the rose talk. People asked about patterns and I like the ones by truly Victorian. All the sizes are included so you can get a custom fit. However they are drawn from real antique clothes so it's not a modern fit and most of them are designed to go over a corset but you don't need to wear it uncomfortably tight, just snug. If you had heavy work to do then you wore a corded petticoat not a hoop to hold your skirts out. Women didn't have legs in those days and they didn't discuss them :) they were just supposed to glide along gracefully like swans as they walked.

No, our Ace Hardware is strictly a hardware store. The Growing Place carries First Edition plants. Don't know what roses yet. Chalet Nursery in Chicago is a good place to call when looking for something. Thought about calling them both in early April. After all CN does say on their web page if you don't see it just ask we can likely get it for you. Lowe's and Menards also carry First Edition roses.

There are several up my way that say they carry First Editions, will have to go look:). Sorry Patty I was thinking you were further south - some of the Ace in Bloomington/ Spring field region carry Austins, thought they might have this too!

Way too early to take off the collars, simply cut back the bushes to the top of the collars and wail till late April, I'm in Kenosha, we get frosts into May, so no need to hurry. I usually prune the last week of April. When you clear away the collars and prune, then spray the bare canes with Mancozeb, when your foliage comes out, start a weekly spray program, and you won't have black spot....

I use flakes of old straw mainly, I mound up as much soil as I can over the base then lean the straw against the rose in somewhat of a circle. It allows drainage but protects from cold and drying winds. I haven't lost a rose in the 10yrs I've been doing this. It also makes it easy in the spring if I want to pull it back for a bit or need to put it back up.

Thank you everyone for all your advice! I can tell I'm going to spend a lot of time on this forum. I am an iris lover but I need something else to to tend to after they bloom and I have roses already. I have a feeling that rose growing is a lot like iris growing...you can always squeeze in one more plant.
I purchased two potted climbing roses at Ocean state job lots. It is very early for them to be out but they were 5 dollars and I have spring fever so I couldn't resist. I think I will have to wait on everything. It looked like spring was coming but I still have snow.

I'm glad you like it here, gibsongirl! We love having you! Have to laugh at your observation and you are entirely correct. There's always room for one more!
If you have an unheated garage store those two climbers in there until it's warm enough to plant. The rule of thumbs is when the forsythias bloom. That usually means the soil has warmed up enough for there to be active growth and it should be safe to plant.

IMHO the guy at the nursery is wrong. That rose needs a bigger pot. If done properly, with no disturbance to the existing root ball, it shouldn't even wilt when transplanted. Prep your new pot with soil in the bottom high enough so that the existing root ball will be at the same level, slip the root ball out of the old pot and into the new one and then fill around it with more soil and water. It should be no problem for the rose.

I saw some at Lowes, outside in freezing weather. I'm assuming they're keeping them outside, vs the unheated entryway, as they're on a stationary display. Do you think they're ok? The bud eyes are red and pushing out some growth. The canes were huge and I'm wondering how they get a big enough root system in a 3 inch cylinder tube. I haven't bought any before, but would like to try one or two.

I thought I had never done the submerged in the bag thing but now that I think of it I actually have. They come out around here way too early to plant and I've often brought some home and opened the top, poked holes in the bag and stuck them in a bucket of water in the basement to wait for planting weather. I didn't soak the canes but definitely the packaging medium.

Evelyn is one of my favorite, but the most fragrant rose in my garden is Mme. Issac Pereire. In my garden, it is a prolific spring bloomer, with a late repeat. It can get unruly and here in the wet and damp Pacific North West, black spot sets in late summer and through the fall. I just don't bother fighting it, as this rose is tough enough to spring back every year.

I will have another look at Tamora. Does she have a strong sweet scent? I was thinking of having two apricots with strong scent next to the house where i can smell them from inside on warm summer days. I think Lady Emma for one and the second, not sure.
So far I have Cr Princess M, Don Juan, Warm Welcome and Royal Gold by the house and room between a couple of them for two medium sized apricots. I thought yellow because of DJ but apricot looks better with WW and CPM and nice with the red or yellow roses. I have 6 windows open on the computer with pictures of the different roses together figuring out colours that look good next to each other and apricot seems to work. No obsession with roses in this house, ha ha!! Any thoughts?


I had thought about asking about this rose on the Forum..........I grew mine from a band - it is 4-5 years old. Have it on a fence with other climbers, excellent sun, I water regularly. the few blooms I have gotten were not impressive and quite small. It grows really well - I may have to sock the fertilizer to it. It hasn't impressed me - but not to say it couldn't. It IS very healthy! Would enjoy hearing some other comments on this one.
Judith

OK, so zone 5 is probably still quite cold and that's a good thing. Now is a very good time to make the move. In your yard as soon as you can dig your soil prepare the spot you want to put them in. Holes for planting should be at least 2 feet deep and wide. Don't add chemical fertilizer to the holes but any kind of organic materials are fine. You will need some kind of pots to put them in when you dig them out. Any kind of container or old pots you have that are big enough will work for long enough to move them. I have used ordinary wash buckets from the dollar store to keep plants in for moving. Since you will be cutting some of the roots, there really is no way to avoid that, and if the roses are quite tall you may want to prune the roses back by about half before the move. It will make them easier to handle and put less stress on the root system starting out. Dig up the roses trying to keep the root ball intact as much as possible and put them in your pots. Get them home as quick as possible and get them back in the ground. You don't want the roots to dry out. Place them in your holes and water them some. Then start back filling them and gently tamping the soil in to get out any air pockets. When done water them again. Keep them well watered but not soggy wet until you begin to see some new growth on them. Then you can go to a regular watering schedule and give them some half strength fertilizer.
Hope that helps and please ask if you have any other questions.





Are there trees that give it more shade throughout the summer?
We needs lots more pictures!!! On my monitor the darker flower is a wonderful shade of yesteryear's smokey antiquey pink (?). I've been reading about 'Cape Diamond' because it also has that color. But a much flatter bloom showing the yellow stamens. Such a rare shade in roses. Lucky you! Perhaps it is just a once bloomer?
Definitely not Cape Diamond She never has that shape. Color is close but she opens flat. It looks so much like a floribunda or grandiflora. But even a starving flora will re bloom. Your foliage is in too good of shape for this to be a neglected rose bush. Is there any chance you have rose midge. If other roses are re-blooming I would think not.