22,796 Garden Web Discussions | Roses

Ugh, I'm glad I'm not the only pruning ditherer. The books say 'when the buds swell' and ALSO 'after the last frost' and the two are not comparable. The buds on mine start swelling (those that go dormant) pretty much as soon as we're past the longest night, but last frost date is ususally late March. By which point, the roses have got three months growth on them.
I try to hold out till they actually start leafing out proper, and pray we don't get a late cold front, but it's difficult - Eglantyne had a tiny bud forming this morning, I was somewhat staggered.

..the lowest temp I've had in my garden so far this winter is -6 celsius....I think that's about 21F... so my roses are sprouting.... but I shall leave off pruning until late Feb... I think that's early enough here...

Oh Cynthia... I just found out my EDGAR DEGAS died. Nobody here in the US or even Canada carry it anymore. I was sooo upset when I realized it was gone. I have sooo many more stripeys that I didn't show here. Some didn't bloom last yr so I didn't have recent pics. Some I just forgot and really didn't want to overload the thread!! LOL

TIGER TAIL is an old J&P floribunda that apparently wasn't a very good rose in general, so they dumped it. It was intro'd along with PURPLE TIGER and another stripey FL that also got dumped early on. I don't quite remember the name but it was a white and orange stripe. Oh wait, maybe it was called ORANGE SPLASH or something like that. I never did purchase that one. I think the problem with TIGER TAIL was the fact that the blooms are really quite small for a floribunda. They average about 2". Now BUTTERFLY is a florist rose that I got from someone I can't really mention, as I don't want him to be inundated by people asking for roses. I also got my SIMSALABIM from him.

If I had time, I'd try to root some of these obscure roses. But I just don't have the time right now.

Thanks again Beth for talking about Showdow Dancer and Soaring Spirit. I am thinking I am going to get Flamingo Dancer. I am a sucker for a pink rose! Burling states it gets bigger than SD and there is quite a bit of space to cover on that arch.

39ð F here in Spokane, Washington USA. Feels like like 32ð F. Wind is 10mph coming from WSW. Overcast sky. Snowed overnight. Looks beautiful. Drinking tea and feeling cozy inside this a.m. It's nice that our days are getting longer. Have a good day. :)

We're supposed to be above freezing tomorrow! First time this year if it happens.

I hesitated to comment since I am not in your area, but the neighbors have a several year old one on an arch that blooms a ton in spring but less later on. But it is stunning.

You can see it in the background here

The Huntington has one on a big arch. The color is rich and pictures never can show the beauty or intensity of it. I get drawn to it every time I see it. It's a beautiful rose and I have not seen anything like it in bush form. Big thick tall canes.

I completely forgot about this post. The last time I checked with them it was like they completely forgot they had told me they would propagate it again since so many of us wanted it. I was really disappointed. Please let us know what they tell you!! Judy

My Peach Silks, grown from tiny bands years ago from Heirloom, are on an arbor - they grow well, bloom throughout the year and are pretty much disease free. I have 2 on this arbor - the other 2 were grown from bands and are in big pots - I plan to put them in the ground in early spring or before. I find they bloom most of the year in spite of the fact that I don't fertilize them much. They are healthy and I think anyone would be pleased to have this lovely rose.
Judith

Be forewarned that Abe Darby is a rust bucket in Southern California and it grows kinda sideways. Colette is pretty but not really apricot. My favorite is a Mini Climber called What a Peach...nearly always in flower.

Kent

It would probably help if you said your location, not asking specifics just the general area.

If you have nematodes, it might help to ask what root stocks are working for people in your area.

Mariannese, I'll be looking forward to that study! Since you're also in a cold zone it will be good to know what does well there. That climber is a beauty! Shame it's not as hardy as it needs to be.

Vibert
Austin
Kordes
and of course not only being from IOWA:
Dr. Griffith J. Buck

Here is a link that might be useful: The Buck Rose Web Site

I think its out of whack because when I started the garden the soil had been covered for at least a decade with thick plastic sheets, weed barriers and stone. When I uncovered it after buying my home, it was very very very dense clay with some odd pockets of soft, dry sand.

So being a novice garden, I started a flower garden without amending the soil at all, and used a lot of things like miracle grow and Bayer products to help the plants eek out a horrible existence.

Over the last few years I have been tilling leaf compost into the garden and using only the epsoma products for both flowers and roses. I do, however, still use a Bayer fungicide.

Either way the Ph in my soil is still high, as it is in my well water in general. If I don't remediate this in my house with a water conditioner system, it pretty much destroys my pipes.

In my garden, my roses suffer magnesium and iron deficiencies. I fix this with twice a summer applications of a liquid iron chleate and epsoms salts.

What I am hoping is to get Ph level down through other means, but have yet to really take a crack at this.

So that's my story.

Cheers

???????

Soil pH should have a high correlation with groundwater pH. So the soil pH is correct according to its own logic. It is going to take active work to lower it, because that is going to be an artificial construction - commonly known as sulfur. Basically, unless your pH is over 8, the problem isn't with the soil, but with what you think it should be. Adding organic matter will get is somewhat closer to 7, but not a lot.

Basically, I've been there, done that. There are roses that much prefer an acidic soil that I don't grow. I also don't grow blueberries, azaleas, or any rose of multiflora heritage. If it likes a pH over 7, it grows like a weed.

Gorgeous! I'm totally envious.

Yes, gorgeous, indeed. I want to reach into the photo to touch MM. Thanks for the pics. Now on to HMF to look it up. Diane

Mine likes to stay about 4-5ft tall. I didn't prune it much last season and it seemed to bloom better. I also noticed the blooms were a little bigger. Maybe it was just a fluke this yr. I dunno.

I have mine on a trellis. It was originally in a pot, but the root grew through the bottom into the ground. She REALLY wanted to live in the dirt!

I usually prune in late late winter and I'm not shy about cutting her back; she can take it. I try to keep her upright for maximum blooming.

Good luck with yours!

Check with K&M Nursery's web site. He carries several climbers that are grafted onto fortuniana rootstock that should grow well in zone 8. I think he still carries "Fourth of July". Don Jaun is also a GREAT climber on fortuniana rootstock.

Heirloom has Fourth of July on its own root available and they are having a sale right now.

Has anyone grown either Shadow Dancer or Soaring Spirits? How do they do in heat? How is the rebloom. They both are so pretty, I can't decide between the two.

Believe it or not, I'm not a member of Facebook, but I used your link and saw your stunning photos of Ascot. What a gorgeous, healthy looking rose. I wish my photographer (granddaughter) could get that deep red on her photos. It's been difficult to get, but you nailed it. Clare's photos are wonderful so I'm not complaining. Red has just been the hardest color to photograph accurately.
Anyway, beautiful photos and of SDLM, too. Diane

Diane, you're so right -- red is a bear to capture. Our facebook pictures of Ascot luckily nailed its rich, saturated blue-red. But for another lovely and even deeper burgundy, Tradescant, the color in my photos isn't even close. Too bad -- that color is amazing.

I want to thank you for inspiring me to consider Ascot. It really has one of the most beautiful blooms I've ever seen, and will be a rose well worth keeping once we get it blooming the way yours does.

Thanks, iris gal. No, they are about the same height as the fence (nine feet). It varies from year to year, depending on how much I prune and other factors. They really got whacked last year.
It's very dry here, so I don't know how they would perform in a hot, humid zone. I wouldn't recommend Brother Cadfael--he does a lot of balling when it get very hot. I think it's important for his blooms to open before the real heat sets in. Jude blooms more, and the blooms open better in our weather. Both roses have wonderful scent. Diane

Thanks. Didn't know if the 9ft was only for the stone portion and the snaps
were 4 ft. tall :-)
Whew!

Sorry for the delay in replying but I just came back to the post. I checked the box to have the replies sent to me but they never arrived.

Here is a list of legal roses that I will have cuttings to trade:

Old Garden Roses
Aimee Vibert Scandens (1828)Climber 9-15ft.; White Noisette; Repeats; Musk fragrance
Duchesse de Brabant (1857)Tea; Lt. Pink Cupped Double; Repeats; Strong Tea fragrance
Felicite et Perpetue (1827)Rambler 15-20ft.; White/Pink; Blooms once; Mild fragrance

Hybrid Tea & Others
Bewitched (1967) Hybrid Tea, Bright Pink, Damask fragrance
Brandy (1982) Hybrid Tea, Apricot, Mild Sweet Tea fragrance
Brass Band (1993) Floribunda; Tree, Apricot Orange, Mild Damask fragrance
Double Delight (1977) Hybrid Tea, Dk. Pink/Cream, Strong Spicy fragrance
French Lace (1982) Floribunda, Pinkish White, Mild Spicy fragrance
Heirloom (1972) Hybrid Tea, Lilac, Strong fragrance
JFK (1965) Hybrid Tea, White, Strong fragrance
Joseph's coat (1969) Floribunda Climber, Red/Orange blend Moderate, fruity fragrance
Mister Lincoln (1964) Hybrid Tea, Deep Red, Strong fragrance
Oranges & Lemons (1994) Floribunda Hybrid Tea, Orange & orange blend striped blooms; Mild fragrance
Paradise (1978)Hybrid Tea, Purple & Pink bi-color, Strong Rose fragrance
Snowfire (1970) Hybrid Tea, White reverse, red top, Mild fragrance - FEW CUTTINGS
Sterling Silver (1957) Hybrid Tea, Lilac, Strong Citrus Sweet fragrance -FEW CUTTINGS
Sundowner (1978) Apricot, Grandiflora, Strong fragrance
Tropicana (1960) Hybrid Tea, Coral Orange, Strong Fruity fragrance

Got the information from HMF. Anyone interested?
Clare

I have been hard at work pruning and don't have many unpruned roses left. Too bad, maybe next year. I am trying to root a yellow sport of Chicago Peace this winter. I usually have good luck rooting cuttings outside in winter.