22,795 Garden Web Discussions | Roses
No problem hijacking my post. I was well aware some people would love Dark Desire at first sight from seeing my photos, and the fact is, with our cool weather still in progress, they are indeed significantly darker and I'll certainly be keeping it. But I went out at 8:30 pm tonight and the fully opened ones were still glowing in the dark. The full blown colour is still a dual coral and purplish tone, but darker and I'm more used to it now. Everybody should show their disappointments online and by the time everyone looks at it and comments, they appreciate it much better. As for disease resistance, despite rain not a hint of blackspot on Dark Desire. I mentioned that roses next to it got attacked by aphids before I applied Cornell formula. Those roses were a couple of potted Paul Ricaults. They were a magnet for aphids; the leaves were bitten so badly I pulled them off. Dancing in the Wind and Taboo (my all-time favorite red rose) had some slight damage, but Dark Desire virtually untouched even though the leaves of Paul Ricault and Dark Desire were actually intermingled.
How true bcroselover - we shouldn't just post our roses at their best, but we should show our disappointments to give the true scope of the roses. Having said that, disease resistance plus prompt blooming plus "glow in the dark" still sounds like a good thing to me, though obviously not what you were looking for. I'm glad they're darkening up for you and hopefully the rain will help.
Cynthia
Here she is. She's about 2 feet tall and she has very large leafs that go all the way down to the bottom (unusual here in blackspot country). She has about 3 buds on her right now, but you cant really see them very clearly. Once she blooms I'll post pics of the flowers.
Continuing briefly, I promise, are a couple of pics from 2015. Diane
Ebb Tide in 2015.
Another shot of ET 2015, showing less fading. 
Twilight Zone, 2015.
Another close up of TZ in 2015. I can't find a full bush shot. But TZ is gearing up for a big show, so I'll get some photos then. Diane
I moved my TZ and the plant split into pieces so now I have own roots growing in pots. They are doing well as potted plants. I'm moving them around to see where they they like it best. The hot wall was a disaster because the petals fried with the reflected heat. The color seems prettiest and longer lasting in morning sun ( no surprise).
I have my Claire Austin pillared on a 4x4, and I'm very pleased with this rose. The blooms start out facing up, but when heavy with petals they turn downward; a beautiful effect for the way I'm using it. The canes are pliable and easy to work with, but the thorns make me pay attention when I'm pillaring.
I keep hearing that the blooms shatter quickly, but I have yet to get an answer from anyone what "quickly" means -- mine seem to last for close to a week, and I've never seen one shatter after only one day. That it eventually shatters is a plus for me, since it saves me the work of deadheading. I have not cut this rose for a vase, so I can't comment on vase life, but the roses on this very young shrub have weak necks. Alnwick, with it's upright habit and heavenly raspberry fragrance might be a better choice for a cut rose.
This is a new rose for me, so I don't know how it will perform over time. I haven't seen Claire with a major flush yet, but it always has a few lovely blooms. The climate here is hot and dry, and our weather has been erratic since I've planted this rose, jumping from 50's to 102F soon after planting it; 70's to high 90's since. I planted it in well amended peaty/composty soil (not a planting hole -- I amended the whole bed), and it gets drip irrigation with a good hosing off about once a week. Has not been fed or fertilized yet. Picture is below.
jannike
Nicola, its most likely a combination of extreme heat and immaturity. For the most part, had you started it in cooler weather, it would most likely have produced a deeper color and more petals (and larger bloom too). But in the summer they tend to form less petealed, lighter colored blooms. Come September, you'll see the deeper purple you are hoping for.
Hmm, that's good to know about the semantics, Nicole. I always call these basal breaks, but there may be another term. Suffice to say it's a new cane that will support more new growth and things will branch out from here. And yes, William will get big, but you're ready for it. You picked a good one to start with and you're well on your way to more happy rose times.
Cynthia
We aren't sure where the DSD Mid Winter Meeting is going to be next year yet. Last year it was in Savannah. I had a lot of fun there. Great talks and programs and fun hanging out with other rose people. I know the DSD Fall Show is in Valdosta, I am not sure if I am going to that or not. I am hoping we have the Mid Winter Meeting in Atlanta, so I don't have to travel. But I'm not sure the vendors will come that far north.
They're here they're here!!! I got my order in from K&M today. The plants were very well packed and a good size. They were EXPENSIVE, but I think they'll be worth it as my other fortuniana roses have done so well that I feel very confidant.
The people at K&M were fantastic. Very sweet and informative. In the end I was very satisfied with my roses. Here are some pics of how they arrived:
they came in a very large pair of boxes. They were shipped on Monday and they arrived on Thursday. 
They were here packed very well, face to face and well secured. 
Some of them look like they had small growth parts while shipping. But I only had one tiny branch break out of all 4 roses.
They were a little wilted, but considering they shipped mid summer to South Florida, they look amazing!!! 
Jubilee a Celebration arrived with two buds. Can't wait for them to open!!
thank you to everyone for your suggestions and ideas. I'll be sure to post photos as they grow!
Hi Cynthia,
Yes there are certainly difference in climate and I do have a long growing season here. But what I am talking about is done everywhere I travel on rose business - Canada, Scandinavian, northern Germany, California - this basic idea of forming a well branched plant at a very early in its growth is essential to having a salable plant. It is done with soft pinches on dominant canes very early in the season. This forces the plant to throw more breaks - 3 to 4 strong breaks will be sufficient. Then let the plant grow and flower for the rest of the season as the shape has been accomplished. If this is not done early it is difficult to correct as the lower canes will harden and it is difficult to force low branches. I think that doing this will not affect carbohydrate reserves as you stop doing this quite early in the season.
I don't grow roses for sale. I basically work in the Kordes trial fields. When we like a variety we have to build up the stock and we always do some of this with own root propagation. Not all roses make great own root plants so this is part of our data collection to grow and evaluate what type of plant we are able to create with any new variety. Typically I propagate by rooting a cutting in the fall and plant this out in the field in early spring - They are very small but they have already had a couple of pinches before they go to the field and get pinched a couple more times after being field planted- pinching stops in late May. They are not pruned again until late winter just before they break dormancy.
I have made the mistake of not forming the own root plant early and I have a few in my own garden that suffered. It has taken years of pruning the large plant to correct the shape.
I have written this to hopefully help those who buy these very young own root plants. If they were being grown professionally this is how they would be treated so that they become the very full potted plants you see at retail.
Chris - thanks for the clarification, and it makes a lot more sense once you mention pinching off soft new growth rather than pruning hard established cane. Essentially it seems to be the same growth stimulant as pinching off the buds, but promoting more basal breaks in addition. I'll have to give that a try this year, as I can accept sacrificing some green new growth in the interest of a more stable long term plant. I probably have at least a month or two before I need to stop encouraging too much new and tender growth. But wait - you said you stop in late May, which means it's already too late for this year. It might be something to try next year.
This is indeed great advice for new rose growers, and everyone (myself included) has something to learn, particularly from professional growers. And yes, I finally placed you in another thread. You don't sell roses directly, but you grow and test them so that others can. Kordes are certainly great roses to emphasize in this respect.
Cynthia
There's no telling when they would sell out of a given rose, and if she has her heart set on a particular rose, she ought to order it now and then specify a shipping date on their order form. Of course, if she's like my kids when they were four, she may rapidly change her mind and want to change it before the roses are delivered, which can cause grief and/or be costly with some companies. My advice would be to order them unless she's not settled on particular roses, though now isn't a high selling rose season. I've never noticed Regan's having sales, so I don't think she'd need to try to wait for that.
Cynthia
Geez, I didn't know that Regan opened this early! Their web site says ordering now for shipping in 2016. I would think that the newer varieties would sell out first, but just my opinion.