22,795 Garden Web Discussions | Roses
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
I think I would not fertilize again given what you read on the label. I imagine it is expressed this way as a percentage of soil volume. I wonder if it is slow release? Anyway you should have enough fertilizer to get through the season. I just hope these recover and you enjoy this Dark Desire as much as I do. I agree I do like First Crush - lots of bloom power and really a nice fragrance. We are releasing 2 more Parfuma this year - it may take a year or so for these to reach the public. I just really like roses with scent although I can appreciate the others I am drawn to scent.
Best of luck and let me know how this turns out.
Chris
enchantedrosez, we start feeding about 1-2 months after a rose is planted in Miracle Gro Potting mix/soil...
Christopher and prairie_northrose:
Thank you! You are super great. I had been very frustrated not being able to identify it for so a long time. Now I can sleep well.
So, it is Therese Bugnet which is Rugosa developed in Canada in 1941. Yes, I thought the leaves are so unique that somebody could identify it here. I have Hansa, Rugosa Alba, pink Groutendorst (spell?), and Linda Campbell blooming in front of my eyes right now. But I had never associated it with them. The leaves and stems are so dainty and elegant very unlike Rugosa I mentioned. Therese Bugnet won my heart and I could recommend it to anyone here in zone 5. Oh, the fragrance is superb too.
Thank you again.
I'm glad you like Therese as well. She just opened for me, and the fragrance is lovely, very intense. I also appreciate the unique delicate matte foliage. Apparently the stems get quite red in winter as well. It's funny, I bought a bareroot Therese not long ago, the bag said it came all the way from Texas. It is a very well known rose here in Alberta.
I agree - thanks for posting this article! Even if KO is too commonly seen everywhere, and we're tired of the effect, we owe Bill Radler a debt in doing all that breeding and for hybridizing something that could survive so well under so many conditions. It was interesting to see Ping Lim commend Bill Radler's efforts and say the Easy Elegance series depended on his earlier efforts with KO. As a huge fan of EE roses that greatly expand the color and style of KO type roses for any location, I'm grateful to Bill for his efforts in being the initiator of a new generation of "easy" modern roses. I also have Double Knockout, and while it's not my most impressive rose it has a respected place in my garden and I consider it an important part of recent rose history.
Cynthia
In this heat I wouldn't worry about wetting the leaves. I actually hose mine down to cool them off when it's very hot. They'll appreciate a shower.
Low to mid 90s. Pffft.