22,795 Garden Web Discussions | Roses
I had two Julia Childs and one Pink Knockout planted last fall, in MA northwest of Boston. I didn't do anything special in the way of winter protection, though the area is shielded by trees on one side and the house on the other, and the bark mulch throughout the garden is about 2-3 inches thick.
The Julias died down to the crown, but came back in mid-to-late spring, and have done very well. The Pink Knockout did better in terms of surviving the winter, got eaten by some insect in mid-spring, recovered, bloomed later than I expected, but is also doing very well.
Michael explained it perfectly. I'll add that most modern roses just aren't bred to have the greatest winter hardiness. They are bred for the beauty of those repeat blooms and little else. Mr. Radler worked on getting that hardiness in the Knock Out roses. Also a lot of the Griffith Buck roses were bred with hardiness in mind. Unless the breeder is in a cold climate, or testing in one, and selects with hardiness as a criteria the roses that come to market won't necessarily be hardy in zones 6 and lower.
I second what Sheila says and would add that Southern California, zone 10 is HOT right now. They heat makes roses semi dormant. The blooms on my rose plants are few in number and small in size, especially on the newly established ones. I am following the advise to cut back on fertilizers during summer months, but in small amounts, I am using recommended "Rose Elixirs". My main goal during the summer heat is to help them to survive, which is a challenge in the drought. I am pruning lightly to ready for the fall flush, the time where the weather cools and the roses have a chance to recover. But you really won't see the potential of the roses until they reach their third year. First year they sleep, second year they creep, third year they leap. The roses take time to establish their root systems...and then pow! Look out, you'll want to sing, ♪"Everything's coming up roses"♬
First off it's been really hot and dry in SoCal this summer. Roses in hot zones go sort of dormant in high heat to conserve water and nutrients. That may be all that's going on.
When things cool down a bit they'll probably start putting on new buds. It would probably be a good idea to water a little more often in high temperatures if you can. I know there are water restrictions in places so do the best you can with that.
When it gets a little cooler you may want to give them some other kind of fertilizer too. Something more quick acting than just the Rose Tone.
I would also stay away from any kind of oil treatments. In high heat situations oils on the leaves can cause burning. If you must treat them for PM find a fungicide that is specific for that disease. But you should NEVER spray anything on the roses in temperatures over 80 degrees.
My oldest rose is Pinocchio but the first one I remember picking out with Mom was Golden Celebration in the early 90s sometime. I remember sitting on the sofa with her pouring over the DA catalog for hours trying to decide which one we wanted to order. Soon after that she became too ill to take care of the garden at all and I took over and have been at it ever since.
Thank you, Karen and Sharon! Sharon, I just asked about Julia Child in my last post (two posts above yours). Given the timing of your reply it was meant to be? :) I'm happy to hear yours is situated in conditions similar to mine and doing well in 6a, which makes her a very strong candidate for me. Karen, it seems Heirloom doesn't list Happy Child anymore, but I saw its photos at Daves Garden. They are all beautiful. I'll keep checking back.
Thank you again everyone for your replies. I'll sleep on it for some more time (enough time before ordering for spring planting) but I think I can make a good decision thanks to your suggestions. Much appreciated.
eri54
A lot of my roses are beginning to have paler leaves now. At this time of year with the days getting shorter and the sun more angled they're getting less and less light. It's also cooler and that's beginning to slow them down. You can go ahead and give them some quick acting fertilizer but I'd steer clear of any kind of slow release foods this late in the season.
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I am so sorry. Your girl sounds like she was a terrific dog. The saddest thing about dogs is that their lives are so much shorter than ours.
I have used roses as a memorial for some much-loved pets, too. There are so many kinds of roses and they are so variable. What will do well for me in zone 7a Tennessee may not survive for you in zone 5 NE Ohio. I grew up in NE Ohio and well remember the long, bitter cold winters. Please keep in mind that while I may suggest some of these roses, I may not have grown them myself and did not grow them in Ohio. They are rated to survive a z5 winter but your microclimate may be colder or warmer than that and your special situation may not be suited to that rose for other reasons. For best results, check with someone local who may have grown it.
Sweet Fragrance- a Ping Lim rose- While not all are exactly the same, Ping Lim roses were bred to be disease free and hardy, so things like fragrance took a back seat. Sweet Fragrance is a little different. It is a lovely coral/peach/ apricot color. It isn't my most fragrant rose but does have a nice fragrance. It is disease resistant for me but hasn't been a fast grower.
The following three are Kordes (a German rose nursery) roses. Kordes and other European rose breeders are having to find roses with innate resistance to disease because spraying has been banned there. Many of these roses lack fragrance but there are exceptions. I don't grow any of these, although I grow several older Kordes roses that are tough as nails For pictures and a better knowledge of these roses, you might follow the ongoing discussion about rating the new Kordes roses.
Folklore- I can't say much more than it's a two-tone rose with an unusual color combination, sort of a rose-coral and yellow. People who grow it have remarked on its fragrance.
Summer Sun- Ditto the above, except more orange/reddish and yellow.
South Africa- This is a rose that I've considered but it was never available by the time I ordered. It's sort of an apricot/golden color and so lovely. It does remind me of autumn. Fragrance is the icing on the cake.
The last are Griffith Buck roses. Buck bred roses in the 80's that were able to stand up to an Iowa winter and still come back and bloom. They weren't tested nationwide for disease resistance. Disease resistance might be different in Ohio than in Iowa or here in TN. However, many have survived to come back and bloom beautifully. I have grown some but not all of these:
Enchanted Autumn- I thought of this when you said that you wanted autumn colors. It is a blend of fall colors and also has a nice fragrance.
Golden Unicorn- I loved this rose. Since it never had winter die-back for me it got a lot bigger than the official size of about 3'. Seemed to be especially tough and hardy. The roses would go past quickly but it bloomed a lot and put on its biggest and best show in the fall. Golden yellow with a touch of apricot, it becomes more and more apricot in cooler weather. Nice fragrance. Sadly, it succumbed to the rose rosette virus which can attack any rose.
Honeysweet- This one is on my someday list. It's a lovely blend of rose, pink, coral and yellow that is difficult to photograph. It can black-spot some here but may not for you. It has a lovely fragrance.
Prairie Sunrise- One of my very favorite roses of any kind. It is a blend of sunrise colors, as you might imagine- apricot, peach pink, yellow and orange. The flowers are full, cup-shaped and oh-so-fragrant. The plant is smallish here but tough and forgiving. It is capable of blooming and growing in spite of imperfect conditions.
Winter Sunset- Another name for this rose is 'Fuzzy Navel'. It is a pretty golden apricot yellow with a nice fragrance. Also on my someday list.
I don't spray my roses and don't know how they'd grow if I did. I can live with imperfect leaves now and then but not with sickly or difficult roses. Your standards might be different than mine.
I'm sorry about your dog. I've never lost a pet yet - so I don't know the pain. My eldest dog is 11. I think you have a great idea to plant a rose for your dog. I have no suggestions as I don't live in your zone (zone 3). But I wish you joy as you plant your chosen rose.
CArol
I'm going to check with a friend who grows a lot of Buck roses and see if she has PB. It may take a day or two to catch up with her...
I quite like my Paloma Blanca, but as Michael says I'm in the Midwest, and the Buck roses were specifically bred for my climate (from next-door state Iowa). It's rock solid hardy even on the zone 4 pocket of my house, and rebounds from being pruned to the ground with nice white double blooms from midsummer on. Mine isn't a terrifically prolific bloomer, but it's much more reliable than most of the white HTs like Pope John Paul II or Secret's Out.
I find that mine starts out with those high-spiraled blooms like you can see below. Notice all the buds around this bloom just waiting to pop
Here's a whole bush shot, not including some additional green branches off to the left of the picture that weren't blooming at the time. I'd say mine grows a bit wider than tall, maybe 3.5' high by 4' wide after being pruned to the ground.
Here's one more shot showing the more usual shape of the blooms once they're open. This one is from November of last year, testament to its hardiness since that's well after first frost.
You can see on the last picture a little of the only down side to this rose for me. The blooms last a long time, but they brown on the outer petals and edges pretty quickly. About half of my Paloma Blanca pictures have this more prominently. It seems fairly BS resistant and the hardiness alone and bloom potential make it a winner for me. Still, as I say it was bred for my zone. We don't get noticeable rust on any rose like Kim gets on his, and Paloma Blanca seems to like our winter cold. In zone 7 it might be worth a try, depending on what kind of BS pressure you get.
Cynthia