Thursday, April 10, 2008

One Rose?

I'm heading off to the Antique Rose Emporium in Brenham tomorrow. I've been to the San Antonio location but never the Brenham one so I am very excited.

We have planned it so that we have limited space available in the car for purchases. (I think you all know how the spring season tugs on the wallet.)

So, my question to you is which rose? (I know other plants are for sale there, but I want a rose for my new sun bed. )

The possibilities so far include:

Belinda's Dream
Marie Daly
Julia Child
Souvenir de la Malmaison

Some of the sources I've consulted (besides your blogs, of course):

Earth Kind Roses

American Rose Society, Fragrance in Roses

I am open to any rose of any color. It must be fragrant and a repeat bloomer.

So which rose do you love best?

8 comments:

  1. I'd say to put Souvenir de la Malmaison last on your list. I know MSS loves it, but I don't find the scent to be that great and it's definitely one of the more disease-prone roses in my garden. Marie Daly/Marie Pavie are both pretty good, but I recommend making sure they're in full sun. Mine in part-shade gets and then shakes off blackspot occasionally. Annie has Julia Child and it looked lovely when I visited on Sunday, and that's one I've been wanting to try as well. I think I'd go with Belinda's Dream. If you want a pink rose with more scent (to my nose), I'd go with Duchesse de Brabant, which has an old-fashioned cupped form and a kickass tea scent. Mine is more disease-resistant than my Belinda's Dream.

    My happiest roses are:

    All the different Knockouts, though my favorite is the Rainbow Knockout, which is insanely healthy and always covered with flowers.

    Louis Philippe, which flowers like crazy in part-shade.

    Archduke Charles, another China, with flowers that change color like Mutabilis and a fabulous fruity scent.

    Belinda's Dream

    Duchesse de Brabant

    Maggie, which grows like crazy and flowers like crazy but does get and then shake off blackspot several times a season.

    Madame Alfred Carriere, a climber, but grows really fast, is thornless, and a lot of people fall head-over-heals with the scent, which is a lot like Souvenir de la Malmaison.

    I've been wanting to try Madame Antoine Mari, but I don't know anyone who grows it. Could you do me a favor and take a picture of the ones at the Antique Rose Emporium tomorrow, so I can see how the flower looks when it's not insanely cold? They have a whole bunch of them planted around one of the gazebos.

    Oh! My post about last year's visit to the ARE is here.

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  2. I can't find your e-mail, but I'm home this afternoon if you'd like to come see some of these roses you're considering in person. My email is gardenerofgoodandevil at gmail dot com.

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  3. Lori's right! My favorite rose is 'Souvenir de la Malmaison' but she has some problems. I have the climbing variety so it's big. For me (maybe because of shade), she blooms only once, for about six weeks, in March and April. In humid weather her flowers ball. She sometimes gets powdery mildew or blackspot. But the size, shape, and scent of her flowers--worth every problem.

    My best rose for our heat is 'Blush Noisette'. Nicely scented; the only rose I can smell some distance away. Fairly dense large bush. Small bouquets of flowers.

    "Ducher" also produces a nice thick bush and has a pretty white flowers with a citrusy scent.

    You can see any of these on my blog--or, come by and look at them in person.

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  4. I love MSSs de la Malmaison, and I will be watching your comments. I haven't grown enough roses to be an expert, but I want to hear what everyone else says so I can take notes! (Is that cheating?!) Have a great time - it sounds like a wonderful outing.

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  5. Ducher and Blush Noisette have my vote for now, but I haven't had them for long. We'll see how they age.

    If anyone could advise on best ways to prune Knockouts, I'd be grateful. Mine have been getting gangly and then they quit flowering. I think they need absolutely full sun, but I'm not pruning them right either.

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  6. You're gonna have so much fun! It's gorgeous out there. And you can ask them for other suggestions for Austin too. They've had very knowledgeable staff when I've been out there.

    I like 'Belinda's Dream,' of course. And the Knockouts. And 'Marie Pavie.'

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  7. Dang, I missed you! Oh well,I'll leave my comments anyway. I love the Peggy Martin and what it stands for, its a rambler. I love the mutabilis but it is not fragrant. I love golden showers- climber- very fragrant. My notes from the class that Bill Welch at A&M taught have these suggestions:
    Old Blush
    Chestnut
    Archduke Charles
    Mutabilis
    Green rose
    Lamarque (cl)
    Nacodeche Noisette
    Duchess
    Sombreuil
    Mrs BR Cant
    McClinton
    Monsier Tellier
    Cecil Bruner
    Marie Pavier

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