Rose Survey

Ok, this subject has probably been done to death, but things have been a bit slow on Rosetalk lately, so her we go.

If you want to play, list two of your roses that have been standout performers for the last two seasons. Please give the main reasons why they are your beauties, they need to tick all the boxes in, overall health, vigor, Blooms, Foliage, etc. if you feel inclined some piccies would be nice.

Well I'll start, my two are roses that give me the least trouble. Firstly, Hot Cocoa, after some initial doubt over this rose, mainly the time it took to settle in, it has become a vigorous dense grower, disease resistant and always looks healthy. Beautiful deep green glossy foliage and showers all the time with the most lovely russet colour blooms.
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Second is Soul Mate, like the rose before it is disease resistant, a vigorous dense grower and always looking healhty as a picture. The foliage is glossy and mid green in colour and the blooms are an awesome buttercup colour that fades to a soft cream with pink tinge to the edges. If I had the room a would love to have a whole hedge with this rose.
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Elina in bloom 18/12/2014

I haven't had any roses for two seasons yet, so I can't play

But so far this season, Munstead Wood has been smashing out the blooms, which are beautiful and very fragrant. And Marie von Houtte, which I planted in a pot and didn't have much hope for because it came with a big split up the middle of the rootstock, is gearing up for a second big flush. I'm very impressed with these two.

Was the rootstock with the split the one that caused a problem earlier.

Erm.. It was one of the plants that I ordered from Misty Downs - is that what you mean? The other three poor quality/rotten/fungusy ones I got from them died, but I'm very impressed with little Marie von Hautte!

But yes, climbing SDLM, La Reine Victoria, and the replacement they sent me (Mme a Joseph Schwartz) are all well and truly dead, just as we suspected.

Ducky what has been the outcome of all this?

Paul I noticed your pots are a light colour do you feel these are better for your roses in the heat?

Doug, I guess the outcome is that I'm going to try Thomas for Roses and Ross Roses instead next year!

I have purchased roses from both Thomas for Roses and Ross Roses and haven't had any problems. You will find Ross Roses are at times smallish however my experience is they grow into bushes I've been happy to have in my garden. Sometimes roses from Thomas for Roses are rather larger and I suspect older than 2yrs but they have always done well for me.

If any rosarians would like a copy of the latest "Thomas for Roses" catalogue with all the current prices that I received yesterday just email Doug Hayne at
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Doug, did it come via paper or electronic media ?

Electronic Media

Doug I think you have my email address, could you send me one please and I will post it on our online nursery list. Thanks David.

Ask me on any week and my favourite will be different to the week before.

Interesting your troubles with Mistydowns. We purchased around 15 roses this year and have had no problems with any of them. In fact they have grown beyond expectations especially considering the weather this year.

Ausrose wrote:Ducky what has been the outcome of all this?

Paul I noticed your pots are a light colour do you feel these are better for your roses in the heat?

Thanks Ausrose, lighter coloured pots if they were plastic I find to be definitely beneficial, however, Glazed, stone or terracotta I find colour really doesn't make a difference.

That is good to know Paul, thanks.

Gary, glad your roses are doing well! All the other MD roses are doing great apart from the dead ones, hah. And MvH is a trooper!

muscovyduckling wrote:That is good to know Paul, thanks.

Gary, glad your roses are doing well! All the other MD roses are doing great apart from the dead ones, hah. And MvH is a trooper!

Shame about CSDLM. We got one this year and it is a metre high. We were intending to grow it as a large shrub as we saw one at Ruston's at Renmark growing like that but we may have to change our minds and put something up for her to grow on. It had a great flush in September though the heat we had then burnt the flowers a bit.

We have found that Mme Joseph Schwartz is generally not a strong grower (unlike Comm De Labarthe from which it sported). We have a couple that aren't too bad but others we have grown from cuttings simply do not like being planted in the ground and soon die off. We have assumed that it is one (there is a few) of the teas that simply don't like it here.

If you are after a white tea then Snowflake is a good one or Niphetos (as sold in Australia). Both have a splash of lemon on the centre but are nice roses. We rescued (well we removed it from a garden where the house was being sold and up our way that is as good as a rescue as it the garden is now probably full of palms and buddas) a Niphetos from a garden up in the hinterland. It was a reasonable size but it survived the move and is now close to a metre tall and has flowered consistently since the start of September. There is some doubt that it is the real thing as it is thought that none have survived in Australia but it does look like the photos.

Like Balinbear, I have had no problems with MD over the 3 years I have purchased from them, apart from a mis-labelled rose which they readily replaced with no questions asked. All their roses have been vigorous and have done well.
My favourite rose for toughness and beauty has to be the Bourbon, Sv de St Anne's, sport of Sv de la Malmaison. Transported up here from Sydney and transplanted after being housed in a pot for a couple of months without missing a beat.
The 2nd favourite depends on which one I saw last, but a close runner-up is the Tea, Safrano - tough as boots with lovely apricot buds.

Oh, and if I'm allowed a 3rd rose that probably vies for 2nd place, it would be the Hybrid Musk, Nur Mahal. Only planted this year but exquisite crimson buds. The history of the Indian Empress this rose was named for is fascinating! (You can find more detailed story on my blog ATMYROSEGARDEN.blogspot.com.au)

I did ask, where in Mudgee did you have land rosebud?

Nur Mahal. The quiet achiever.

Seriously ours is virtually never without a flower. All through winter it has blooms on her. No disease problems either.

Gary I have just looked at it on HMF and found the only descendant of it, have a look, 

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We had land at Ilford (I usually tell people near Mudgee as most people have never heard of Ilford) - in hindsight would have been perfect for rose growing, but a little tooo hot in summer for us.