Does Ebb Tide get better with age ?

For all you Ebb Tide owners out there who have perservered with this rose , ( i didn't ) was it worth it and does it improve with age ? thanks

Two years did me........

Maree I'm putting my hand up for being sucked in. First for getting Ebb Tide in the first place. Second, for persevering like an idiot. Last year was its first, and I didn't like it right off. Too dusty dirty purple, small flowers, didn't even want to smell it. OK it's sleeping says I. Be patient. Second year waiting for it to start creeping, flowers not much better and the last rosette the flowers were crummy shrimps. Totally unlovable. Flowers don't last long, look sideways and the petals fall, sort of blobby. Now it's showing spotty leaves!
Now I've never deliberately killed a rose (well apart from my banksia monster, but that was destroying the fence) but come winter pruning Ebb Tide might be going to heaven. Maree I think you did the right thing in being ruthless with Ebb Tide. I think I'm toughening up. Lol

Well maree, the only problems I've had with Ebb Tide have been self inflicted. I've found it to be an abundant good size bloomer with the blooms out lasting any other roses when left on the bush.

I have to agree with Paul . mine doing great as it gets older , love the blooms and the perfume

I think you have to look beyond the flower it's self, the colour can be an attraction, maybe the size, and not to forget "pong" if it has it. "patience" can be hard with roses. All the surrounding influences have to be taken into consideration IMO.

Ebb Tide is a disappointment.. it won a prime spot yet has not delivered..off with its head soon..

Oh, my poor little Ebb Tide. No wonder it's huddling next to Duchesse du Brabant. Hoping not to lose it's head! It's not a spectacular rose but mine flowers well, lightly perfumed, dark purple flowers fit in the purple/pink flower scheme. Will give it some TLC when next I'm out there!

IMO, this is a Stupid Rose. Just acquired, by default, a two year old plant. It's not pretty, it's not super-fragrant, it's not anything. Like the unlamented late Sweet Intoxication, Ebb Tide is a boring dud with a terrific name and a whole lot of hype.

Oh!! Cover your ears, Ebb Tide!!!

Ebb Tide hasn't made it to the show bench in NSW to my knowledge and this says a lot.

I think you'd have a better chance of a ribbon showing garlic chives.

 

I was too spellbound by the publicity blurb when Ebb Tide came out and ordered it straight away , six months down the track , i was bitterly dissapointed , no fragrance , small flowers , colour not there , and out she went ,i have often wondered if i should have given it more time , seeing that lots of reports say Ebb Tide takes at least three years . I don't know about that , my Ebb Tide was miserable from the start , maybe its a warm weather rose . Swanes are releasing Twilight Zone in a limited trial release next year , but they say its not as fragrant and the colour isn't really purple either , should be interesting ...

Swanes are releasing Twilight Zone in a limited trial release next year

Maree, who or how did you find that out, I have been looking at it on an American site, people over there say it is a good rose and are starting to breed with it.

I have just done some more checking on 'Twilight Zone' , "Blue Nile" is a grandparent on the pollen side, here is a link,
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it looks like an interesting rose David

I spoke to Swanes about it David , a small production run in 2014 and a release in 2015 , bigger , better blooms , but fragrance not as good a Ebb Tide , according to Swanes ..

We talked about Twilight Zone a fairb bit at the beginning of the year. The people on US gardenweb had good things to say about it, and Finbarr of Swane's advised that they were trialling the plant, and it would be available in 2014 if things proceeded well. Nice to know that Swane's is advancing this one to the sales yards - thanks maree, great info.

Some of our conversations on Ebb Tide and TZ can be reviewed here. Note that Ozeboy cuts Ebb Tide a fair bit of slack, so maybe third year is the charm. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

The Werribee State Rose gardens have Ebb Tide so i will check it out there , its still a lot more purple than Twilight Zone from the pics i've seen , its more a purply , magneta ,pink , sounds interesting ...

Looking through the Ebb Tide pics on HMF it seems that it is the sort of rose that has its colour vary a lot depending on location/situation/weather etc etc.
Twilight Zone seems to have similar colour behaviour.

It would be an interesting experiment to have them planted side by side.

Interesting that neither of them has a "disease resistant" tag on HMF. Mind you - plenty of roses that *do* still get BS at my place.

Oh My, I have Pre-Ordered 2 EBB TIDE 90cms Standards, at what they cost and the posting, should I re-think this for another Purple Standard....  

If it was me I would Dianne. But Ebb Tide might do better in the warmth of QLD. Maybe you could check out some actual plants and see what you think. For my money it's a dud.

Thanks Silkyfizz, I will heed your warning & try to find some growing somewhere to find out how well they do here before having them sent out, at least I have plenty of time to investigate.
Hope you find more life in yours....  

Go back to the person that you are buying them from and ask for some people that have purchased them up your way for comment

ET is prone to black spot....so up in QLD it might be not so good....