a favorite rose you'd never recommend?

9 years ago

Do you have a rose you're unwilling to part with over your better sense? Or one you adore that you'd never recommend?

I have one of each. Before digital cameras 'Helen Traubel' lived many years in my previous garden. Blooms blowing as fast as Austin's Heritage. But the pinks-peach-salmon color blend left me breathless. No hybrid tea has ever replaced her remembered beauty in my mind. But never would I suggest her to another rose grower!

'Compassion' irritates me no end with flowers only at the ends of the strong canes. I read it was the #1 favorite climber in Britain. Sold! Hah! It also blooms pinker than salmon-pink most of the time. Candelabra at the end of a 10 ft. cane. Ugh. I should take a picture of the long bare, well leaves, canes.

What are yours that you nominate?

Compassion - Cl.

Featured Answer

catspa_NoCA_Z9_Sunset14

9 years ago

Great question! I think of these as my "wabi sabi" roses, helping me cultivate acceptance of imperfection by focusing on their finer traits...

Alba Odorata (except in lieu of a burglar alarm...): this one is extremely thorny and huge and unruly and does not have beautiful flowers by modern standards. I love it because it is tough (very water thrifty) and floriferous, has gorgeous foliage and buds, and no one, but no one, is ever going to climb over the fence it is on.

Phluger Flowmaster: a found rose with gorgeous, dazzlingly-scented blooms on the ugliest bush imaginable. Talk about gaunt and leggy -- Vintage acknowledged error in originally classing it as a climber and moved it to HT while HMF still lists it as a large-flowered climber. It's not; it's just wants to be a 6' tall, 2' wide monolith with bare legs and sparse foliage everywhere else. Best cutting rose ever if you want really, really long stems. It is also heavily virused. Nevertheless, l like it a lot and cope by putting fairly tall filler plants around it. It definitely shines from afar in the garden, like a beacon.

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Comments (8)

DrPekeMom
9 years ago
Atomic White. She throws a blackspotty tantrum whenever she can...perfectly good canes die back, and thorny as hell. About three flowers a year. But those are exquisite. Sugar Moon is similar for me.
seil zone 6b MI
9 years ago
Angel Face! She is such a black spot magnet I would NEVER recommend her but she'll stay in my garden forever.
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sara_ann-z6bok
9 years ago
Right now I would have to say Bewitched, even though for years it was my favorite pink and I have three of them. The one I've had for about 12 years hasn't done much at all the last two and my two newer ones haven't really taken off yet. Through the years I've had many beautiful blooms from the older one. I will always love those beautiful blooms though.
dublinbay z6 (KS)
9 years ago
I second Seil on Angel Face--and add Peace to that. I adore the colors of Peace--and hate its BS susceptibility. I refuse to buy either one again (after several misadventures with both of them)--but I remember their incredible beauty.

Kate
iris_gal
Original Author
9 years ago
Angel Face was new to me in 1988 and so covered with blackspot! I'm 200 miles+ north now (of So. Calif.) + eight miles from the ocean and she's behaved much better.
frenchcuffs13
9 years ago
Lucille Ball. Her color is unmatched (much better than Marilyn IMO), her form perfect. BUT she is a mildew queen here and quite finicky. Alas, I love her.
canadian_rose
9 years ago
Wow - those Angel Faces look superb - especially the one in bud form. Exquisite!!!
Carol