On this cold snowy white day, I was reminiscing about some of the beautiful roses that I used to grow, but (for one reason or another) are no longer present in my garden. Thought I'd compile a record here of some of that beauty "loved but lost."

Golden Showers climber/rambler--victim of RRD! I had been growing it for years and years--maybe 15-20 years. It would spread out its yellow blooms all over that corner of the garden. I didn't replace it because that part of the garden had become much too crowded over the years and needed the "breathing space" provided by GS's departure--unfortunately.

Eden climber--this one really hurts. Just up a died mid-summer of this year. Never have figured out why, although we did have a drought the summer before. Maybe it was too damaged? Don't know.


Here's a closer view of Eden's gorgeous blooms:



Love & Peace HT--Oh, I miss this one. Never thrived in my garden--always a shrimp and regularly suffering from BS problems. I hear it does splendidly for other gardeners. Guess it didn't like Kansas.



Cherry Parfait floribunda--another one not real happy in my Kansas garden. Bloomed, but just never looked thriving. I grew to actually dislike it. I know others love theirs.



Mayflower (Austin shrub)--the first to bloom every year. It was sacrificed for Scepter'd Isle--which better bloom darned good at that price!



Viking Queen climber--another victim of RRD, alas.



Happy Child (Austin shrub)--one of my favorite blooms, but the poor darling always remained small and wimpy, so I finally gave up on it.



Pink Prosperity HM--my first victim of RRD -- a real shocker!



Gertrude Jekyll (Austin shrub)--never overly happy in my yard, took too long to rebloom, and those SHARP PRICKLES finally got to me. Too bad--a legend!



Gold Medal HT--I'm sorry now that I got rid of this one. It was some years ago, and I don't remember the exact reason --just that I regretted it right after I did the dirty deed!



St. Swithun climber (Austin)--so sad. Bloomed once and came down with RRD.



Buff Beauty HM--I immediately replaced this one. It had been my oldest rose in my garden, maybe 20 years! A few years ago my neighbor's giant oak tree dropped a BIG branch dead center--splat!--on BB. One of our famous Kansas tornadoes? Don't know. Could a straight hard wind do that? Never knew for sure. Poor BB never really fully recovered afterwards and then just couldn't survive our drought last summer. I'm happy to report that the new BB is thriving already and ought to be full of spring blooms this year, so this one at least has a happy ending!

These are some I remember most vividly, but a couple absent ones I never photographed were Peace HT and its relative Chicago Peace. I do miss them--beautiful but not up to the BS standards of my gardens nowadays. Alas, alack, alas!

Thank you for indulging me in my moment of nostalgia. I'm sure you have your favorites you also miss.

Kate

Sara--you have some gorgeous roses there. I can see why you are sad about losing your Queen Elizabeths--that is a majestic rose! Are you looking for replacements?

Kate

Yellow roses were born to blackspot!

By the way, "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" was sung by so many artists that I can see why you couldn't remember just which one. First sung by Pete Seeger in 1955 (too far back for even me); then, I believe Peter Paul, and Mary sang it. But the iconic recording I remember best, at age 19, was that of Joan Baez in 1965, and it became a protest song against the Vietnam War.

Lesley, I am sorry Golden Celebration didn't work out for you because yours was so gorgeous--it's also one of my favorite roses, but blackspot isn't a problem here, and that can make all the difference. Don't beat yourself up about New Dawn--I rid myself of 5 of them, all of which were once bloomers and monsters. During that brief bloom period in spring, I admit they were gorgeous monsters.

Sara-Ann, your two Queen Elizabeth roses were simply beautiful, and I can see why you want to replace them. Why did you lose them, if I may ask?

I've lost a few (by my own hand), but I don't have a single photo of any of them. It's probably for the best. But thank you all for sharing those you have loved and lost. Diane

Kate

Sara-Ann, I can't believe how much you've accomplished in a year, and your rose enthusiasm will carry through 2014, too, I'm sure.
Diane

Personally, I like Seeger's version best--"Where have all the flowers gone?" rather than some of the earlier versions--Where has my horse gone or the festive parties of yesterday, don't you?

Now I'll be humming that line all day today. Should have had it playing in the background as viewers scrolled down this thread, shouldn't I!

For those of you who would like to participate, see the link below--to a much earlier Peter, Paul, and Mary version (back when they could harmonize IN TUNE--which, unfortunately, they can't seem to accomplish in their more recent come-back appearances). It was turned into an anti-war song back during the days of the Vietnam War protests by the young people of the 1960s--for those of you who don't remember that history. : )

Kate