I hope you can share your pictures of the new roses. The only rose that I have is Arethusa. It is always in bloom, but shatters quickly. That is fine with me as long as it keeps on going, but trying to exhibit would be a problem.

We, too, are having cold weather. Ours is colder than it has been in years- cold enough to cancel school. I don't have much hope for some of my roses.

Do you usually plant your roses when it is this cold? If you do, maybe there is some hope for me. Oh, I do have Natchitoches Noisette.

Sammy

Wow! That's quite the list! And a lot of holes to dig, too; but it will also be a lot of joy when the roses are in bloom this summer.

I've always wondered how people choose their roses. Did you choose the ones you thought looked pretty? The ones that had fragrance? Or do you choose based on hardiness and disease resistance?

Do you buy multiples of roses, or just one of each? I guess I'm just curious as to how people choose. And I too would love to see pictures of them this summer, if you are willing to post them. I know some folks don't like too, and in that case I'll just have to use my imagination. :0)

Melissa- I'm glad to see that's how you plant your roses. That's what I do, except when I dig the hole, I mix in aged horse manure (about 1/2 and 1/2) and the roses do fine. I had to move one late last summer and the hole that had been hard clay was soft and full of earthworms. The rose was doing very well, even after I moved it.

Is La Sylphide an alba? How large is your new rose garden? I hope you post pictures when they're blooming :)

Sammy- the cold weather you've been having looks brutal on the news. We've been lucky so far and have had very little snow compared to the last two years, but there's a storm due in tomorrow night. I'm no expert, but it's probably too cold to plant roses right now.

We try to get everything planted by Christmas, but are running late this year: we did get the roses in just before the holiday, but the other plant order is on hold and should go out immediately. A November planting is optimal with our mild winters and hot dry summers, as plants have all winter and spring to get established before the annual drought arrives. "Cold" for us usually is the upper twenties at worst. We plant as long as the ground isn't frozen and there's no snow.

How do I choose my roses? First, these are all warm-climate roses because that's what the nursery specializes in. Hardiness is rarely an issue here; nor is meeting minimum chill requirements--no wonder I love Italy. I like Teas, Chinas and Noisettes because they're beautiful and well adapted to my conditions. I choose individual varieties on the basis of beauty and grace of flower and plant, fragrance, good health and ease of culture, and I like varieties that are easy to propagate from cuttings. I don't care about whether a rose is extremely floriferous, constantly in bloom, or whether a variety is good for cutting or exhibition. I'm a little scared of climbers that need to be grown on structures and that require extensive pruning. After these considerations, I prefer roses that are rare(r) in Europe and especially in Italy; if a variety is fairly common here I have a good chance of getting cuttings of it from a gardening friend.

I wouldn't mind posting shots, if I didn't hate taking photographs and then uploading them. So no promises. I'm curious to see them too: almost all these are roses I've never seen outside of photos either, and some not even that way.

Buy multiples?? When there are so many varieties to try out there?? I try to propagate them myself anyway. (The tone is joking: I know some people buy in multiples. But I would never dream of doing so.)

No doubt our roses would adore amendment, but they're not going to get it. It will be interesting to see how they do in virgin ground. 'La Sylphide' is a Tea or possibly a Tea-China. I don't know how big the new section of garden is--big enough to hold the roses, is the best way I know how to put it. I think it will be a few years before it looks like much.

The forecast for tonight is for snow. So far there's no sign of it.

I certainly hope I'm right that our roses won't mind this winter weather.

Melissa

Melissa, that is an exciting list of roses! In about three years you should have a wonderful display. How nice that you can obtain roses we can't purchase here, although I know you've been frustrated in the past by not being able to obtain roses that we can easily find here. I'm glad you now have a nursery where you can find the old roses that do well for you.

Ingrid

Wow - thanks so much for sharing your list. I am intrigued by 'Yellow Mutablis' - I never knew there was such a thing. I looked it up on Help Me Find, with no result. Do you (or does anyone) know if it has another name, or is it just one of those roses that are not available in the US? I love mutablis, and the idea of a yellow one is enchanting.

Jackie

Ingrid, thanks! You're right....the revenge of European Tea lovers is at hand! We really needed a nursery like the one the Hooks are creating: they're importing roses from all over the world, and trying to get them correctly identified. And they're selling own root plants. The collections of Teas and other old warm climate roses available to European enthusiasts remained unchanged--paralyzed--for several years, until the Hooks got their nursery up and running.

Some other nurseries have been developing interesting collections as well. I got a long and intriguing rose list from a gardening friend that comes from a small Italian nursery that evidently is based on the personal collection of the proprietor. Things are moving on the Old Continent.

Jacqueline, 'Yellow Mutabilis' is listed on Helpmefind; I don't know why you weren't able to find it. The entry will tell you about it. It's a recent introduction. I agree with you that I think it will be very pretty!

We got eight inches of snow last night.

Melissa

Peter Beales from UK has yellow mutabilis - can you buy from the UK?

I did find it on HMF (of course, I had spelled it wrong the first time). Listed 3 nurseries, Beales, and one in France and one in Germany. I have read too many horror stories about folks trying to import roses into the US (and the Beales web site says they are not shipping outside of the EU). Oh, well, I don't have any space anyway, at least not for a rose that really does need hot sun. At least, I presume it does, as mutabilis does.

Our mutabilis is actually in my mother-in-laws garden, where it is hotter & sunnier. It is thriving. Had a near death experience once, when the gardeners pruned it (unfortunately they prune every rose as if it were a hybrid tea). It immediately died back to one tiny cane. However, after we told them never to touch it on pain of death (and getting fired), it re-grew itself over a couple of years, and has been happy ever since.

Jackie

You've mentioned in the past the difficulties you have in finding own rooot old garden roses in Europe. I'm pleased to learn that you have one excellent source at least.

With your steep, unstable hillsides your new planting method sounds like an excellent idea. I wish you all the best! I'm sure the roses will be beautiful.

Rosefolly

I'm grateful to the Hooks because they're doing the work of importing roses into Europe for me! They've gotten quite a few roses from Roses Unlimited in the U.S., as well as roses from Australia and India. I have a strong suspicion that 'Yellow Mutabilis' will arrive in the the U.S. before long, given the marvelous roselust of American gardeners. You might mention it to your favorite nursery and see if they plan on adding it to their offerings.

Paula, thanks for your good wishes. What a love the garden is, and the recent new availability of Teas is quite a source of satisfaction to me.

I forgot to mention that one of my reasons for acquiring old and rare roses is simply to give them a home. There can hardly be too many collections of rare old roses. It's one of the less grim obligations in the world of duty.

Melissa

Greg Lowery of Vintage is importing most of our stuff into the U.S over the next 2 years. look at their website to see what is available to pre-order

John Hook
La Roseraie du Désert

Thanks Melissa for the positive comments

It is wonderful to see these roses more widely available, and more widely planted.

Rosefolly

What a great list Melissa. I'm excited about Vintage importing roses from the Hooks. We've stopped entirely turning soil over. If there is a whole new bed to deal with I lay down compost and straw in the fall and then dig holes for plants in the spring.
Jackie I swear I've seen Yellow Mutabilis offered somewhere. Maybe Cliff Orent has it.