I think there's a purple pavement rugosa rose. I just ordered four snow pavements...white with a little lavender.

You might want to check Northland Rosarium's website. They have a lot of rugosas and many look very pretty. I like pink and purple too :)

The purple rugosa I lust to own is Rugosa Magnifica.

Jeri

one I've been on the fence about - Bayses' Purple. Antique Rose Emporium has it. Color seems to be all over the map of dark wine to mauve to almost purple - Helpmefind pics aren't likethe ones on ARE....

If you can grow rugosas, (I can't) try this rose.
The color is a deep, rich, true purple, with vivid golden stamens.

Highly unusual, and lovely.

Jeri

Jeri,
Why can't you grow rugosas? Z24??? Do you think I'd be OK in Maryland?? I saw quite a variety of colors in photos on various sites...I'm guessing you've seen it in person? It sounds pretty promising for me. Thanks!!

Ann

Rugosas require at least slightly acidic conditions.
Our soil and water are highly alkaline.

This is where rugosas go to die.
:-(

Yes, I've seen it in person, and I love it.
Until it dies.

Jeri

Rugosas should do fine in MD. I grow everyone I can get my hands on, as they are quite deer proof. Do an advanced search on hepmefind for the ones you like and then click the Buy From tab to see who has them.

You're not interested in Gallicas? They offer some wild purples, though of course they're once-bloomers. I don't know how they are for disease in your area.
Melissa

Catlady---I'm wondering------did you friend get this rose at a roadside stand or did she she it growing by the roadside in Martha's Vineyard----We have been going to MV for many years and often in June----
By the Edgartown Lighthouse I've seen many lovely Rugosa roses---I wonder if that is where she saw this rose----
Florence

You know, if I lived where they would grow, I would DEFINITELY have at least a few Gallicas.
They're not suited to my area -- but if I ever move, the "Mad Gallicas" are in my future.

Jeri

Zeffyrose,
I believe she dug it up at the side of the road. She had violet and white ones. That's really all I know! If I was still in touch with her, I'd dig up a couple of suckers and be done!

Melissa and Jeri,
My ignorance is disturbing! I didn't know about the gallicas! I just looked through a bunch of them (http://www.rdrop.com/~paul/gallicas/index.html) and they're gorgeous!!! Do you feel they are as care-free as the rugosas?

I'm so excited! I adore the petal arrangement! I'm pretty sure, at this moment, that I'd prefer that to the rugosas. The hard part will be picking the variety (Belle de Crecy? Cardinal de Richelieu? Tuscany?) I guess I'll see which ones are actually available and go from there!

I wish I had more space, as I'd like to grow every purple-y rose in existance. But I'm going for a row of 5 in one variety.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

LONG LIVE GARDENWEB!!

Ann

If once blooming works for you, go for the Cardinal. This is my all time favorite - the petals don't drop as the blossom ages, so on one plant you can have purplish red buds, mauve to purple blossoms, and mauve to silvery gray aging Senior Citizen blossoms. And it smells great.

Gallicas are the way to go if you want to design with purple! Most of the gallica clan does great here in Maryland- Olga and Lori can attest to that. Some Moss roses like "Captain John Ingram" and "Nuits De Young" are also okay here too:

http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.955
http://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/l.php?l=2.4505&tab=36

I WOULD NOT get 'Cardinal de Richelieu' for our MD area, it supposedly blackspots too much due to it's china breeding.

I think it would be better to get 'Tuscany Superb' gallica, the first two pictures in the gallery are my pictures from my yard! Other members have pictures posted on helpmefind as well.

http://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/l.php?l=2.2456.1&tab=36

That's pretty much as purple as you're going to get for our area. They are unreal to look at - Near black during the brightest part of the day in the sun and at sunset/twilight. Similar to the other gallica rose 'Tuscany' but has more petals. The plants have pretty architecture too when not in bloom, and leaves stay rather clean. Imagine those planted with light butter yellow flowers!

'Belle de Crecy' are known for it's slate-mauve tones, here some more pictures of that one:

http://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/l.php?l=2.597

'Hippolyte'/'Souvenir de Kean' is also a pretty purple;

http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.1893&tab=36

Also for Rugosas, 'Roseraie de l'Haÿ' was my first rose, and here in MD gives about 2.5 flushes throughout the year. Pictures often show it as MUCH pinker than it really is. Thorny, but it's perfume is SO strong. It smells like really expensive rose scented soap with peppery-clove rugosa undertones. The buds are VERY magenta and after a slight warming up in color, the flowers fade to slate colors. The second picture in the gallery is from my garden, so you can get a taste of what it looks like. It's about 4.5-5 feet tall now? Unfortunately doesn't set as much hips as other rugosas, but occasionally you'll get some.

http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.5492&tab=36

Thank you all!! Maryland IS incredibly humid, so even though Sunnysideuphill's description of Cardinal de Richelieu sounds heavenly, I will be miserable if it gets black spot. (Thanks Sunny for your input!!!)

I will sift through all the photos and see...it looks like quite a few of them would make me very happy.

I'm sorry I "wasted" 4 years on those knockout roses that were too coral-y for me!

Thank you everyone, so, so much!

Ann

I don't grow BELLE DE CRECY but Olga does and it is virtually DISEASE FREE for her in Montgomery County, MD. BdC also has a very strong fragrance.

Image of BELLE DE CRECY by Christian at Hortiplex

Here is a link that might be useful: Belle de Crecy at Old Garden Roses and Beyond

For me, Cardinal de Richelieu is clean during its bloom cycle. It is in July that it gets ratty (It is one of two roses that I don't treat with fungicide), not blackspot but some other fungal mess. It is in the backyard, so I don't care much, but it isn't "easy care", so I can't recommend it for your purposes. That's why I haven't mentioned it in your other threads.

Is there anyone out there who can confirm or deny that Tuscany Superb is more of a burgundy and Belle de Crecy a pink with lavender tinges? The photos vary so profoundly from source to source, I don't know what to believe and I don't want to choose wrong. I'd rather TS
if it is truly a purple-y color more than a burgundy, but if that's questionable, I'll go with BdC. Sorry if all of this seems redundant. There are photos showing TS anywhere from reddish pink to bluish purple, and for BdC anything from bluish pink to pink. I realize the colors change through time, but I get the feeling that, like the rose catalogs, some of these photos are tinted incorrectly.

Also, can anyone suggest a nursery for some strapping plants?

THANK YOU,

Ann

That is the picture that convinced me to get Belle de Crecy. I got two for the fairy garden. The nieces will love the way they change colors :)