I was just admiring my 'Precious Dream' this morning. Lovely little rose. Little so far, anyway. Loves the heat.

Rev. Scott, very nice tribute to Ralph. I had the honor and intense pleasure to have known him and been able to "play in the roses" with him for many, many years. I first met Ralph in the early 80s through a mutual friend. We hit it off immediately, though it was some time until I actually understood he saw more in me, through my eyes, than I had imagined. Looking back, we were Tom Sawyer to each other's Huck Finn. We would walk the nursery for hours, rather, more accurately, he would DRAG me around those six acres for hours and hours. He never seemed to need a second wind, not even later in years when he needed to use his walker, until near the very end when he'd need to sit down as those old legs just refused to haul him around as the had once done. I, on the other hand, needed many winds just to keep up with him. I always called or emailed ahead to make sure he didn't have appointments and would be free. He had the day planned when I arrived and we'd set off on an "adventure" until it was time for lunch. Afterwards, it was off into the roses to check each greenhouse and find the latest seedling he'd noticed and wanted to show me. You would have loved the man. There wasn't anything, other than the canned deliveries he'd resort to when stressed by his failing hearing, concerning his early Twentieth Century Republican values, not to love about the man.

Yes, he dug back into the species to attempt to create new things. That's what he'd done for over half of a century. He touched and massaged Wichurana, Multiflora, Soulieana, Rugosa, Californica, Hulthemia, Bracteata and attempted to tame Minutifolia, though the last never panned out for him. He drew stripes, mossing and crested sepals from Old Garden Roses and molded them into inheritable characteristics, instead of simply left to mutation and chance. His perpetual question was, "What if...?" which will never be answered, though he discovered thousands of answers along the way. His question was and is infectious.

He succeeded in creating modern Hybrid Bracteatas, yes, but felt they still had a long way to go, just as he felt about all of his other projects. His ten year projects became five year ones, then two year, then projects which would need others to complete. Bracteata is one of them.

There are some beautiful Moore Bracteatas. Precious Dream is beautiful, but one which has humidity issues. Rust can badly attack it where it is a problem. Star Dust is a little less prone to that fault. Out of Yesteryear and Out of the Night have proven to be the two healthiest of the group.

He had shown me the seedling which would eventually be called Out of the Night years before its introduction. He kept the original seedling in the same place all that time. Each visit, that plant was on my list to check out. Most often, I would arrive a few hours before he was up and out in the nursery, giving me a chance to visit with Carolyn and Burling a little while as they went about the never ending "to do" list they somehow got done. Then, off to check on all the wonders which drew me back time after time.

That original seedling suffered a number of indignities, with neglect being the most severe. Ralph proudly announced many times he "tests by stress. If we can't kill the rose, YOU shouldn't be able to!" The fall before its introduction, the whole plant was brilliant yellow, as if fashioned from lemon peel. It was as chlorotic and malnourished as you can imagine. Thankfully, he listened that time when I begged him to PLEASE propagate it and do something with it. The following spring, he proudly showed us four inch pots of the rose full of nearly full sized flowers. And, oh what flowers! Full, old fashioned, full of a lovely peach scent with clean, dense, hard foliage in a dark, rich green. The yellow cuttings were struck and he proudly announced every last one of them rooted, 'right down the line'. Studying those beautiful potted roses on the greenhouse bench, I was impressed that THIS was what an English Rose SHOULD be. Back out in the nursery, still talking about all the wonders of the day, that seedling in particular, he asked jiminshermanoaks and I what he should call it. Jim's immediate response was, "Out of the Night", the first poem he'd ever memorized. Ralph, Carolyn and Burling all agreed that it was an elegant enough name for the rose, so Out of the Night it became.

The rose has been clean and free blooming everywhere I've encountered it. I grow it budded on a standard I purchased from Burling while Sequoia still existed. My Out of Yesteryear is a four foot standard, also from the talented, blessed hands of this fine plants person. Both endure the indignities my "garden" throws at them while maintaining their composure and decorum. They aren't "perfect", but what rose is? They ARE tremendously healthier than many of the others of the group and hundreds, if not thousands, of other types of roses in my climate.

You're correct that many, many seedlings are often produced before something of merit comes along. There were many years of rangy, thorny, often diseased climbing seedlings, most of which never flowered, that had to be sorted through, observed, studied until that one flowered. Appropriately, this one he named for his mother, Muriel. There were other Bracteata crosses he didn't breed with, but kept around until he felt they were needed. One was a plant he donated as an exclusive fund raiser for The Huntington. He sent the roses home with me to deliver to them in 2001. Huntington Red Bracteata became the name I placed on it for the sale where we introduced it.

He brought Bracteata into the modern ages and he tamed quite a bit of the beast from it. There is still a very long way to go before we view the plants Ralph "saw" in his mind's eye. Fortunately, he's done the dirty work to get there. Kim

Here is a link that might be useful: Huntington Red Bracteata on HMF

Thanks Kim for your very thoughtful response. While usually quiet on the forum I enjoy reading your responses, especially those surrounding the characters (people) around Sequoia Nursery. You mentioned that his hearing was failing, both times I spoke to him I was calling for Oklahoma and it must have been either before or after hours but he was the only one there. This would have been in the early 90's. We both worked for him to write down my order (the first time was 5 plants of Popcorn and I can't remember the other) and my phone number for someone to call me back. From the catalogs, bookmarkers, and poems included with each order, I picked up little bits about him that made me wish I could have spent a few hours wandering around the rose with all of you. I'll leave the political comments out but from the little bit I picked up I felt certain that his political views and my own were quite different.

Any way, I think rust must really affect roses in your area differently than it does here. Thankfully, it is something I rarely see. It seems like Out of Yesteryear was an important step in the Hybrid Bracteata development. I have really wanted to grow it and have bought it twice. The first time was as soon as it came out but it took our winters hard and after surviving the first it died in the second. When I couldn't resist a second time I ended up with the same result.

Not wanting to give up on the Hybrid Bracteata venture in 2009 I planted Precious Dream and 2010 Golden Buddha. Both have been more winter hardy that Out of Yesteryear. In this sense I think that they are both, as you said, a step toward the roses Ralph imagine in his head. This has encouraged me to think that I should try a few more, such as Out of the Night and I would love to see or get a hold of Huntington Red Bracteata.

What I most appreciate about his life work is that in comparison we are usually far too impatient and not nearly creative enough.

Kim, you wrote above a really beautiful piece about Ralph Moore! It is almost an essay! He must have been quite a character and a fascinating incredible passionate rose breeder. Thanks for bringing him to live again and a little closer to the readers of the Antique Rose Forum!

Christina

Here is a link that might be useful: Organic Garden Dreams

First bloom on 'Precious Dream'. I bought this one on a whim from Rogue Valley Roses and I was shocked how beautiful the bloom and color are.

Meg - how big are the blooms? Is it a miniature in your garden, or larger?

Jackie