S. 'May Night' is the longer bloomer for me (with deadheading, I can get blooms from May-July, and then after being cut back, Sept to Frost). S. 'Caradonna' is pretty much a one-shot bloomer (May).

As far as bloom time goes, you cannot judge timing the first year that you buy them, especially if they are in bloom at purchase, which is often the case. They nearly always bloom earlier in pots in the nursery than in real life. Bloom time can also depend on exact sun/shade. I have identical plants in different parts of my yard and they bloom at different times.

Therefore,I think you won't really know about the precise timing until next year.

I have had MN for awhile and love them, but this year when I saw the gorgeous purple strong stems of Caradonna, I had to get one.

I agree with CMK that when the bloom was finished they don't look as unkempt as MN. But when I did finally cut them down, I couldn't find a second set of buds that MN always has.

Another thing to consider is continuity and cohesiveness in the overall yard. Sometimes having the same plant all around will provide cohesiveness, which is a good thing. But on the other hand,diversity can provide interest and Caradonna will be interesting I suspect.

Bottom line: lots of pro's and con's. You've gotta go with whats most important to you. or flip a coin LOL

If it were me, I would keep the Caradonna's. I'm more into trying everything. lack of cohesiveness is my downfall.

If I were you, I would get May Night instead.

My Caradonnas just bloom too early, and too short. And they just don't rebloom. How I wished I had bought May Night before...

BTW, have you considered catmint to underplant with the roses? It is gorgeous and blue, it blooms for a long time and it adds another texture to that area.

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

Wendy, I do have one Caradonna, and it does bloom earlier than the MN, even a MN right next to it. That was what starting me thinking I had made the wrong choice - watching it bloom and fade before the roses started blooming :(

It seems that overall everyone favors May Night, which is interesting because I *thought* Caradonna was the more "preferred" of the two. Guess that's what I get for thinking.

I had not noticed that Caradonna doesn't rebloom, but now that I think about it, I don't think mine does either.

ostrich, I did consider nepeta as I have several Walker's Low around the yard and love them. The color would actually be beautiful with these roses. But they get so large I think they will be too big for the space. Is there a smaller nepeta than WL?

wendy, I have to laugh about the continuity consideration. Like you, lack of cohesiveness is my downfall, I simply MUST try every new plant I see! I'm getting better though which is why I have so many May Nights scattered around the yard. I have become better about trying to repeat themes and also I am getting better about just using the tried and true plants. Our winters are so harsh (North Dakota) and I have lost so very many plants over the years, that when I find one that survives, I plant it everywhere (May Night!).

I'm going to call and see if the nursery will let me exchange for MN. I think I'd be happier in the long run.

Here is what the roses look like that I'm working with.

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Thanks again, I'll try to get some pictures when it's done.

Ann

Lovely rose!

I have "May Night" - it started blooming in mid/late May, and it is *still* blooming! I have been deadheading, so that obviously prolongs bloom time. Not sure what the flower color of Caradonna is (reddish-purple versus blue-purple), but I do think that the deep bluish-purple would play beautifully with that rose whereas a reddish-purple would not.

-mxk3, I was interested in that too, so a few weeks ago I went out and did a side by side comparison. I plucked out just the flowers. There is only the slightest difference in shades. Caradonna is actually a true purple, a royal purple. May Night is blue tinged. I think it is Caradonna's plum-ish sepals than give the impression of an overall red-purple coloration.

-Ann, that is a beautiful rose. I am sure whatever you end up planting with it will look wonderful. ;-)
CMK

Ann I love that Rose, and if you can grow it in ND, I sure can over here by Grand Forks! What is the name of that one?

I love my May Night Salvia, I have not tried the other one though, so I am no help.

Jenny P

Ok Ignore that question, I see now you named it in the first message!

Jenny P (feeling a bit dumb)

Ann, mine is also a Walker's Low.... it did get big until last year, when the snow plow accidently took the entire thing up!!! This year, it is a lot smaller though still a good size... I guess the snow plow pruned the whole thing for me!!!!!! LOL!

Anyway, I am not sure about a smaller nepeta... maybe someone else may know?

I have a smaller one I thought was Walker's low, it gets only about 12 to 18" tall. Then I have another taller one but for the life of me I can't remember then name! And I have a third one that hasn't bloomed yet, and is about 4' tall now. I would still prefer the May Night Salvia, the blue is brighter, and the plant is not as floppy, messy looking as the catmint.

Jenny P

Cannot speak for may night, but I have 5 caradonna and they are just amazing! I bought them last fall so this is there first year. They started bloom for me in late may and they are still blooming. Obviously not as much as they did when they first started to bloom, but with frequent deadheading my caradonna is still blooming.

Nepeta "Blue Wonder" grows only about 12 - 18 inches high, so short for a catmint. I've had mine in the same spot for eight years now. I've never divided it, it comes back beautifully every year and blooms almost all summer long.

Sorry for the delay getting back to this, work has kept me out of the garden for awhile :( (real work that is)

You all convinced me - I think I was convinced already just needed verification. I bought eight May Night to use instead. I just think I'll be happier with them. I'll take a picture as soon as I get everything planted.

Now what do I do with eight Caradonna????? Sounds like I need a new flowerbed, no?

Yes, it is a lovely rose. We had eight of them and unfortunately had to cut them back underground this spring when we built a dike around our house to protect from spring flooding of the Red River. Big bummer but at the time, better the roses than the house. As it turned out we didn't even need the dike. Ah well, we know now. So we are redoing those beds and decided we loved the rose enough to buy ten new and stay with the same ones.

Jennypat, absolutely they'll grow for you! Are you familiar with the Mordens? They come from Morden, Manitoba and are really the only ones I find reliable here.

We must be neighbors! I live just outside the city limits north of Grand Forks! Are you going on the garden tour this weekend? (or maybe are you ON the garden tour?)

a2z, I'll have to look for Blue Wonder, that sounds perfect for certain places, thanks for mentioning it.

Ann

I have several Caradonna and always get rebloom. The new buds are at the base of the old bud. They form a y with two new blossoms. Some of my plants are on their third bloom. I deadhead my plants throughout the summer. Perhaps you are cutting off the new buds when pruning.

My 3 caradonnas (in their 3rd season) are currently in rebloom for the first time ever. They bloomed earlier than my May Nights as usual, but this season I never got around to cutting them back as I had the first 2 seasons. I was most surprised to see the rebloom, but as Mnwsgal said I may have been cutting off the new buds when pruning.

The Caradonnas look great right now with my burgandy allium sphaerocephalon, Knautia macedonica, and peachy pink daylilies which in their first two seasons bloomed after their initial bloomtime.

Yep we are neighbors! I will be going on the tour on Saturday. I am up by Alvarado, on the MN side of the river. We built our permanent dike in 2000, and boy am I glad we did!

I do have a couple Morden roses already, I can't remember the names, but I have had them for at least 15 years.

Jenny P

I'm resurrecting this thread to apologize to Caradonna. She is currently reblooming in my yard and looks fabulous! I should have taken a picture, but it's raining today. So she bloomed, then May Night bloomed, now MN is almost done and Caradonna is kicking in again. The obvious solution is that we need both in the yard!

Jenny P - wasn't the farm in Tabor spectacular?