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Climbing Caroline Testout, Do You Recommend Her?

18 years ago

Do you grow this rose or have you in the past? It looks

nice, I've seen it around Portland, Oregon. Would this one

be a winner to grow? Help me out with your experience

with this one, re-bloom, disease resistance, etc. Thank's!

Comments (7)

  • 18 years ago

    I don't know about the climbing version, but the bush form appears to be disease-free in Camarillo, Ventura County.

    Jeri

  • 18 years ago

    Vintage Gardens website describes this rose as not excessively vigerous.
    Because I've pampered another rose, that is still languishing, that is not vigerous on its' own roots, I'd look for a cl "Caroline Testout" on rootstock, from a Canadian nursery.
    I like Cl "C.T." because although its' a modern Hybrid Tea, its' bloom form is more globular, as some Hybrid Perpetual roses are. However, three of us were disappointed when none of us could detect any fragrance on a Climbing "Caroline Testout" that grows in our neighborhood. Sometimes fragrance deteriorates in mass produced roses, when a non-fragrant bush is used for propagation. There may well be others of this kind that are very fragrant.
    The Cl "Caroline Testout" that my neighbor grows, is covered with blackspot and rust after July. It may be much healthier in your region. My neighbors "Rio Samba" is a blackspot and rust magnet, but is often described as a healthy rose throughout most of the U.S.. I'm not trying to discourage you from this rose, I'm just giving you information.
    You might post your query on the modern rose forum as well, because its' a Hybrid Tea.

    Luxrosa

  • 18 years ago

    JERI and LUXROSA, thank you for your help on this one.
    It's nice to know the bush does well. I read a little about
    the climbing version having bigger flowers. Thank's for the
    heads up about it being a climbing hybrid tea. It's an old
    one though. You know I'm being very careful about my
    list next year. I'm still not sure about this one.

  • 18 years ago

    In the Sacramento cemetery, Cl CT is quite vigorous enough - almost all of our roses are own-root, so don't know if it would be better grafted. Gorgeous at first flush, but I don't really know how well it reblooms (it's got scattered flower right now). Haven't noticed fragrance. No significant disease.

    HOWEVER - what I do notice, and so does everyone who works on it, are the incredibly large, sharp prickles. This rose is a menace. I kid you not, it reached out and grabbed me today when I was innocently walking by. The canes are rather stiff - we let it grow in an arching mound, since we have lots of room, but we think it would be especially nice fanned against a fence or wall.

    The bush version is just terrific, and seems to work in a variety of climates. Again, I haven't noticed fragrance. There's so much to do in the cemetery that I sometimes don't take time to stop and smell the roses!
    Anita

  • 18 years ago

    It's fragrant in the climbing version. I cut a bloom to take to a presentation that I was giving last night, and it had a very nice, sweet scent. It was a big hit. One of the ladies couldn't stop admiring the bloom, and asked if she could take it home with her.

    I took in a whole bucket of old cemetery roses, and passed them around. It's so fun to have a group of gardeners learn that roses don't have to be modern Hybrid Tea form and fragrance. I came home more buzzed than if I'd spent the evening drinking coffee!
    Anita

  • 18 years ago

    Anita, thank's for telling of your experience with this
    rose. It is great that you are teaching other gardeners
    about different kinds of roses.

  • 18 years ago

    I haven't detected the fragrance in the bush form, outside in the garden. But inside, in a vase, I find a really pleasing, somewhat light "juicyfruit" sort of fragrance.

    I had one in a vase, on a shelf over my computer. It opened slowly, and the stamens still looked fairly fresh three days later when the petals started to fall.

    Jeri

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