Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
ingrid_vc

My Grande Dame is not so grand

Actually I have two, both grafted and bought in 5-gallon pots from a local nursery. It's been some months and they've had plenty of time to settle in. Shouldn't it be bursting with blooms by now or at least have a bud or two? I had one bloom at least a month ago and since then - nothing. One of them does not even have new leaf growth. Needless to say, they have not been neglected. They've been planted in the best soil, watered, composted and mulched. They are a little taller but that's it. Is it me? The only clue is that the one that isn't showing any new growth receives less sun, but that is changing daily as the season advances. Maybe they just need time and, as usual, I'm too impatient.

Comments (9)

  • kingcobbtx7b
    9 years ago

    It depends on when you planted them. Some months? Is that January? They may still be getting established and coming out of the shock of transport and planting. Mine didn't bloom a ton the 1st year we had it as it was getting established, but it has bloomed fairly well since. If they have plenty of sun, then I wouldn't worry about it. BTW, Grande Dame is a fairly new rose, you might get more response in the regular forum and not antique.


  • ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Jannike, I planted it in a very large and deep hole but couldn't amend the entire bed since other roses and plants were already in situ. I wish I'd known this before I put the first rose in the ground about 8 years ago, but it's too late now. Yes, my other roses are almost all putting out new growth, even Rhodologue Jules Gravereaux, which is in even more shade but already has several buds on it.

    Kingcobb, I bought this rose on January 12, but six roses that were own-root in 2-gallon pots that were purchased on January 29 are actively growing and had buds, most of which I've pinched off. However, it may just be that this rose is slower to develop or that it needs more sun than it has at present. Two of the roses that I bought on 1/29, Gruss an Aachen and Pink Gruss an Aachen are in an area of low light and both have already bloomed. I think I'll just adopt a wait-and-see attitude until we're closer to summer and this rose has a longer exposure to the sun. I might try a fish fertilizer solution and see if that helps it along.


  • kingcobbtx7b
    9 years ago

    Once mine got established it bloomed well. Translated it to the new house and it is now 4 ft tall and covered with buds.

  • User
    9 years ago

    I bet we all have a Prima Donna. For me it's Souvenir de St. Anne's which, at the moment, is the only rose without buds and the only rose showing a little blackspot. SdSA is not the most recent rose to have arrived. That would be Louis Philippe which lost all its leaves over the winter but is leafing out and budding up nicely now.

    SdSA kept all its leaves throughout the winter, but didn't do any growing. Yesterday I noticed that it is finally showing some small signs of new growth, so here's hoping that it might end in a few flowers.

    Some roses are really obstinate and ungrateful wretches despite all the time, attention and money we lavish on them.

  • ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    belle, it's really funny but my Souvenir de St. Anne's is trying like crazy to bloom but I keep pinching its buds off. It's only about a foot tall and an own-root but is bound and determined to produce buds. I want it to grow taller and bushier before I let it bloom, especially since it had a lot of dead wood when I bought it and kept producing more dead wood for a while after it was planted. I hope it's gotten over that phase and will turn out to be a decent rose.


  • rosydreams SoCal (10a Sunset 19 HeatZone 8)
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Ingrid, it might well be the light. I have a 4 yr Grand Dame that has a half dozen blooms in Spring, rests and has a half dozen in the fall. I'm in sunset 19, SFvalley, very sunny & hot here. She's in eastern exposure and light, but very bright, shade in the afternoon. The fragrance is heavenly but I thought she was a stingy bloomer. Then my neighbor planted a row of roses in full southern sun, Grand Dame was one of them. Theirs is blooming much better than mine ever did. In it's second year, it was cover in blooms. I couldn't believe how many. I fertilize, mulch and fuss over mine, whereas theirs is maintained by their lawn service, periodically pruned but no fertilizer, etc. It's definitely enjoying the full sun.

    I've been thinking of digging mine up and replanting her. :)

  • nancylee2
    9 years ago

    Mine is now two years planted. In full sun, few blooms this spring, very large ones. It's been a very strange year with really no cold weather to let the roses rest. Next year?

  • lisa hallinan
    9 years ago

    Ingrid, I share your taste in roses, so when you were talking about Grand Dame, I chose to follow your lead and planted 3 months ago. Two have a few new leaves, no growth to speak of. I'm in Sonoma, they are in well amended soil in full sun. I replanted most of that bed at the same time, the other roses are all either budded or in bloom. I guess I will wait and see as well