Wonderful story and beautiful rose. Oh, why do I live in zone 5 :( ?

I love roses with a history behind them - and she's beautiful too!

I've always loved history ... so roses with a tale attached grab me every time.

I've got to find a place for 'Lamarque'. Beautiful. However, from something Dr. Manners mentioned on the JH/WRCT thread, it sounds like some clones are more authentic than others and the "Atmore" clone is regarded as one that is authentic? Are there clones being sold as 'Lamarque' that probably aren't? (Which begs the question: "If they aren't, then what are they?")

Jo -- NOTHING could make me happier than seeing how well this beauty is growing for you.
I knew it was meant for you to have it.

Catspa -- I don't remember that remark from Dr. Manners, but I'll ask him about it.

I think there has been some question as to whether the rose usually sold as 'Lamarque' is in fact 'Lamarque,' . . .

. . . or whether the rose that Vintage sold as "Thomasville Lamarque" is the "real" 'Lamarque'.

If that was what you were referring to -- I cannot speak to that question.

What I KNOW is that the rose we call "Atmore 'Lamarque'" has grown in my area since 1869 -- and that it matches the rose usually sold as 'Lamarque'.

S0 ... I guess what I am saying is that if the rose usually sold as 'Lamarque' is NOT 'Lamarque' -- it must be some other rose that was known prior to 1869.

Jeri, here is what Dr. Manners said:

"As we find the time and labor to do it, it would be super easy to determine with DNA if JH is an offspring of (or otherwise very closely related to) Lamarque. We have Kim's "Atmore Lamarque" which seems to have pretty good documentation for being the real 'Lamarque'."

And, great, another potential mystery...well, there are at least two named varieties of the same lineage ('Lamarque' and 'Jaune Desprez'), why not a few more?

Jeri, or Kim, to my untutored eye, the rose in my garden that Cass told me was 'Lamarque' looks like the Atmore one - here is a pic - what do you think? As I explained in another thread, mine is a rooted cutting of one from my neighbor's garden. There is another bush of it in that garden, which is huge. That house was owned by the same family from at least 1920 until our current neighbors moved in about 10 years ago. The garden has other huge roses which look as though they did not get any care for decades (and they certainly do not from the current owners). I spoke with the elderly man when he was moving out 10 years ago - he said he grew up there, and he remembered my DH's grandfather's fancy large old car (which would have been in the early 1930s). He said his parents' were the ones who planted the roses.

So, I am guessing my rose is a clone of one which grew in that garden for almost 90 years.

Jackie

So beautiful! Love the story and the rose!

Jacquie -- I'm sure Cass was correct, and your rose is also 'Lamarque.'
There are a good number of very old plants of 'Lamarque' -- demonstrating, I think, the toughness of this delicate-looking plant.

Look back to this conversation:
http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/1620004/flores-street-house-eater-san-antonio

to see the "Flores St. HouseEater," a long-lived wonder in San Antonio, TX. (Gone, now, alas -- but certainly not forgotten.)

Jeri, the leaves on your 'Lamarque' remind me of the leaves of a peach tree; long, narrow, pointed and somewhat droopy (although 'droopy' isn't really an elegant enough word, my brain cells aren't supplying me with a better adjective). Lovely!

Virginia

I love hearing the history behind a rose. It is such a prettty rose too.

I thought of 'pendulous', but isn't 'elegantly drooping' quite good? Beautiful rose.

Pensile, maybe? Whatever appellation you go with, it is a gracile beauty.

'Pendulous' and 'pensile' are both good, and so I guess my inelegant wording got the point across, even if it doesn't do justice to the 'gracile beauty' (to borrow a phrase) of the rose pictured.

Thanks,

Virginia

Yes. The foliage is long, narrow, and rather soft. Most importantly, it is clean as a whistle, where I garden.