I thought I was the only one who got nostalgic thinking about those old catalogs. Although I didn't start getting them until the eighties, I always think about those scented catalogs and the wonderful world of roses that J&P introduced me to.

Sara-Ann My love of roses started with J&P . I still would love to order "just a couple". I still get their catalogs. I will always be grateful for Jackson and Perkins for my introduction to roses. Now I grow own-root and mostly OGR, but I will always love my first loves Double Delight and Gemini.

lol...I had completely forgotten about the perfume. What an ingenious marketing ploy that was. And does anyone remember being "able" to test their new varieties pre-release? You paid for the unnamed roses based on nothing but a pic. You got three varieties, and after growing them for a year rated them and I think even got to suggest names. I lucked into Love, Honor, Intrigue, and several other well-known/loved roses that way, but the only REAL benefit was that I got them a year or two before the general public did! I still paid full price for them, so that was yet another ingenious marketing ploy. In retrospect I feel like such a sucker...

John

I enjoyed doing the testing. I have a lot of roses that either only got marketed a short time, or became their Rose of the Year, etc. And a few never got marketed but are killer roses. I was hoping they'd bring the test roses back.

Beth, over the years none of the unnamed varieties did well here, long-term. Some were indeed remarkably beautiful roses, some unlike any others I've seen. But they just didn't have "stamina" here in my climate. One in particular I remember was a raspberry/pink blend, with a white edge, that morphed to raspberry and orange with a pink edge. Truly gorgeous with all the colors on the bush at once; the coloring was years ahead of its time. But it started out gangbusters and grew backwards every year after. I think it lasted four years. I was sad to lose it.

John

That's too bad John. Yeah, I had one that ended up only being marketed "Down Under" called ALMOST SUNSET. Was a gorgeous yellow-orange blend. I had it since the early 90s. It died on me last yr. I left the remains in the ground in hopes it might come back. It's got a huge mass of what I can only guess is crown gall that's actually still got life in it. I guess it will never come back from that tho.

Beth, I think you just enabled me. Thanks :-) Melodye

My memory goes back to 1970, just four years after Harry & David bought Jackson & Perkins. You would open the smelly catalog to the first spread which only featured 3 roses with huge pictures. One was Snowfire. Later came Smoky, looking so exotic. This was the very beginning of the J&P dominance of the US rose industry. It was all orchestrated by one marketing genius who loved roses, David Stump.

Melodye, if ALMOST SUNSET is still available, you should try it. It's gorgeous! I was sick when I found out mine had died, after all those yrs....

Beth, one of the listed Aussie growers went out of business during the drought, but the other in SA is still growing it according to their 2015 catalogue. I have an order with them for winter, so will give them a call on Monday. Funnily enough, the order is for early HTs in those colours so will fit well. Melodye

ps. Wish I could send one to you. I hate it when one of the rarities dies and can't be replaced.

I wish you could too Melodye! I'll have to enjoy it vicariously thru your photos from now on!