That is a rose that haunts me for taking it off the list, I thought Eugene de Beauharnais was notorious for being a weakling. I'm glad yours are healthy Jackie, goes to show that a little determined rose can beat the odds. Somewhere I saw a quote " If there is a way, a rose will find it ."

Wonderful work Jackie, great rose. Could you define "DH" for me please, I assume it means "Darling Husband"(HeHeHe)

Yeah I want to know too, my son didn't know what DH stands for, and he knows Everything, just about. i know more about roses than he does.

Dear Husband. Used by lady gardeners to denote husbands who help in the garden!

Jackie

I grew it years ago, and it rusted horribly. I finally gave up.

Kim Rupert insisted that with good strong roots, it wouldn't rust like that. He finally gifted me with a budded plant (on VI Fortuniana) and VOILA! He was right! It's healthy!

Your plants, on ancient roots, don't need that help. Congratulations! It's a beauty.

Jackie, These beautiful photos are so encouraging! I got a baby Eugene from RVR 12/2/15. It is still in a 1 gallon pot. Mine has surprised me with the beauty of it's foliage. It is on the verge of blooming. Thank you for posting!

Sheila's garden. · More Info

Thanks for sharing this, Jackie - it's incredibly useful information. This is one of those deep red roses that we're advised to keep in partial sun for fear of burning the blooms. So it's interesting to read that your plants have done so well in full sun. I've always had a love/hate relationship with this rose because of its weak performance and poor repeat... but maybe it just wants some more sun! I might have to do a little transplanting this weekend...

how would you rate the fragrance ?

4 out of 5. Nice rich scent, great to bury your nose in, but not wafting across the garden strong. Then again, maybe in full sun it would?

Thanks for your opinion John. Fragrance tips the scale for me; when i see a beautiful rose and am compelled to smell it, if it is without scent it is a big disappointment. I have hayfever and don't really like super strong smelling anything, somehow I've gotten fond of rain wet dog .

I've had this rose in my garden for 5 years or so and it is very healthy and about 4 feet tall. The blooms do burn easily in the sun but then I have a very very bright sun here. I love this rose; it blooms constantly. I forgive it's blooms burning so easily because it is a great rose otherwise. Very good scent. I imagine it must like a dry climate.

On root, five gallon can, the plant from which Jeri's was budded, here on the Central California Coast. All last year it was healthy. Give it a couple of inches of rain here and it is black spotted like all get out, but it continues flowering.

So, only husbands who actually help in the garden are honoured with the term of endearment? What about the rest, the poor lost souls? lol lol

This is a rose I wanted to grow in England, but I never got round to it. After seeing these photos I wish I had now.

Nik my DH kept the garden watered for the whole summer last year when I was lying with my broken leg raised. He digs all the big holes for me, prunes the roses that are growing in the trees out of my reach, climbs up to disentangle the Hardenbergia violacea from our neighbour's tangerine tree, scrambles up the steep bank belonging to the village to water and feed Creuscule, which I cheekily planted there. On top of that he does most of the housework, all of the cooking, (I don't even know how too turn the oven on) and much more besides. I think he is much more than my DH. At least a DDDDDDDH.

Daisy ( who knows she is spoiled rotten.)

Don't worry, Nik . My husband is definitely my "DH",even though he has zero interest in gardening and doesn't help me except once every couple years if a job comes along that I literally can't do on my own-for example, moving a 1000-liter capacity water tank. Sometimes I wish I did have help, but on the other hand ,as a woman, I think doing all this stuff on my own has really,really empowered me psychologically and emotionally (my back and knees are another story ,lol!) In spite of his lack of interest in my work, my DH gallantly tolerates all the mud and mess I make,my getting home very late (because there's always so much to do out at my land),and so many other things that it would take too long to list. So mine's a DDDDDDDDDDDDDH at least!!!

But back to Eugene de B. I tried this rose own-root and it was a worthless wimp and weakling. Now, on reading this post,I'm thinking that maybe some day I'll try it again,but grafted...

So if I understand correctly this rose does not like humidity but a dry climate? I thought of trying this rose about 4 years or so ago but didn't because all the comments about it being a weak grower. I was just starting out then to and was more of a newbie then than I am now- Hehe Although I did try other roses that were not supposed to do well here and they did well. I'm just lucky I guess :) Although I have had a couple of sticks in the mud with my adventure :)

In addition to its gorgeous blooms and fragrance, one of the things I like about EdB is that all four of my bushes have really, truly, stayed 2 -4 feet tall. That is remarkable for an old rose in my garden. Our 12 month growing season and warm, dry summers seem to encourage the old roses to get huge. Most of mine get 3-4 times larger than what the sources say they will, but not this one. Nice to have a rose you do not have to allow 8-10 feet of space for!

Jeri, interesting about the rust. I have seen a bit of blackspot on mine occasionally in the Spring if it rains late, but never, ever, rust. We do get rust on my 4 old HTs, so I know it is around. I think you are correct about it needing good roots.

Jackie

Where it's hot and dry, Eugene doesn't black spot, but he will rust like an old iron skillet if water stressed. Where it's hot and damp, or even cooler and damp, he can black spot. Where you get both conditions, both diseases can be issues. I seldom saw mildew on him in the more desert-like climates, but I do see some here in the cooler, damper conditions. Own root, he can and will sucker a little, a lot like own root Grandmother's Hat plants want to. And, like GH, he has a lovely peppery-cedar scent to his sepals and peduncles. With that petal count and proclivities to disease, I think you will find he is one which appreciates a greater amount of and more consistent water. I have been eliminating those roses which won't give up their fungal issues and require greater water. I still have him, if that tells you anything.

O, Kim, my Ed B was instead so pathetic,and it was an own-root! It was always bare of leaves due to bspot,refused to grow,just awful! and I got it from a great nursery, too. Of course, as you may remember, my roses only get supplementary watering in their first season,but this baby just never did jack other than get sick,whereas most of my roses do fine. I have two small G's Hats (grafted) from Bierkreek, and though not fast growers, are doing quite well...

Wait until GH kicks in, Bart! I hope you have a chain saw and someone who likes using it. You've seen Jeri's photos, and those were also with lower water. I think my EdB is as nice as it appears because it is canned so the roots are warmer and the soil "richer" than if it were in the ground. If you could raise the own root wimp in a can until it's large enough to plant, it would likely be happier, but the diseases may well require spraying, as long as they aren't water stress induced. It has nothing to do with how "good" a nursery is. If the plant isn't happy where you want to grow it as its propagated, it won't do jack.

Here's a pic I took a few minutes ago of my original, very very old EdB:

Jackie

Mine grew backwards until it disappeared.

looks good might have to try it size wise as ogrs get big in my area also