Good repeat in flushes for me after the 3rd year in the ground. A word of advice if you are in a warm zone like me it gets huge and has no disease.

One of my top 5 roses! Great job Paul Barden!

I read that it smells like green apples and I want it lol.

The "green apple" scent is common among roses of Wichurana breeding, especially when the other side has Tea. I'm guessing that something with Damask scent would smother the "green apple" scent, but the lighter scents from Teas allow it to be noticed. 'Mel's Heritage' is derived from Wichurana Rambler crossed with Tea-Noisette -- something that certainly warrants trying again. Paul Barden definitely has a winner with this one.

:-)

~Christopher

Mel's Heritage is an absolutely great rose! Mine gives me a huge flush in spring, then repeats well and regularly over the summer, and then gives me another big (though not as big as spring) flush in the fall. Interestingly, in the fall the individual flowers are larger. The plant is big (a large climber) but very graceful and healthy. I really love this rose. Here's a few pictures from the fall flush:

Mine has been in the ground for close to a year. Growing like mad, but no blooms yet. Lisa

Another group of roses with the apple scent, especially after rainfall, are the eglantines. No relation to the wichuranas that I am aware of (correct me if I am wrong). Roses are closely related to apples, so it is no surprise.

Ooh, I'm jealous at your lovely pictures of Mel's Heritage, Frances. I suspect that your zone 6 is the dividing line of hardiness for Mel's Heritage, since I have been unsuccessful at overwintering it in a typical garden spot in zone 5. Looks like I'll be ordering it again for a protected spot in my zone 6 pocket hoping third time's the charm. I agree that it's a fantastic rose.

Cynthia

Great thread! I've been wanting to try this one and am devouring the feedback. Carol

Three main flushes a year, with the mid-season one being the weakest. Doesn't like cool coastal summers (appreciates heat, like its pollen parent) but is surprisingly winter hardy (to zone 6 and maybe 5 in protected sites). The fresh apple fragrance is a joy, I agree.

A previous discussion with some excellent photos:

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/1626797/mels-heritage

Thank you all. Great thread, trospero. I am excited for my young Mel. Just love any apricot. I have had an idea for a trellis for a long time and am finally constructing it. When complete (very soon) I will post pics.

We've lived here for 17 years. When I stand at my washer and look right, the outer wall of my shop looms in my view through the screened laundry/patio wall. So this is a plan that has been forming for a long time. I can just see those trusses of blooms and those small leaves covering that white wall.

Mine has been sitting in a pot for quite some time waiting on me to decide where to put it and has bloomed quite often in the pot. The blooms are paler than Frances' pics, I'm sure due to intense Florida heat and sunlight --plus, it is in a pot--and less pink and more peachy. That could be my screen, of course.

Trellis supports.Partly installed.That's Mel in the very large pot. Planted in early December. Tomorrow's pic will show cattle panel installed and Mel today. Need to add a couple more of those brackets so the top of the panel does not slant out. Total cost about $40.00 and a little over an hour labor.

What a fantastic idea you have there!!! Can't wait to see it in bloom !

Finished! So... should I cut off those tiny canes that do not reach the wire? Would that force the long ones to grow faster? FYI, those are volunteer jalapenos in the pot with Mel. That's a south facing wall. It will only be in shade during our hottest months.

Every green part feeds the plant. If you want it to grow faster, leave every possible leaf. Allow the smaller growth to do its part to feed the whole. If and when the plant no longer needs them, it will pull resources from them, causing them to discolor and fall. That isn't necessarily something "bad" nor "wrong". It often simply means the plant is finished with that growth.

Mel has buds, fifteen months later!

Looking great! I had some jalapenos live 3 years underneath a Glorie des Rosomanes in Phx lol. Protected in the summer and winter by the rose. Usually the jalapenos were toast by end of summer there, if not before.

Gosh, Jeri - that is a wonderful specimen. Well done!

Yes, it's a beautiful plant, grown and displayed to perfection, but Paul, that's what Mel's Heritage DOES in these parts. Ya done good!

Excellent pictures of an excellent rose! It’s my very favorite out of all my roses. What a wonderful rose! Lisa

Sigh... what a pretty rambler.

Karen -- Maybe too tender, for your area -- but here -- IT REPEATS. Not so heavily as the spring flush, but still . . .

Mine is draped on the ground. I need to get out there and tie it up. I only did about half my regular garden work this winter because of our plan to move, so now that we have decided to stay I am scrambling to make up for it.

I didn't fertilize anything either. I pretty much figured new owners would take everything out anyway, so why bother?

As soon as the rains are over I will have to finish the weeding and then do that. No point in fertilizing the winter weeds.

I want mine to look like Jeri's when it grows up.

Yeah hybrid wichs don’t do well in deep freeze climates. And I already have experienced enough heartbreak with my total failure on large flowered climbers. I’m going to try to stay with hybrid setigeras, multifloras, and the hardier hybrid musks. I may try your namesake though, Jeri, snuggled up against my sheltered east wall.

Yes. It does want to sprawl on the ground. The rose and I argue about that regularly.
Ours lost a cane a couple of months back to due [yet another] careless workman, hired by our [inconsiderate] neighbor. But it will recover.

This is another one I need. It's so pretty!