She's such a charmer! How old is yours? I have her but she's still a baby.

Really beautiful!! I need to compare your photos to my unknown hybrid musk . Yours looks so pretty!

Very pretty! And that's such a winning colour combo....

Sultry, this is its third summer in the ground, but I also grew it in a pot for a year...and it was received as a large plant from RU to begin with!

I love her soft, creamy color. She's luscious, and look at all those buds! Your garden is just packed and ready to explode, John. Diane

'Penelope' is a sweetheart, but then so are many of her Pemberton sisters. I've puzzled over them for years, but am finally figuring them out--I underpruned mine for a long time, and they suffered for it--and this year have been rewarded with a lot of lovely, fragrant flowers on good plants. I was particularly pleased this morning to see that one of my plants of 'Felicia', which has always been rather starved-looking in my garden, has gotten quite large and is flowering generously. I'd tell you to enjoy your rose, but you already are.

That's beautiful, Carol! I love how the buds open with a peach blush and turn white - always with a bright, golden center. A wonderful rose for pollinators, too!

Just another photo of Penelope as she continues to open...

Oh, she is lovely- I'm glad you posted this follow-up, since I missed this post before.

Melissa, I'm glad you've figured out the key to success with the Pemberton HM's. I only have one of his roses: 'Nur Mahál', and have been eyeing it with some trepidation. We're having a few rainy days (wish I could share with you), but when things dry out a bit, I'll go examine her with my trusty snips in hand.

Thanks,

Virginia

John, it's so exciting watching your Penelope burst into bloom! She looks lovely with her purple (catmint?) companion.

My Penelope is quite yellow this year. Are your buds and young blooms showing any buttery shades? I'll post a couple of photos for comparison. Carol

Hi Carol - I just checked, and mine might be a bit more buttery this year, but nowhere near as much as yours! Here are a couple more shots of mine. Also, yes it is catmint (Walker's Low). It used to be catmint and Stipa tenuissima, but the catmint won that battle!

I do see yellow in yours, but also more apricot. Some of my buds and opening blooms are almost lemon yellow. Two microclimates within the same city? Go figure! Is your Penelope wafting sweet fragrance today like mine is? I opened the side door just as a breeze carried Penelope's scent past the porch. Carol

I actually didn't notice any wafting today, but mine faces East, so maybe the scent had all burned off by the time I took those pictures this afternoon? Speaking of wafting, though... The other day I was working in the back yard, and the scent from Etoile de Hollande was so strong, it was distracting. The backyard is fenced, and it seemed to trap the perfume. I was on the other side of the yard planting dahlias, perennials and a couple roses (Gruss an Coburg and White Gold), and it felt like I was swimming in rose scent. Not a bad way to spend the day!

John, I have fallen in love with Penelope again. It is many years since I grew her, but the memories made me buy her last winter. There is nowhere to plant her, so she has been potted. Watching her open and flower has been a daily love affair.

Lovely photos everyone. Here is my baby plant.

Daisy

John, Carol and Daisy your Penelopes are just beautiful. Even the potted Penelope. It makes think should I be growing this?

Yes, you should! :-). Carol

Yes, I agree with Carol, Anna-Lyssa! It's a wonderful rose. I grow mine in a fairly hot spot in the garden (probably more appropriate for a tea rose) and it does really well with drip irrigation. Of all of the hybrid musks I've grown, Penelope has had the most reliable repeat bloom, a great shrub shape and one of the nicest scents...not to mention the lovely change of color as the buds open. I'm sure it would love your garden!

:) ok! Now to find a perfect spot....... :)

I had to follow up with this shot of Penelope in full flush. The scent is amazing and wafts down the street. However, I noticed that Marie Pavié, though much smaller, actually has a stronger wafting power!

A very smelly little Marie Pavié:

Ahhh! The sweet scent of Marie!! :-) She is such a treasure, isn't she? Do you grow Blush Noisette? It's like Marie Pavie on steroids. Mine is intertwined with Lonicera periclymenum Serotina and the combined fragrance is knock-me-down delicious when a breeze catches the blooms! Carol

Beautiful, Carol! I do grow Blush Noisette - it's in its third year and has just started blooming. Maybe the rain and cooler weather we've been having has kept me from smelling it waft the way Marie and Penelope were when it was warmer. I love the way you're growing it with the honeysuckle. Not only would they smell great together, but the Lonicera gives Blush Noisette a great color boost! Mine is growing next to a catmint and Geranium Roxanne...right next to Radio Times.