still looking for that perfect apricot sunset rose
Walking around my garden today I was noticing how a number of my roses look similar. Some might call it a rut, but I just keep looking for that perfect rose, and I'll keep trying until I find it. Although I like a variety of roses, from singles to fully double, and multiple colors and blends, ultimately what I am looking for is a rose to be in the apricot sunset tones of warm pink to apricot, cup shaped, outer petals fading to near white, sinfully fragrant, vigorous grower in my climate, not damaged by heat/sun/wind/thrips, blooms and reblooms well, grows to manageable size, but not tiny/compact. I don't really care if it has a lot of thorns, or if it wants to take over the world. So in my search, I've purchased a number of similar roses. They are not similar in growth, and only at certain stages are they very similar. None are perfect. Yet.
Abraham Darby was my first love, and he is also my most temperamental. He is susceptible to bud damage from wind, sun, thrips. He doesn't want to grow like he seems to do in other people's yards. I do wish he was a bit more pink. But when he is on, he is ON.
Evelyn is also one that I fell for as soon as I saw her. Also temperamental, and susceptible to bud damage here.
Boscobel has some lovely flowers, but on a very small bush in it's third year is still less than 2 feet tall. But you wouldn't call it a weak shrub. Just short. Flowers smell like cherry candy. Not my favorite.
Princesse Charlene de Monaco opened her first bloom of the season today. Wonderful fragrance. Too orange for my taste, and a very awkward bush.
More on the pink/coral side, and without fading outer petals, but far more reliable so far than Abraham Darby. Grapefruit scent.
Radio Times has that perfect amount of fade to the outer petals and quartered flowers. Intensely sweet fragrance. Not the best rebloomer, and not really apricot sunset.
Comments (10)
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agonoseometer...(7A, SZ10, Albuquerque) thanked Lynn-in-TX-Z8b- Austin Area/Hill Country- 7 years agolast modified: 7 years agonoseometer...(7A, SZ10, Albuquerque) thanked Lynn-in-TX-Z8b- Austin Area/Hill Country
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7 years agoDesertgarden - Dee-lish is the second to last photo. Princesse Charlene de Monaco is the third to last photo. Dee-lish is a very good rose, it's downsides are that the top petals exposed to the sun fade/burn although that may just be the quality of the sun here. 'At Last' looks like it is going to be too orange for what I'm looking for, and the fragrance is described as mild but thanks for the suggestion. I just went to the local rose garden, and most of the roses there look a bit fried already. 'Belle Story' still looking good though.
- 7 years agolast modified: 7 years ago
- 7 years agolast modified: 7 years ago
Wow, BenT, those colors are just glowing.
A few years ago, I was entranced with the following two pictures, and have been looking for these since, but of course as in all pictures, the real life thing may look rather different, especially in this age of Photoshop.
Alexandrine
I guess Abraham Darby is the closest to looking like those photos...sometimes.
7 years agonoseometer...(7A, SZ10, Albuquerque) thanked BenT (NorCal 9B Sunset 14)- 7 years agolast modified: 7 years ago
BenT, The first photo is Alexandrine, but I don't know what the second one is. HoovB suggested that it is Abraham Darby. I've been longing for Colette for some years now, ever since I saw (and smelled) a fabulous one in Santa Fe, but alas, I don't have a place for a climber. I'm keeping an eye out in case a spot opens up though. I also need a place for Nahema. I don't know much about Versigny, it hasn't been on my radar. I've got to check it out. I don't know if it has the cupped form though. Then again, Abe does not have the cupped form in the photos, but he certainly does here in my climate.
BenT (NorCal 9B Sunset 14)