Iceberg and Madame Hardy

6 years ago

A man once said, "I'd rather have one bloom of Madame Hardy than a whole field of Iceberg." That's just about what I've got right now! ; ) Personally I love both, they're both wonderful roses and each has their own charm. Iceberg produces gorgeous sprays of pure white blossoms with beautiful golden stamens in the center of each bloom. It has a lovely fragrance, it's sweet and floral but has a hint of spice, kind of like a nasturtium. It's a very prolific bloomer! When it is in full bloom, the bush is so covered in flowers you can hardly see the leaves! The leaves are very glossy and disease-resistant as well. Madame Hardy has the most beautiful, perfectly quartered, pure white blossoms. It has the cutest green button eye in the middle. The perfume is heavenly! It can scent a garden! The leaves are soft and fuzzy and the canes arch gracefully, with a dazzling white blossom at every leaf axil. I would love to know which one is your favorite?

Have a lovely day!

damask_rose : )

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damask_rose_zone9b
Original Author

6 years ago

last modified: 6 years ago

Thank you everyone! Iceberg is probably one of my heaviest bloomers, next to Bill Warriner. I really love the floribunda roses, they produce so many blooms on a compact, nice-looking bush. I ordered Madame Hardy without doing any research, and after reading about the chill hour requirements I got really worried that it wouldn't bloom in my climate. I was waiting on pins and needles until the next spring when it started blooming like crazy. What a relief that was! I've now had it for three years. It blooms a little later than my other roses, but the blooms are worth the wait. These blooms are still slightly pink because they just opened, but when they are fully open they are pure white. Right now Iceberg's big flush is over and Madame Hardy is just starting! : )

Have a nice day everyone!

damask_rose : )

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Comments (21)

ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9
6 years ago
In my climate it would have to be Iceberg because it blooms practically all year here, but for sheer dramatic beauty it would be Mme. Hardy. I'd be afraid to try the latter because my conditions are too warm and dry for it to flourish. Your Iceberg is pretty darn gorgeous too!
damask_rose_zone9b thanked ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9
User
6 years ago
I love all the colorful roses, and am changing my idea of favorite all the time, but Madame Hardy stands alone as simply exquisite .
damask_rose_zone9b thanked User
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joeywyomingzone4
6 years ago
That Iceberg is just amazing all covered in blooms!!
damask_rose_zone9b thanked joeywyomingzone4
bayarea_girl_z10a_ca
6 years ago
Damask, they are both beautiful. It depends on your garden. I think if you have a big garden then plant both, Iceberg for landscaping effect and Madame Hardy for the gorgeous blooms. I like to collect beautiful roses and have a small garden so I'll go with a rose that looks like Madame Hardy but isn't a once bloomer like her. Helen
damask_rose_zone9b thanked bayarea_girl_z10a_ca
oursteelers 8B PNW
6 years ago
I love both. And am very happy I don’t have to choose!
damask_rose_zone9b thanked oursteelers 8B PNW
Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
6 years ago
Me too, oursteelers!
damask_rose_zone9b thanked Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
rosecanadian
6 years ago
Holy Hannah!!! I can't believe how prolific your Iceberg is!!!! I'm not a fan of the huge green pip on Madame Hardy...but I love everything else about it. Those petals are divine!! I don't grow either...but man, they look great!!
damask_rose_zone9b thanked rosecanadian
jacqueline9CA
6 years ago
We had a Madame Hardy bush in our garden when we first moved in. The blooms were magnificent, but we only got 1 or 2 each Spring, and the bush only had one cane, which would die back each Summer, and then one new cane would emerge. I knew nothing about roses, and tried to feed it and take care of it, until I finally read more, and discovered that it needed way more Winter "chill" than we get, and was just not suitable for our climate. I have many once bloomers I love, but they all produce zillions of blooms each Spring, and are healthy. I decided to put Madame Hardy out of its misery finally, and grow roses which are happy in our climate.

Jackie
damask_rose_zone9b thanked jacqueline9CA
rosecanadian
6 years ago
Yeah, that makes sense. :)
RedBird_7a EastTN
6 years ago
I'm taken with the green button of Madame Hardy. Both of these are beautiful and how nice to have both do so well for you!
damask_rose_zone9b thanked RedBird_7a EastTN
rosecanadian
6 years ago
Oooooh!!!! I take it back about not liking the green button!!! Those are stunning!!!! I'm in love!!!
damask_rose_zone9b thanked rosecanadian
titian1 10b Sydney
6 years ago
In my climate (warm, humid summers), Iceberg is a mess. Bs, lanky, bare and with spotted lacklustre blooms.

I have seen Mme Hardy in a Tasmanian garden (much colder), and it was beautiful.
damask_rose_zone9b thanked titian1 10b Sydney
damask_rose_zone9b
Original Author
6 years ago
Thank you so much everyone! I have taken a million more pictures of Madame Hardy now that she is almost in full bloom. Here are a few:

Have a nice day everyone!

damask_rose : )
ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9
6 years ago
It's a stunning rose, damask, what I would call an aristocrat of the rose garden. I hope it gives you a long period of bloom this year.
damask_rose_zone9b thanked ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9
rosecanadian
6 years ago
Oh my sweet goodness!!! That is the whitest of whites!!! The blooms are PACKED with petals...what a rose!!!! Drool!!!
damask_rose_zone9b thanked rosecanadian
SylviaWW 9a Hot dry SoCal
6 years ago
For my money, it would be Madame Hardy all the way. Here in Southern California Iceberg is a landscaping rose, as in growing at drive throughs and in front of tire stores ... it’s also all over the community where I live. In this climate it seems to seldom get big and full — mostly singles, fall quickly, meh overall.

But Mme. H. — now that is scrumptious. iMHO.
damask_rose_zone9b thanked SylviaWW 9a Hot dry SoCal
Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
My Madame Hardy is not blooming yet. Here is Botzaris from RVRs next to Iceberg and Yolande d' Aragon.
damask_rose_zone9b thanked Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
rosecanadian
6 years ago
Sheila - !!! I can't believe how many flowers your MH has!!! What a stellar rose!
damask_rose_zone9b thanked rosecanadian
Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
6 years ago
CC, that is Botzaris I'm afraid. It seems to have many more blooms than my lovely Madame Hardy which is not yet blooming here.
damask_rose_zone9b thanked Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
damask_rose_zone9b
Original Author
6 years ago
Thank you everyone!

Sheila-That Botzaris is stunning! I can't decide whether I like Madame Hardy or Botzaris more!

Have a nice day everyone!

damask_rose : )