No rose is perfect. Earth Song grows as vigorous as a weed, is hardy, is high centered, has citrus fragrance, its color is luminescent, it is floriferous. No rose is perfect, but this one is attractive and has lots of great qualities.

@portlandmysteryrose where did you get your Reine de Violetes? I got mine from HCR and it had thorns for sure... I'm wondering if I have a different rose that some also call RdV.

I got my Marchasa Boccella from ARI about 10 years ago when I ordered all my different Knock Out's. It was own root and I kept it in a 3 gal. pot for an entire year before planting.

It builds on itself every year..

Kininnegga, Your MB is amazingly florerous! So lovely!

Librarian, My Reine des Violettes is on order now from Antique Rose Emporium. It is fescribed at several nurseries as,”almost thornless and thornless.” Maybe if you had a few thorns it is still same rose. Does it look like all photos on internet? It is a spectacular & beautiful rose considered in fragrance ”The Queen of Violets,” in roses!!! Nice sweet fragrance, deep magental-pink-violet blooms! Can grow 4ft-6ft-10ft as a bush or climber ! Velvety blooms & glossy leaves!

@librarian_gardner_8b_pnw

There are different roses going around as Reine des Violettes. The thorned one is similar but is not mauve purple as it ages and, of course, it has thorns. ARE’s RdV is the real deal. Mine came from ARE like yours, @Kittysrosegarden. ”Not RdV” is a really lovely rose, too, Librarian! If you have a place to keep it, I’d try it out to see if you like it.

Carol

Thank you, @portlandmysteryrose. I'll have to remember that and order from ARE next fall, since they only ship to Oregon n January.

It's good to know that my "Not RdV" is still a nice rose worth keeping 😁

Keninnega, your MB is gorgeous!

For years, Errloom sold the wrong rose under the 'Reine des Violettes' name, and if you've ever seen them both, you'd know what an obvious error it was.

To this day Heirloom has not corrected their "Ville de Bruxelles" error - its still the same wrong rose they've had in inventory for decades. Such a shame.

'La Ville de Bruxelles' has a very organized, well-defined flower structure: flat, with a very tidy outer petal arrangement forming a shallow cup, and the "whirl" of fluted petals inside that form a loosely quartered shape. Its unmistakable. What Heirloom sells is not even close. Note also that 'La Ville de Bruxelles' (see photo) has deeply toothed margins on the leaflets. Compare this with the photos of the plant Heirloom is selling and you'll see they have obvious differences.

Now I'm curious to see which RdV will come from High Country in a few weeks, I really hoped to get an authentic one as thornless as possible. It's funny how I always find out important details about a rose just AFTER I've order it.

It seems there are a few strains of Abraham Darby also, my old rose from 9 years ago never approached the ruffled full blooms there are in many pictures. I'm really tempted to have Abe back in my garden again just for the fragrance , it would be fantastic to get the fancier form.

Don't be tempted, berrypie. Diane

LOL :) :)

@paulbarden

I see what you nean with the La Villa de Brissels. Heirloom Roses doesnt seem yo have a rose photo that looks quite the same.as your photo.

i ordered my Reine des Violettes from Antique R Emporium, as Heirloom doesn't sell it anymore. I have looked at lots of photos-do you have an authentic photo of RdV?

Berry, I think High Country has the real RdV.

Thanks Sheila, that made my morning.

I thought Matt being the great rose person he is would have the true RdV.

Four years ago David Austin sent one that was super thorny so I didn't keep it.

I'm still looking for the Perfect Rose fragrance even more than for a ravishing bloom.

I think Rouge Royale has a perfect rose fragrance, for me, at least. Diane

Yippee ! I might get RR if Northland can find a soource this summer.

The photo of High Country Roses’ Reine des Violettes bloom looks right! Carol

I have RDV from High country and don't think its the real one. The one I got looks exactly like Amanda petanaude ( Amanda is from Roses unlimited)I have..the foliage and blooms do not match RDV coloration.

My RDV from HCR is definitely thorny. I didn't let it bloom more than one bloom last year, so we'll see what it gives me this year. It is certainly vigorous own root and the plant looks good. I'll try to take a photo this week. I won't get blooms until May.

HCR: That is so interesting. The bloom photo looks pretty spot on. I wonder if the photo is from HCR’s plant or from another. Carol

RdV from HCR

This is the third try, and will be the last one.

Well , I thought if the leaves smell peppery and a few other factors match, it probably got crossed somewhere along the line.

I want to go back to growing dandelions.

@User

My daughter will come over and blow around the dandelion seeds for you! :-)

ARE has the REAL RdV. I have purchased several from there over the years. All thornless, all mauve-bloomed, all intensely fragrant, all 100% spot on.

Carol

Perfect climbing rose: Eden. Perfect shrub rose: Beverly Eleganz.

Berrypie,

Portland Mystery Rose

I ordered my RdV from Antique Rose Emporium-So shouod becreal RdV! Woohoo! Maybe they still have sone RdV in stock if you order soon?

@Kittysrosegarden

Congratulations, Kitty! That’s wonderful. My ARE RdV plants have all been substantial, healthy and blooming soon after arrival. I hope RdV turns out to be a great fit for your climate and disease pressures! Carol

My RdV is from ARE and has zero thorns. Maggie is off to the right side so any branches with mildew are hers. RdV has always had clean foliage in my mildew prone area.

One more time, Augusta Luise. Diane

Stephanie, That's good news that your RdV has no mildew! Woohoo! Love it!

Diane, Augusta Louise is sensational! Shes on my wish list!

Thank you, Kitty. I hope you give her a try in your wonderful new garden. I think she'll love it. Diane

blue moon is true perfection! citrusy scent and giant blooms! I can't think of a better rose.

Gardening Teenager, so darn good to see you posting. I have missed you.

Your Blue Moon is gorgeous!!

Stephanie - awesome bloomer and I love the color!

Diane - oh my heavens!!! :) :)

Gardening Teen - that really is a lovely plant!!! Wish I could smell that beauty!

I missed all of you guys! I just literally had no roses blooming in the winter so I couldn’t really post anything!

Rose Canadian, that blue moon is my favorite ever, it is so fragrant. One time I got sick and I went outside to clear my head and I went over to smell it. Worst idea ever, it is so sweet i nearly threw up. Even on normal days I have to hold it away from my nose or risk not feeling good for a few seconds! You can smell it from the kitchen windowsill when washing dishes!

I usually pair it with fragrance free roses in a bouquet or it just is too much

Hmmm…if it is that fragrant I think I might need to get Blue Moon!

It’s almost too much. Just be careful. It smells a little fake, people don’t believe I don’t spray them with fragrance when I tell them.

@GardeningTeenager

Welcome back!

Now I have to locate and smell Blue Moon, too! I am SO curious. The color and the name are enchanting! And lavender roses make me swoon.

Carol

https://gardenlandusa.com/shop/product/blue-moon-ht-potted-packaged/

It’s super cheap!

GardeningTeenager - really? Now that sounds like a super strong fragrance for Blue Girl!! Wonderful!!

Blue moon and blue girl are 2 different roses that’s why! Blue girls is not fragrant and is less cold hardy. Blue moon is more hardy and more fragrant

My Blue Girl is VERY fragrant here in NorCal.
Maybe it depends on your location?
Carla in Sac

Blue girl is very fragrant here in my zone 5a & alkaline clay.

Blue Girl is very fragrant here also

Blue Girl is very fragrant in Santa Barbara, CA

Sophies Perpetual is my perfect rose. Disease free, thornless, shapely, open-flowered for the bees, incredibly fragrant and practically always in bloom. Plus she strikes readily from winter cuttings.

@User

I adore your Sophies, and they are stunning in their dragon pots!! I love the way petals of roses with a lot of China heritage darken as they age and produce color gradients.

I’ll bet Jeri admires your Sophies, too. Sophie looks like exactly the kind of gorgeous red-pink China-type rose Jeri frequently posts pics of.

I wonder if Sophie would resist blackspot in my area. My region is a far cry from Australia.

I wish I could smell her. Sophie’s scent must be coming from her Bourbon ancestry. Bourbons got the fragrance for sure! Carol

Adam - your SP really does a pot proud! It's perfectly shaped and the blossoms are bright and happy! :) :)

PS Thank you for providing pollen for the bees, Adam!

I have the La Ville de Bruxelle from heirloom, a fake as people said. Just want to mention it's a nice one, tough and easy, pretty and fragrant, tolerated shade and over watering, takes no skill and efffort. This is why Heirlloom insist on keeping it maybe. It deserves a name, instead of been called an identity thief.