“ … came across ..”

Did you find it, or did it find you?

Good question, Rifis. I was on Etsy looking for anyone who sells 20# bags of economy mix wild bird seed (I usually buy a steady flow of this economy mix seed for my loft pigeons, patronizing eBay. I've been buying through eBay for years now, but the vendors there are getting scammy these days.). While shopping for the same seeds on Etsy, an ad popped up for Quicksand, which immediately got my attention.

What really got me enthused was the reported bush height in particular. Perhaps Quicksand is a very short hybrid tea for real, doesn't have weak necked blooms,, and if it has black spot resistance (dream on, Moses), I could try it out as a front of border bush, adjunct to my Drifts.

Moses.

Moses, I'm pretty sure I saw Kitty mention Quicksand on the April & Ashley thread awhile ago. I just checked, and A&A do carry it. Probably safer than getting it from an Etsy seller.

Susan to the rescue! Thank you!

What do you think about Quicksand's listed height? Sounds unlikely, no?

While on the subject, do you know of any very short (24"), but large flowered (say 4"), hybrid teas which have strong disease resistance?

I was hoping, some years ago, to use Bolero as a front of border bush, but for me, Bolero was weak necked, and rather disease prone, not being able to fill its place. Drifts are currently doing a good job in the bed's front, but I would like to work in some large flowered roses, ones which stay 18-24" tall.

Moses.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6477042/grace-rose-farm-wherever-i-go-there-you-

I have a potted one from April and Ashley which is struggling a bit right now. It's a 5-6/10 on the blackspot scale, 10 being impervious and from your previous posts, I know this a big deal to you.

If not mistaken, these roses were grown hydroponically. I stopped feeding them in December as I approached the frost date and the roses have taken a turn for the worse.

Moses,

I ordered Quicksand from A&A. I loved her. She’s potted, buried in the ground & being snowed on today. i have een photos of her from gardens and sge does have magnificent big beautiful & lovely colred blooms! I am so excited to see her bloom in soring. if you have FB, you couod see photos of her in people’s gardens. Order her pitted for spring and you will receive a very robust rose.

Cream Veranda is truly a winner for a front yard hedge-growns 2 feet tall, round and has big blooms all season & in fall. Best continous bloomer of all my roses and into fall! No diseases. I have 7 bushes & will take them with me to the PNW. i bought several Cream Verandas from Rogue Valley roses-$20+ each. They came small, but grow great even in our poor rainy humid weather. Best rose for our climate! Big Peachy-pink-cream blooms!

Cream Veranda, mid- Fall 2025

Hardy, and grows well!

(Best disease resistant of all my roses!)

My Quicksand from 2025 is a runty little thing even grafted and has struggled to clear a foot tall. I can't imagine it thriving on own roots and the tan/russet roses tend to be relatively tender things that rely on the graft to be strong in our climate. Mine has blackspotted some in my dry climate which means it's much more likely to be disease prone in your zone.

I agree that Cream Fairy Tale is a much safer bet with clean foliage and a tidy 2' X2' mound. I prefer Floral Fairy Tale with a more apricot color than Cream FT which is...well...cream. Lovely photo of yours in an apricot mood Kitty, but I've never seen mine darker than a manila folder kind of buff. Floral Fairy Tale is the one that is more likely to be that color for me.

Both are clean foliage and very hardy in our winters. Kosmos Fairy Tale and Elegant Fairy Tale are both in the same size range, but mostly cream and not nearly as hardy for me as the other two.

On a similar note, you might consider the "Veranda" series as equally low and disease resistant short bushes at around 2'. I have Blush Veranda which is a similar cream color with a hint of pink. It is more hardy for me than White Veranda, which is...White. Mango Veranda is a lovely vivid coral-orange and my own root bush stays 2' but my grafted one from Palatine is more like 3.5' so beware. Lavender Veranda is a little less hardy but stays a true lavender without pinking out and remains short for me. Roxanne Veranda is a dark red and it can get a little more toward 2.5' high but it stays compact. All of these are vigorous bloomers.

The Morden series of roses are absolutely hardy and pretty disease resistant for me, but not as reliable across other climates perhaps. Morden Blush is the one most likely to stay 2'.

Other low-growing healthy double roses include the following:

Brick House - small dark red blooms on a compact mound of a bush that goes ALL season

First Crush - mostly cream with pink edge/blush, off an on bloomer for me but healthy

Icecap - not as double but a nonstop bloomer in white that's more like 2.5' each way

Rockwall Sesquicentennial - cream little powerhouse of a puff that blooms its heart out, very disease resistant (from Antique Rose Emporium)

Twilight Princess - also from ARE and very double/healthy, a dark purple like Twilight Zone

Double Amber - an apricot Jalbert rose that's very hardy and compact mound of blooms

Melissa Darling is similar Jalbert rose but more of an amber/yellow than apricot

True Love - I know you like the Ping Lim series. They're all supposed to be short, but most of mine have been huge. True Love (dark red) is the only one that has stayed at the 2' range.

Hope that helps!

Cynthia

The A&A photo is dreamy. Quicksand would look lovely on your kitchen counter Moses.

I'm backing off from Quicksand, pun not initially intended! I think Cream Veranda is the rose that meets the need of a v. short, disease free, and relatively large, or larger bloom, than the Drifts' blooms' profiles...all 2" or under.

Thank you all for your insightful remarks...much appreciated.

Moses.

I hope it does well for you. None of the veranda series I have tried seem to be a disease resistant here. Kittys experience with it may be more relevant to your garden than mine.

It does have large blooms on a small plant.

“The flowers are just too short lived, and the scarcity of blooms are too powerful negatives.

If it had a stem suitable for the vase, I might reconsider its future. It is beautiful just at unfurling, and if cut at just the right time, it may have a decent vase life. But alas, stems long enough for cutting do not exist on Cream Veranda.

As WI Rosarian stated, there are just too many other roses to try, to keep hanging onto a rose that has disappointed me as CV has. I have no 'back lot', into which CV can be moved, so out they will come.”

“… scarcity of blooms …”

I think it's been about 10 or so years ago that I tried a Cream Veranda. My experience then was identical to yours today. Yet, I am inclined to give it a second try. Call it wishful thinking, but I know that I have been too hasty in the past in giving the boot to roses which were just about to turn the corner and shine forth.

Right now its either Cream Veranda or True Passion for the spot where I have a nasty shaped red bloomed mini next to an equally nasty shaped bloomed Double Pink Ringo. I'm leaning toward True Love. The two True Loves I have are phenomenal...almost perfect.

Moses.

Moses, Pitt PA, cold W & hot-humid S, z6Original Author

1 hour agolast modified: 33 minutes ago

“I think it's been about 10 or so years ago that I tried a Cream Veranda. My experience then was identical to yours today.”

Moses: I realize you may be saying this tongue in cheek, but if you are not:

It was 8 years ago, and ”identical” is more apt than you realize.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/4855638/cream-veranda-yea-or-nay#n=46

Don’t feel bad; I've been equally guilty.

For the record, again, Cream Veranda is hands down the most prolific rose I have, year after year.

Moses, last spring I tried another CV. My first effort a few years ago was a dud. But this new plant is a winner! It blooms like crazy with such pretty blooms. I have several verandas and really love them all, especially Brilliant Veranda. I am removing my bigger roses for shorter varieties as I get more creaky

Kristine,

Good to see you post....was getting worried!

Is your Cream Veranda own root, and if grafted, onto which root stock?

You have creaks? I have progressed so far beyond creaks, that I have even forgotten what they feel like.

Moses.

Rifis,

Now I am committed to giving Cream Veranda a second go. Do you think that own root will do the job?

Moses.

Yes. I have one, on multiflora from Palatine, and a second OR, which came in a 1 gallon trade pot, 2 or 3 years after the one from Palatine was planted. It took the OR 3 or 4 years to catch up to (to equal) the Palatine one. They’re now indistinguishable, and the Palatine one gets slightly more light.

Moses, I got mine from High Country and I belive it is own root. It was an itty bitty guy but took off and bloomed like crazy.. There was and song growing up “Head Shoulders knees and toes ” who knew that would be the anthem of old age

Thank you, Kristine. Seems like High Country Roses is selling almost all of my short list roses this year. Cream Veranda, Raspberry Cupcake, Forever Amber, Easy Spirit, (that's enough!)....are all in stock at HCR.

You're funny, Kristine! Humor at any age is a precious gift, but especially as we accumulate the years.

Moses.