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lilyfinch

John Davis Rose reviews

Hi everyone ! i stumbled on this rose and thought id ask sbout it . I've always had it in my mind for ideal for a bitter cold zone and maybe not best suited for a zone like mine.

would it thrive in a warm climate ? we dont hsve winters really just cool weather , hardly a frost if any .

i know some kordes really prefer it . i couldn't get madame anissette or kiss me kate to love it here .

thank you !

Comments (12)

  • last month

    Lily, I've had JD for many years. I love it, but I don't expect much from it after the really great Spring flush. You know how much my weather differs from yours, from experience. But even here, it seems to mostly shut down until Fall, when it again produces a smattering of blooms. I grow it as a free-standing shrub, not a climber. I think after all these years it WOULD climb, since it now throws some long canes, but for the first few years it was definitely NOT a climber, lol. Short, nicely dense, very disease resistant (which you don't have to worry about), robust. Very dependable. Oh...the canes are stiff, not very pliable.

    Someone from an even warmer climate might have more info for you. If it blooms at all for you, I don't think you'd be disappointed, because the one good flush I DO get is spectacular.

    Lilyfinch z9a Murrieta Ca thanked fig_insanity Z7b E TN
  • last month

    I have one, it is fine but shuts down in hot weather. If I lived in California I definitely wouldn’t grow it. Here in Minnesota our choices are rather limited for roses of that size.

    Lilyfinch z9a Murrieta Ca thanked Josg Maggsib
  • last month

    Thank you both ! i think ill just admire it in photos and let this one drift away . its not like i have much room for a once bloomer that takes up that much space but it sure looks fantastic in photos !

  • 10 days ago

    I can't answer the question that you initially posted, but I do enjoy opportunities to recommend this rose for those of us in rose challenged climates. I get a good bloom in Spring and a secondary bloom that is definitely more than a smattering in August. It's one of the few roses I've tried that do very well for me here. It's like a much classier version of 'William Baffin', of which I have four or five.

    I'm experimenting with others. The rugosas are reliable onetime bloomers, and I have six of them. Tried Buck rose 'Earth Song' and in 3 years I got six blooms. No more Buck roses. (Surprising, since they were from Iowa.)

    I'm trying a few of the David Austin roses now, and so far I find ones rated for zone 4 do OK, but the ones rated for zone 5 die back almost to the ground each year. 'Bolero' did poorly in ground, but better in a pot. 'Mary Rose' has been doing fine in the ground for four years. 'Silas Marner' and 'James Galway' look promising, but time will tell. I'm excited about trying 'Princess Alexandra of Kent' this spring. Waiting for my bare root now. I'll try it in a pot first.

    My advice for northern gardeners is to plant roses that are rated for at least one zone cooler than the one you are in.

    But I digress....

  • 10 days ago

    Lily,

    Have you seen the newer rose, Rise Up Lilac Days? I mention it because it somehow reminds me of John Davis. Take a look, if you haven't already. I don 't grow John Davis or RULD, so personal experience is absent here.

    Moses.

  • 10 days ago

    Nancy,

    Have you tried Buck's, Quietness? It is tip hardy, no protection here in zone 6b. It's a favorite of mine......got 5 of them. Two are 15+ years old and going full throttle.

    Moses.

  • 10 days ago

    I have John Davis! Love her! I saw blooms in her all season! Gorgeous! Seemed easy to care for.

  • 9 days ago

    From where can 1 buy this rose?

  • 3 days ago

    Moses,

    Thank you for the suggestion. I haven't tried Quietness, but I'll consider it for the future.

  • 2 days ago

    Vapor, High Country Roses has John Davis.

  • 2 days ago

    Thank you Sheila. I don't know how I missed that before. I think they must have been out of stock or maybe it's something they're newly carrying. My Lemon Zen does not seem to be reliably hardy to go over an arbor so I'm trying to find a replacement. I have a nice pompanella that I could move, as well as an Autumn Sunset so I'll just have to think about it.