I won't be able to report back on its hardiness until next year. However, it is a massive vigorous rose with incredibly healthy foliage. Mine is still in a pot and I'll probably pot it again before I plant it in the fall. Wants to bloom all the time. I've been nipping them off so far but I think I will let these next few bloom just to see them. I got mine from Alexander farms 1 gallon for $38. Shipping was $16. This rose didn't mess around. It is also own root so I was doubly impressed with its healthy growth. I am planning on growing this as a climber over an 8' tall arbor. I've researched it fairly extensively and I believe it will be able to grow that tall if allowed. For me even if it has some die back it's so vigorous I see it will Grow back quickly.

@dianela7analabama, Your picks are amazing! I hope This will look as good next year. Unfortunately I think a plant next to it may have RRD so I'm debating if I'll put it in the ground this fall or wait to see what happens with that rose1st.

On a climber, I think the nodding would be an asset in seeing the flower.

On a comical side note (please accept my apology for partially diverting from the main topic).......

On a recent visit to my PCP, a new, extremely friendly nurse who was doing the preliminary stuff: height, weigh in, BP, pulse-oxymeter reading, etc., asked me how tall I was. I responded, "six feet." "You're not six feet!" she exclaimed. "Yes I am!" I quipped. "Get on the scale, and we'll see," she responded. Reading the height gauge it showed that I was 5' 8", 4" shorter than my height on my driver's license. Bear in mind, I haven't driven a car in 14 years, and of course my license information was from nearly 70 years ago. I shrunk 4" over my life, thus far, and only found out about it the other day, so to speak. We both had a good chuckle!

I did get my height checked again later, and sure enough I am 5' 8" tall. Part of my height loss is due to severe stenosis, scoliosis, and the foot crippling effects of CMT Disease. Yet, when I stand, I can maintain an erect posture....well at least for a while.

Now that I am a shorter rose gardener, I should have no difficulty looking up at Peach Melba's blooms as they nod. Peach Melba has essentially become a rose just about custom made to my current height. I would be a fool not to get it. I think Peach Melba will go into Quick Silver's spot.

How many men can claim that they grow a handicap accessible rose?

Moses.

Vapor I hope yours does great! If you have any trouble I would be happy to make you cuttings.

Moses, I love your humor!
Peach Melba is so beautiful in Dianela’s garden that I think I need it too! I haven’t a clue where I’d put it… maybe on that arbor I keep talking of putting at the entrance to my terrace garden?

Go for it, Judi! Think of how well it will grow as seen in Dianela's photos. Alexander Farms as Vapor pointed out, sells it. Perhaps a deep dig will reveal other sellers, too.

Moses.

Do go for it! We all need to compare notes.

Vapor,

Could you please give more info on Alexander Farms? I'm not finding it.

Moses.

My bad. It's actually Alexander nursery. https://alexandernurseries.com. The rose is listed as KORmelpea. It currently says there's a waiting list for a large band but this is what it said when I called and they actually had gallons available. They said I could wait for a band if I wanted it! No thank you. I got the gallon size so I might suggest you email them on their contact information. I also called. They were extremely quick Getting back with me even on a weekend. So perhaps try both.

I don't find that the blooms on Peach Melba particularly droop if it has enough sun and water, and it is ridiculously hardy in my zone 5/6. Tip hardy and among the first to leaf out and take control. It is a massively expansive rose that couldn't conceivably be restrained to a modest 6' space. It wrote the book on Octopus Arms and wants to reach world domination.

I had a personal contest to see which replanted rose would first cover its arch. In my last garden incarnation, Quadra and Sunrise Sunset were the biggest climbers. Technically SS is a ground cover rose but it covers an arch thoroughly. My money was on Quadra as a total thug.

To my surprise, both of them are only halfway up their arches so far this year in their third year. The winner by a long shot at covering an 8' arch is Peach Melba in its second year, no less. It wants to cover a 12' arch and I don't know what to do with the rest of the laterals that are already flapping down the opposite side.

That was in June and you can't see the arch at all now in July. The top laterals keep reaching for the sky in search of more territory to conquer. Peach Melba happily covers BOTH sides of this arch, even though 4 other climbers are supposed to be helping out on the sides: Bathsheba, Polka, Honeymoon, Dream Land.

Bottom line Moses is that if you plant this one, give it something BIG to climb on. When I first planted it I didn't realize it was a climber so I put it in the back of a bed. Big mistake. It sent out massive side canes every way and swamped its neighbors. I'm starting to wonder if the drop in the squirrel population in my yard has anything to do with Peach Melba's appetite.

BTW Moses I can totally relate to you about my height and dramatic loss with age. I used to be 5' 9 3/4" but now can barely squeak 5' 6" in doctor's visits. I had my bone density checked but apparently intensive gardening is one of the best exercises to fight osteoporosis and my bones are in great shape. Just spine compression and a half inch lost to a hip replacement, but I still complain about being short when my husband is 6' 4' and both my young adult son and daughter are over 6'. At least I can make them change the light bulbs in the ceiling for me.

Cynthia

Alexander Nurseries is where I recently got my plant of 'Quietness', Moses (based on your recommendation, and it's doing exceedingly well). The two guys running it are as nice as can be and very responsive. Here is their website, with a "contact" button that brings up their email address: https://alexandernurseries.com/retail-rose-availability-list/.

Oh good grief, Cynthia. Peach Melba will just get too big, period. What high hopes! However, I trust your knowledge. I've been getting away from climbers. Since my biggest and best climber was a venerable Lady Ashe, killed by RRD, I decided to free up the back fence of my one and only rose bed. All climbers have either been evicted or converted to shrubs, struggling to get Quick Silver to understand its new shrub life. It will go if it doesn't comply. Do you know that Quick Silver's foliage fries on hot sunny days here, yet its blooms are cast iron...like the thick plastic fake blooms sold years ago.

Moses.

Cynthia,

You live among giants! Be careful you don't get tripped over!

Moses.

So far I am loving this rose! Here are a couple of pictures from a few weeks ago. What a vigorous healthy rose And blooming already With beautiful blooms. Lovely fruity fragrance.

Gorgeous Vapor! I feel like yours has a lot more petals than mine so far.

Yes. It is very heavily petal, but the initial blooms were similar to yours.

Look at those blooms, Vapor! Just think of how it will take off next year! I counted 12 canes and laterals that I could see on that Peach Melba of yours! 👍

Too bad roses don't come like some breeds of dogs. If Peach Melba was a poodle, you could grow the standard Peach Melba as a climber, and I could grow the miniature version for my 5-6' tall shrub. Toy Peach Melba would also work elsewhere in my garden.

Don't laugh, AI is probably ready with the prototypes as I write.

Moses.

Love that idea Moses! I would do the same with several kordes that love to grow huge.

Mine is too new to comment much on, but I trained the canes horizontally this spring and the laterals were crazy! A very healthy and vigorous rose for me. I look forward to watching it mature here.

Markay,

Did those Peach Melba laterals end in blooms? How long did the laterals get? Did they point upward strongly, or did they cascade? Thanks for your input.

Moses.

@Moses, Pitt PA, cold W & hot-humid S, z6 the laterals were strongly vertical. maybe 4ft or so and ended in blooms. The cane I trained horizontally was at least 8ft in length. This is only its second year and I did not deadhead this spring and let it set hips so rebloom has been light and sporadic.

Moses, I tried to take a pic, but not sure how well you’ll be able to see the structure of it through all the healthy foliage.

Thank you, Markay. I see that Peach Melba is a big boy, indeed! It needs room, and plenty of it.

I hope your Peach Melba exceeds your expectations!

Moses.

This is going in the ground Soon. It is humongous and so tall must be 8 or 9' tall the longest cane. I will try to remember to take a picture of it in its pot and post planting. I wanted it to get as large as possible to before planting it It will not be in the best position Initially. I am going to get another 1 for my garden!

Vaporvac, Peach Melba is a girl, a rose named after a dessert named in honor of Nelly? Melba, an opera singer everyone was nuts about. Going to check out that first name of Melba's. The rose is gorgeous from what I see on this thread. I love those blooms of your rose, Vaporvac, in the photos. Diane

Nellie Melba is the proper spelling. She was an Australian born coloratura soprano who took her name from Melbourne, her birth place. You should see her extensive bio and honors (she's on the Australian one hundred dollar bill) in Wikipedia. The dessert, Peach Melba is made of peaches, raspberry sauce, and vanilla ice cream. I am now hungry. But first on to HMF for more info about this beautiful rose. Diane