They are just babies in the east bed, but the 7 plants of 'Old Blush' and 1 plant of 'Crepuscule' are giving me exciting ideas of crosses like (Old Blush X Crepuscule), (Crepuscule X Old Blush) plus (Seagull X Old Blush) and (Seagull X Crepuscule). Also planned is (Champney's Pink Cluster X Don Juan) and ('Teasing Georgia X Crepuscule). I love the rich apricot-tangerine color of 'Crepuscule'!

Years ago, before the long term drought and watering restrictions decimated my collection of 170 roses, I had this stunning climber trained across my front entry arbor. I planted a new one today at the base of a long-naked rebar in the east bed now home to 7 plants of 'Old Blush'. I plan on using its pollen on 'Seagull' and 'Old Blush' plus try it as a seed parent pollinated by those two plus "Barfield White Climber" and Rosa laevigata (Cherokee Rose). LOVE the color!

http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.1366&tab=36&qn=7&qc=0

There is a fascinating discussion on Chez Vibert Old Roses Forum (many members in deeply drought stricken California) that makes SO MUCH sense....there seems to be a correlation between a rose's height, and the depth of its roots, and subsequent drought tolerance. The 'Mermaid' that consumed my yard was 45 feet long...would have been that tall if trained straight up...roots going down 45 feet would explain it not being affected by the drought at all. 'Seagull', "Barfield White Climber", 'Francois Juranville' all make 20 foot canes...drought has no affect on them. Wild R. laevigata here in Florida can go 60 feet up long needle pines...do the roots go down 60 feet? Indestructible "Pink Cracker Rose" can be a 10-12 foot pillar...roots go down that far? Fortuniana advocates tout as a virtue its roots being a 3 INCH deep mat at the surface...one with a straight face brags that his hundreds of roses on campus (exempt from the restrictions the rest of us have to abide by) ONLY get 7 gallons per bush PER DAY every day! This also makes me think of towering drought tolerant monsters in Denver like "Mr. Nash", 'Seagull', 'Great Western', 'American Pillar', 'Blaze', 'Dr. Van Fleet', 'New Dawn', "Victorian Memory",' Zephirine Drouhin',' Francis E. Lester', 'Lawrence Johnston'. 'Ghislaine de Feligonde' and more that thrive in that very dry climate. I REALLY this we are onto something and will keep it in mind as I breed drought tolerant roses for Florida.

Veronica Merriman thank you SO much for that surprise package from you that the mail man just brought me! OP rose hips to playfully germinate (I need to look up 'Penny Lane') plus those two sparkly trippy throw pillows you made for my Space Couch in my Gay Trailer Trash On Acid Living Room!

http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.5197

http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.18159

Kim Rupert in California suggests that I "chip bud" desired roses onto rooted growing cuttings of the seemingly indestructible "Barfield White Climber" even though I've always been an "own root" man. Could not hurt to try!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUOmujtzqvg

I am very excited about my decision to begin some serious breeding here using 'Old Blush' as a seed parent plus to playfully germinate open-pollinated seeds as this rose is tough and reliable in Florida. I am steadily formalizing my front yard and had already decided to make the revamp of the east driveway bed be based on linear plantings of red pentas and lavender ruellia. So I've decided to plant all eight plants of 'Old Blush' coming from both Mark Chamblee Roses and The Antique Rose Emporium in a row down the middle of the full length of the bed. This will look great and afford me easy access to each bush.

http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.2166

Today I placed an order with Mark Chamblee Roses, whom I've dealt with happily since the early 1990s both here and in Denver...it includes 7 plants of 'Old Blush' that I will add to the one coming from Mike Shoup and The Antique Rose Emporium. They will be planted in a continuous hedge. Why so many? It is almost as tough as the iconic Mystery Rose of central Florida "Pink Cracker Rose, which is VERY sterile as both Mom and Dad, but is a very abundant hip setter plus more mannerly in growth (PCR can become a 10 foot pillar rose quickly). I will use 'Old Blush' as a seed parent boinked by some modern roses and some OGRs, plus will playfully sprout open pollinated seeds as was done when it first reached Europe from China circa 1752. I ESPECIALLY want to pollinate it with four VERY tough in Florida climbers/ramblers...'Seagull', 'Francois Juranville', "Barfield White Climber" and "Cherokee Rose" (Rosa laevigata). Drought and severe watering restrictions have been the norm in Florida for years, which has made roses even MORE rarely seen in landscapes and has deeply affected my own growing and breeding of roses, including the ethics of water use. I am VERY excited about this decision to add 'Old Blush' to 'Seagull' as my main seed parent!

http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.2166&tab=1

'Mme. Antoine Mari' continues to send out lush new growth after that first ever hard cut back and feedings, a few waterings, plus a few good rain. The west bed she has thrived in for years (she is in a buried 4 gallon Water Wise Container Garden) is next to my neighbor's hot concrete driveway and is close to the asphalt street...she truly IS a drought tolerant Tea Rose!