This rose is not happy in Tampa and I understand why...while it is classified as a China, is it a seedling of 'General Jacqueminot' (1853), a Hybrid Perpetual that THRIVED in my Denver yard but that has died here 3 times and that I have never seen in any Florida rose garden....over the years I've lost 2 rare plants of 'Louis XIV' but today bit the bullet and ordered a third plus one each of 'Oklahoma' and "Secret Garden Musk Climber" from Roses Unlimited. They did not have the Graham Stuart Thomas form of Rosa moschata that over the years has died here 3 times both own root and on R. fortuniana. I persist because I want to breed with both as my 'Gold Blush' was bred under glass in Denver from (Rosa moschata X Abraham Darby). I love the idea of boinking 'Old Blush' with 'Louis XIV' to get more China genes in the mix. I want to boink 'Old Blush' with 'Oklahoma' too for the same reason. I love the sultry garnet purple and amazing scent of 'Louis XIV' and miss it and hope I can get this one to live and thrive.

'Louis XIV' has stunning color and fragrance!

http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.2047&tab=1

A couple of hundred of open-pollinated seeds of 'Seagull' are sown in this mini-Water Wise Container Garden. In years past I got decent germination with no cold stratification, so I'll give it about 6 weeks of outdoor temps, pot up any seedlings that emerge, then put it in a plastic bag in the fridge for 1-2 months for a second wave of seedlings.

Cool old video...that black rose is amazing!

http://www.rosenpfarrer.de/werk.html

I obsessed some more about 'Bobbie James' Rambling Rose this weekend......most of my books say this foundling of Graham Stuart Thomas's from 1961 is a Multiflora...most sites say Wichurana (which I hope is the case as Wichs do well for me in Tampa). MANY references to glossy foliage plus videos showing that make me hopeful as I've never seen a glossy Multiflora. I've been gone from Denver 12 years now and just can't remember how the leaves of my specimen there looked. Twice I thought I found an English nursery that would ship me one...nope. So I will just be content to experiment with the OP hips of Lee Sherman's plant in her VERY eclectic collection of roses in Albuquerque that she is sending me.....if it really is a Wichurana then it is very easy to imagine some of the seedlings being happy in Florida plus possibly worthy in and of themselves without further breeding. But I am still wired to think about crossing either Bobbie or some seedlings with Teas, Chinas and Tea-Noisettes and more.....I can just imagine using pollen from yellows like 'Graham Thomas' or 'Reve d'Or' or 'Alister Stella Gray' or 'Crepuscule'! So much fun to suddenly have a whole new angle to try in my effort to breed Climbers and Ramblers for Florida! A Florida-friendly yellow 'Bobbie James' would be breathtaking!

http://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/l.php?l=2.783&tab=1

My 'Bobbie James' was very happy in my Denver yard as it is in my Albuquerque rose friend Lee Sherman's yard. A while ago I called to ask her if she could mail me 20 of the tiny open pollinated hips for me to experiment with here in Tampa...I thought it'd be a long shot here as I've always thought of it as a multiflora ramber (here in Tampa over the years I've just seen "Seagull' and 'Pink Clouds' do well here). But HMF says it is a hybrid Wichurana, which all do well for me here. I LOVE the hydrangea-like globular clusters and am already fantasizing about crossing any seedlings I get with Teas and Chinas to get remontant Ramblers for Florida! Maybe I'll even just buy a 'Bobbie James'! woo hoo!

http://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/l.php?l=2.783&tab=1

This repeat blooming Rambler is just an open pollinated seedling of 'Blush Noisette' that I selected in 2004. Almost always in bloom, sharp/sweet Multiflora perfume, no bug or disease issues,sets some hips...I've never liked how many blooms don't finish cleanly. But it gets zero care beyond run off from nearby veggie container gardens, so I will train it back up onto the rebar and begin using it as a seed parent along with 'Seagull' and 'Old Blush'. Sometimes opens light pink, other times near white. It is SO reliable I'd be a fool to not breed with it! I especially like the long clusters that form now and then. I will root a few clones to share and grow elsewhere in my yard as breeders. I will be curious to see how it does if actually cared for! Ramblers, once blooming or not, are a very rare sight in Florida.

Small bloom on a small young plant but OH that perfume! One of my earliest Old Rose loves in Denver...nice to have one in a pot here in Tampa! The classic Damasky/OGR scent is very uncommon in central Florida so this is a real treat. I hope to cross it with 'Old Blush'.

http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.2663

Andy Firk since you have been following Luther Burbank's food crop breeding work lately, I want you to see a rose he bred that for years Joyce Demitts and I have felt is a very likely ID for the iconic "Pink Cracker Rose" that in the 70s and 80s was a common sight in Tampa. It is called 'Burbank' but for decades there has been confusion between it and 'Santa Rosa' which came from the same hip from the same cross of (Bon Silene X Hermosa?). When I showed Joyce her first ever "Pink Cracker Rose" she immediately pointed out traits of 'Bon Silene' in it.

http://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/l.php?l=2.40071&tab=1


http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.872