"Bourbons Won't Grow in Florida"

Reine Victoria

Reine Victoria

Louise Odier

Coquettes des Blanches

Ever since the early 90s I've heard here in Florida the "truism" that "you can't grow Bourbons in Florida, except for a few varieties on the Fortuniana rootstock, and with routine spraying". But the 5-15 gallon "Water Wise Container Gardens" I invented and now make from discarded plastic buckets and barrels are letting me grow and ENJOY a number of roses, own root and all-organic, that I loved in my own yard in Denver and my landscape clients' gardens, including Bourbons!

Next I try 'Mme. Isaac Perieire' and 'Mme. Piere Oger'. I could have never imagined a few years ago when I fooled around with early prototypes of these Water Wise Container Gardens for FOOD CROPS as a response to Tampa's perennial drought, that they would end up being a total gamechanger for my beloved Old Roses and hence, my breeding work that had ground to a near halt. The drought has been so severe and longstanding that one now sees roses ONLY in the yards of upscale homes with elaborate drip systems for people who can afford the monstrous resulting water bills. So I am PSYCHED!

More to come.....MUCH more to come! John

Rooting Rose Cuttings in a Fish Tank

Aquariums are a common curbside scrounge item, with many perfectly good and non-leaking. I found this big one (30 gallon?) some months back, and am trying it out as a rose cuttings rooting box. There is a few inches on the bottom of a mix of homemade compost and gritty sand from hurricane sand bags, and I have the broad side facing south. Cuttings (some with rooting hormone, some with none) are stuck in, marked with a strip of miniblind, with a horizontal strip of miniblind dividing the groups of cuttings. A long shallow plastic storage tub I dumpster dived over the top keeps out rain and traps humidity. To prevent overheating from excess solar gain, I placed two blue plastic bread trays over the top and laid a tray of sunflower seedlings onto them to hold them down and block more sunlight. It has been "running" a couple weeks ago and so far there are no dead cuttings...same with my inground method I am testing I posted earlier about. I sure my near 10 year curse of no longer being able to root roses easily is cured so I can begin growing and selling my own hybrids and others in 5 gallon Water Wise Containter Gardens as a new perennial income source. Plus when people buy and bury their rose container gardens, they will discover that rose growing in central Florida CAN be easy while using VERY little water since water shortages are now the new norm for this overcrowded state I love and was born in.

'Mme. Antoine Mari' vs. "Pink Cracker Rose"

While I no longer suspect that my 'Mme. Antoine Mari', which I bought from Chamblee's Roses, is the ID for Florida's iconic Mystery Rose "Pink Cracker Rose", due mainly to very differing perfumes, I continue to be struck by their great similarity, including very maroon new growth. Right now my 'Mme. Antoine Mari' is making a BIG springtime candelabra of buds and blooms that looks SO very close to those that a healthy "Pink Cracker Rose" produces in spring on strong basal shoots. The photos are from sundown a few days ago. John

"To believe in something, and not to live it, is dishonest."-- Mahatma Mohandas K. Gandhi - (1869-1948)

We had a nice rain system pass through Tampa throughout the day....lovely effects on my roses. John

Sold to me as La France (but actually 'Marchioness of Londonderry'?)

Teasing Georgia on the Fortuniana rootstock

my hybrid 'Lemon Zen'

I bred this rose under glass in Denver, using pollen from 'Graham Thomas' on a bloom of Rosa moschata. I thus consider it a true archetypal Noisette, a modern counterpart to the first Noisette 'Champney's Pink Cluster' (R. moschata X Old Blush) though the folks at IRARS won't list it as such. This own-root plant has thrived in my Tampa yard for years despite prolonged drought, my scant water use and all-organic growing methods. I am soon mailing cuttings to California rosarian and breeder Kim Rupert to test in his climate. Over the years it has set VERY few OP hips, and I've yet to get one seedling. But it has the cinammon-clove perfume of the Mom, and I love the occasional giant clusters it produces that are bouquets in and of themselves. I am now hopefully rooting my first ever cuttings so I can begin sellling my own hybrids directly vs. the usual $1 per plant royalty. John

http://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/l.php?l=2.40826&tab=1

'General Jacqueminot' own root in Tampa

There is an unfortunate "truism" that Floridians cannot grow the Victorian class of roses called "Hybrid Perpetuals". I am growing several classic HPs here in Tampa in 18 gallon Water Wise Container Gardens I make from discarded plastic detergent barrels. But I am totally psyched today to be seeing and smelling 'General Jacqueminot' (year of introduction, 1853) and gathering its pollen to use in my breeding work. I had not smelled that astonishing perfume since June 2002, my last year in Denver.....what a delight! This first bloom was damaged by a hard freeze and abrasion against a freeze-killed Brazilian hot pepper....it will be fun seeing what the other buds do.

John