The Ventura County Rose Society Presents:
The 2009 VCRS
Annual
Rose
Auction
January 10, 2009
11:00 am – 2:00 pm
The Stagecoach Inn Museum
51 South Ventu Park Road
Newbury Park, CA
Introduction
Welcome to the 9th Ventura County Rose Society Rose Auction….
So many things happen at a Rose Auction in prospect that it is hard to comprehend them all. On
one level, this event is a fund-raiser where people compete for the pleasure of acquiring roses while
contributing to a good cause. On a totally different level, it represents sharing the burden of rose
society operations, a kind of economic democracy in action.
On another level entirely, the Auction is an effort at rose preservation and distribution. Many of the
roses offered in this catalog are no longer in general or even special commerce. This sale is one way
to ensure their survival despite a history of rose losses in tough times. ‘Found’ roses are offered
today to secure the existence on an ongoing basis of roses that made it through decades of neglect
and sins of both commission and omission and that have earned the right to be part of the gene
pool of the world of roses.
There is also an educational aspect to this Auction. Trying to attract the attention of bidders and
attendees widens the perspectives of all who work on this project. The solution to the problems of
the rose world is almost always: MORE roses! There is an old judges’ mantra to the effect that you
have to grow the roses to know them. Really, it works the other way, too: You have to know the
roses to grow them. This auction will aid in the latter. But the gospel of the rose is best preached by
the roses themselves. No picture or prose is as charming as the newest rose in the garden
proclaiming its individuality and beauty.
Finally, there is the camaraderie of those working on a labor intensive project like an auction. The
names listed in succeeding pages do not begin to capture the dedication and enjoyment of people
working for a cause that transcends self.
Thank you for reading the catalog.
Thank you for coming to the auction.
Thank you for being a part of it all.
There is more going on than you might think.
Jim Delahanty, Rose Auction Chair
Ventura County Rose Society President
Thank You!
A great number of people work on this auction. The list below is not exhaustive, just indicative.
Dawn-Marie Johnson, Silent Auction Manager
Connie Estes, Hospitality Manager
Ingrid Wapelhorst, Fixed Price Sales Manager
Earl Holst, Cashier
Cindy Mastro, Bid Recorder
Janet Sklar, Publicity
Barbara Osterberg, Rose Storage Champion
Pat Moomey, Reception Desk
Paddy Ruzella, Jill of All Trades
Arden Holst, Liaison with the Stagecoach Inn Museum
Kathy Ayers, Stagecoach Inn Rose Garden Manager
Sue Rosecrans, Stagecoach Inn Rose Garden Manager
Patrick Delahanty, Publisher, Rose Catalog and Ventura Rose
Brenda Freeman, Timekeeper
Jane Delahanty, General Overseer
Penni Tyler, Website Mistress
Kay Abbott, Corresponding Secretary
Lisa Bischel & Annette Davis, Signage
Nell August, Other Bid Recorder.
Silent Auction and Baked Goods: Marion Anderson, Barbara Morse, Jon Anderson, Cathy Trainer,
Peggy Black, Sharon McGahan, Barbara Lang, Pat Moomey, Jane Delahanty, Dawn-Marie Johnson,
Connie Estes, Annette Davis, Linda Bischel, Janet Sklar, Joyce Pierce, Ingrid Wapelhorst, and Cindy
Mastro.
A Special Thank you to VCRS Life Member Bob Martin, Jr for again serving as Auctioneer. There
could not be anyone better.
Another Special Thank you to Paul Barden for donating the naming rights to his Hybrid Musk
Seedling.
We are also grateful to the many companies and individuals who permitted the use of their
photographs:
Ashdown Roses, Nor’East Miniatures, Baldo Villegas, Vintage Gardens, Lisa Bullard, Sharon J. Harris,
Cliff Orent, Eurodesert Roses, Robert Neil Rippetoe, Paul Barden, Jim Delahanty, Dona Martin,
Etienne Bouret (AmiRoses), John Starnes, Jr., Cass Bernstein, Jeri Jennings, Ingrid Wapelhorst,
Susan of Justourpictures, Jan Tolmasoff, Viru Viraraghavan, Vintage Rosery, Jean Marion, Peter
Alonso, Barbara Osterberg, Gregg Lowery, Luanne Wilson, Irene Lindsey, Beth Dewsbery, Jedmar,
Henrique Rodrigues, Bill Grant and Ron Robertson.
Donors & Sources
A Word about Sources and Key to listings
Professional Nurseries
Ashdown Roses (www.ashdownroses.com)
Eurodesert Roses (www.eurodesertroses.com)
Nor’East Miniatures (www.noreast-miniroses.com)
Rogue Valley Roses (www.roguevalleyroses.com)
Roses Unlimited (www.rosesunlimitedownroot.com)
Vintage Gardens (www.vintagegardens.com)
Private Donors
Jim Delahanty
Jeri and Clay Jennings
Cliff Orent
Robert Neil Rippetoe
Hetty Shurtleff
Janet Sklar
Gene Waering
Ingrid Wapelhorst
Connie & Bill Wilkie
Key to Catalog Abbreviations:
* Unavailable from mail order nurseries in North America as of December, 2008
AR Ashdown Roses
CBW Connie & Bill Wilkie
CO Cliff Orent
ER Eurodesert Roses
GW Gene Waering
HS Hetty Shurtleff
IW Ingrid Wapelhorst
JCJ Jeri and Clay Jennings
JD Jim Delahanty
JS Janet Sklar
NE Nor’East Miniatures
RR Robert Neil Rippetoe
RU Roses Unlimited
RV Rogue Valley Roses
VG Vintage Gardens
LCl Large-flowered Climber
HP Hybrid Perpetual
HT Hybrid Tea
Donors & Sources
A Few Words About Sources
Although some of the entries contain personal experiences and opinions, I consulted freely wherever pos-
sible. Two basic resources:
Modern Roses 12 database: Accessible at www.ars.org and the official word of the
American Rose Society on issues of classification.
www.helpmefind.com/roses. A database in the Wikipedia tradition of constant input,
revision and renewal. Eighty thousand pictures boggle the mind and occasionally con-
tradict each other—albeit not for long.
I also badgered friends for information on roses that I knew that they grew or had long time experience
with. Alphabetically:
Paul Barden
Dr. Thomas Cairns
Gregg Lowery
Cliff Orent
Robert Neil Rippetoe
Kim Rupert
Ingrid Wapelhorst
Paul Zimmerman
I even consulted total strangers courtesy of the hmf.com email service, some of whom replied.
Some totally useful websites included:
www.ashdownroses.com
www.vintagegardens.com
www.roguevalleyroses.com
www.everyrose.com
www.rosefiles.com
www.rosesloubert.com
www.eurodesertroses.com
Donors & Sources
A Few Words About Sources
And I consulted various books listed below:
American Rose Society. Ultimate Rose. 2000.
Cairns, Dr. Thomas, Grant, William, & Harkness, P. Botanica’s Roses. 1998.
Crockett, James. Roses. 1975.
Gault, S.M. & Synge, P.M. The Dictionary of Roses in Color. 1971
Harkness, J.L. Roses. 1978.
Harkness, J.L. The World’s Favorite Roses. 1979.
Harkness, Peter. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Roses.1992.
Krussman, Gerd. The Complete Book of Roses. 1981.
Macoboy, Stirling. The Ultimate Rose Book. 1993.
Macoboy, Stirling, ed. Dr. Thomas Cairns, The Ultimate Rose Book. 2007.
Martin, Clair G. 100 English Roses for the American Garden. 1997.
McHoy, Peter. The Ultimate Rose Book. 2001.
Rupert, Kim. A Passion for Roses. 1997.
Quest-Ritson. Climbing Roses of the World. 2003.
Reddell, Rayford. The Rose Bible. 1994.
Sala, Orietta. The World’s Best Roses. 1991.
Schneider, Peter & Dobson, Beverly. Combined Rose List 2008. 2008.
Squire, David with Jane Newdick. The Book of the Rose. 1991.
Although all efforts have been made to be accurate and to represent the roses truthfully, we
cannot assume an infallibility we do not possess.
Jim Delahanty, Editor of the Catalog for the 2009 VCRS Rose Auction.
Shrubs
Auction Roses
1. Aptos. (Doctor Robert Korns). Hybrid Musk. Apricot blend. 1996. Lettunich.
Although the ARS Exhibition Name for this rose is Doctor Robert Korns, it has long been
known as ‘Aptos’ among the group that circulated it early on. The bush sprouts
graceful arching canes up to six to eight feet tall and about half as wide. The blooms
appear in large clusters of small white double blooms with an apricot center that ultimately
infuses the blooms. Bloom habit is vigorous with repeat flushes throughout the season. The
plant appears to be disease free as seems to be the nature of Hybrid Musks in Southern
California. (1-gal, HS)
2. Basye’s Purple Rose. Shrub. Mauve. Basye. 1968. This cross of r.rugosa and
r. foliolosa produces large, two and a half inch, single velvety purple blooms in clusters at
the end of each shoot from the canes. The clusters include golden tipped stamens and a
fruity fragrance as the flowers open one at a time in succession. The five to seven foot bush
has very prickly canes that thicken to stiffness in time with sparse ragged foliage as the
norm. The plant tends to send out shoots so it should be constrained in a container or small
bed unless you would like a thicket of roses and canes suffused with purple red colors. (3-
gal, JD)
3. Bukavu. Hybrid Musk. Deep pink. Lens. 2000. (2). There has been a great deal of
‘buzz’ about this rose recently, only partially fueled by its Gold Medal at Geneva and the
Silver at Courtrai. Fat clusters of two inch blooms of deep pink with a lighter reverse and a
white basal center with prominent stamens nestle in dark green foliage that is highly
disease resistant. One parent is the old polyantha rose ‘Britannia,’ which explains some of
the bloom pattern. The growth pattern exhibits a width and height ranging from three to six
feet, more reminiscent of the pollen parent, the wildly popular in Europe, ‘Rush.’ The name
commemorates a hospital in need of renovation in the Congo (Zaire). (1-gal, ER)
4. Clytemnestra. Hybrid Musk. Orange Pink. 1915. Pemberton. The flowers of this
rose show copper in the bud, open up to a warm orange pink, morph to a chamois color and
appear in small clusters of three to five. The flowers are small, about two inches with about
20 petals, and produce a fragrance variously described as ‘pleasing.’ The bush can be a low
sprawling rose plant about five by five, or a moderate climber up to ten feet tall and six feet
wide. The foliage is dark green, leathery and disease resistant. The individual flowers do not
sustain close inspection, but the overall mass effect is so awesome that it doesn’t matter.
This rose will also take poor soil, shade and benign neglect. (1-gal, VG)
5. Commander Gillette. Shrub. Medium pink. 1965. Bayse. There is a great deal of
controversy about the identity of ‘Commander Gillette,’ ‘Basye’s Thornless,’ ‘Basye’s
Legacy,’ and ’65-626.’ Kim Rupert says that they are all the same rose. What they are is a
thornless rose bush producing single roses of medium pink with a mild fragrance. The
flowers repeat later in the year. The rose will grow up to a height of seven feet in a fairly
columnar pattern. The plant is deciduous and drops its leaves in the fall. The roses
previously attributed to ‘Basye’s Legacy,’—like ‘Lynnie,’ ‘Indian Love Call,’ and ‘Dottie
Louise’—may have to have their parentage re-stated. (5-gal, JD)
Auction Roses
6. Cornelia. Hybrid Musk. Pink-yellow blend. 1925. Pemberton. This hybrid musk
perfumes the air with its heavy scent. Growing to a height of five to ten feet and about half
as wide, the strawberry pink flowers have a flush of yellow in them produced in clusters of
flat, rosette blooms with over forty petals per bloom. The foliage is leathery and dark
bronze on wood with a reddish cast. Larger clusters of bloom can be used
effectively in arrangements. The rose is virtually thornless, tolerates poor soil and needs
pruning to a minimal degree except the usual admonitions regarding dead or damaged
wood. One oddity is that the fall bloom may be the best. (1-gal, JS)
7. Filigree. Shrub. White & White Blend. 2008. McCann. This rose presents soft
white double blooms in clusters that repeat over the course of the season. The blooms are
about the size of a quarter and occasionally suggest the pink of a blush or stippling. The
growth characteristics remind Paul Zimmerman of Ashdown Roses of Fortune’s Five Colored
Rose aka Smith’s Parish from the Bermuda Mystery Roses because the bush grows at a
steady pace in an open and graceful manner, building upon itself and
showing lime green foliage the length and width of the plant. There is no fragrance and the
growth pattern suggests either a China or possibly tea background in the parentage which
is otherwise unknown. The bush will probably top out at somewhere over three feet or
more. (1-gal, AR)
8. *Indian Love Call. Shrub. Medium Pink. 2007. Rupert. (2) This rose surprises
its grower every season of the year. Heavy clusters of saturated pink single blooms blanket
the rose bush to completely cover the medium, semi-glossy green foliage. The bloom lasts
several weeks. In the fall with the advent of cooler weather the undersides of the leaves
turn purple and contrast with the upper green foliage and the red to mahogany canes.
Partner that with cherry tomato sized orange red hips on a plant that at maturity conveys a
fountain effect with the lithe arching canes tipping over with the weight of the hips. The
virtually thornless rose tops out at five to nine feet tall and two to three feet wide. A
spectacular specimen plant that holds interest the entire year. (1-gal, JD)
9. Ivor’s Rose. Shrub. Red blend. 2004. Amanda Beales. This short garden shrub
produces medium red blend roses with a dark pink reverse in an old-fashioned form, very
full at 41 petals, and the clusters can show ten to a spray. The blooms span four inches
across and nestle in green glossy disease resistant foliage on a bush that grows in a
columnar fashion up to three feet tall. The scent is variously described as ‘intense’ or
‘strong.’ And the bush thrives on neglect. The blooms are sometimes referenced as
‘cerise.’ (1-gal, AR)
10. Jeri Jennings. Hybrid Musk. Yellow blend. 2007. Barden. Paul Baden named
this remarkable rose for OGR stalwart rosarian and VCRS member, Jeri Jennings. The rose
is a yellow blend, sometimes showing traces of amber, apricot, yellow, and fading to a
lemon crème. Unusually, the sweet scented fragrance increases as the flower ages in large
clusters of half a dozen or more two-inch blooms. The foliage is medium green and
semi-glossy on a bush that can be either an arching specimen plant of up to 12 feet in
Southern California or four feet in lesser climes. In addition to its other virtues, the rose is
free of powdery mildew and/or rust. It is as if the rose were specifically bred with Southern
California in mind. (3-gal, JD)
Auction Roses
11. *Kordes’ Brillant. Shrub. Orange blend. 1983. Kordes. Markley refers to this rose
as the ‘orange version of Iceberg.’ It is prolific, blooming profusely, and is an orange red
color that sometimes veers toward lobster red; nevertheless, the color is reputed to blend
well with other roses in the garden. The petals are cupped, 35 in number, stiff, and hold
their shape for a long time on the bush in large sprays. Green, glossy foliage covers a bush
that is narrower in its growth to five feet by four feet wide. (1-gal, JD)
12. Lynnie. Shrub. Medium Pink. 2001. Rupert. (2). This is a rose remarkable both
for what it doesn’t do as well as what it does. It doesn’t get black spot, powdery mildew,
or rust. It doesn’t have thorns. It doesn’t grow out of bounds. It does produce saturated
dark pink blooms that fade to hot pink that are semi-double, with six to nine petals
averaging about two inches with cupped, almost flat form. Mostly it blooms in small
clusters of three or four, with semi-glossy, dark green foliage that complements the
arching bushy plant that grows to three feet with a similar width. The uses of this rose in
the garden are various and it is both drought tolerant and heat resistant. Purple shades
appear in the foliage with cooler weather and the plant is deciduous, shedding its leaves
with the approach of winter. In Southern California milder climes it blooms throughout the
year if the weather stays mild. (1-gal, ER)
13. *Malicorne. Shrub. Dark Red. 2004. Delbard. This Delbard rose is not due to
come into the American market until Fall of this year. The three inch dark red and purple
blooms are cupped in form, and borne in free flowering clusters and sprays; the bush is
rarely without a rose. They appear amidst bright bronzy foliage that is glossy and disease
resistant. The bush is compact and mannerly rising to a maximum height of three feet and
slightly less than that in width with a ‘V’ shaped growth pattern. The rose was named for
the village where the Delbard Nursery is located. Ashdown reports that the disease
resistance is outstanding. (1-gal, AR)
14. *Manipur Magic. Hybrid Gigantea. Light Yellow. 2005. Viraraghavan. This rose
is the product of crosses designed to be suitable for tropical and semi-tropical
climates. It grows to twenty feet tall with semi-glossy, light green foliage with small
triangular prickles curving downward. The blooms are a light yellow with an average
diameter of over five inches, borne in small clusters with a moderate to strong Tea
fragrance. The rose becomes a repeat bloomer once it is established in the garden. Robert
Rippetoe of Palms Springs observes that this rose is superior to the famous ‘Marechal Niel’
in vigor, bloom size, and every other basis for comparison. (2-gal, GW)
15. *Paul Ecke, Jr. Shrub. Orange blend. 2004. Carruth. (2) Two years ago we
argued that this Gold Medal winner at the 2005 Rose Hills Trials should be more widely
known and grown. The result was that the rose was removed from the market. The three
inch across single blooms in large clusters are a bright orange with smoky shadows on the
petal edges and deep orange in the reverse. The foliage is deep dark green, semi-glossy
and frames the blooms in a vivid contrast. The growth is about to four feet tall and slightly
less in width. The plant is beautifully disease resistant; it resembles in many ways ‘Hot
Cocoa.’ (5-gal, IW)
Auction Roses
16. Perennial Blue. LCl. Mauve. 2004 Mehring. Most ramblers are once blooming.
However, this series of ‘Perennials,’ (see here and below) has recurrent bloom that can
cover the space of a pillar site to mask the foliage. The blooms appear in large clusters with
semi-double cupped form, in colors ranging from magenta with lilac tones, to purple pink to
pale purple. The foliage is medium sized, glossy and a mid-green color. The bush will zoom
up to eight or ten foot comfortably and is remarkably healthy. The scent is sweet and
musky. (1-gal, AR)
17. Perennial Blush. LCl. Medium pink. 2007. Mehring. Another recurrent rambler in
the series from Mehring. The color here is variously reported as ‘blush pink’ in the United
States and ‘’near white’ in the UK, which may indicate color volatility on the part of the rose
or another of those divisions dictated by virtue of a common language. The
flowers end up white in either case with semi-double shallow cupped blooms borne in large
clusters and glossy medium green foliage. This rose won a Gold Standard Award in the
United Kingdom in 2008, a tribute to its many fine qualities. (1-gal, AR)
18. *Purple Buttons. Shrub. Mauve. 1993. Rupert. (3) This rose is for people who
love ‘Cardinal Hume’ but do not have room for a ten by eighteen foot spreader. ‘Purple
Buttons’ is a seedling of ‘Cardinal Hume’ and it has the same royal purple, the same health
and vigor and the same exotic scent of cinnamon, cloves, and all-spice. The blooms are
fully double, about two inches across with a folded button eye in the middle of the bloom.
The plant rises about two and a half feet above the ground in a symmetrical mounded
shape. The bush prefers dry heat and can withstand 100 degree temperatures if placed in
afternoon shade to prevent sunburn on the canes. (1-gal, 2-gal, 5-gal, JD)
19. *Royal Lavender. LCl. Mauve. 1961. Morey. Quest-Ritson declares this to be a
rose that should be better known. Partially this is because the three inch in diameter lilac
blooms appear first to be cupped and as they mature open up to a rosette form to display
the stamens, almost like a waterlily. The small clusters present a powerful old rose scent.
The foliage is rounded, dark green, leathery, and disease resistant. The bush grows to six
to nine feet tall and probably higher in Southern California. In my Sherman Oaks garden,
the rose is more red than lavender but Kim Rupert assures me that it is the real deal.
(2-gal, JD)
20. Royal Show. Shrub. Medium Red. 1983. Meilland. (2) The buds are tinted
crimson, but the blooms ripen to vermilion in clusters of eight to thirty-nine, are double,
three inches across and with the floribunda form with large, pointed petals. The foliage is
dark green and glossy on a bush that rises to six feet tall at a maximum. The fragrance is
listed as a plantsman’s ‘slight,’ which means none. Quest-Ritson notes that the new
foliage is a ‘rich beetroot.’ He also recommends placing it against a white wall, given the
combination of vivid flowers and unusual foliage. (5-gal, 1-gal, ER)
Auction Roses
21. Scarlet Ripple. Shrub. Red Blend. 2002. Williams. Wydel Nurseries describes this
rose as ‘playful.’ And it is true that the ruffled petals of the pink, dark red and white stripes
with yellow stamens in cupped form and repeated clusters convey an image of cheerfulness
as indicated by the pictures on helpmefind.com. Medium green bushy growth characterizes
this compact and unusual rose plant. (2-gal, RU)
22. *“Secret Garden Musk Climber.” LCl. White. (2) Before 1993. Demits. If you
can only grow one climber in your garden, this is the rose. SGMC blooms twelve months out
of the year in Southern California and can be twisted, bent, pillared, or sent up a gazebo to
twenty feet if so desired. At Descanso Gardens the rose is shorn like a sheep every winter to
confirm to an H-sized entrance to the ‘Child’s Secret Garden’ and it produces masses of
blooms each spring without a moment of sulking or remorse. The three inch blooms in
clusters of three to twelve or more are pure white,single, and surrounded by matte green
foliage of five to seven leaflets. The scent is strong enough to perfume a room; it evokes
cloves, honey, and an undeniable rose remembrance. The necessary and unnecessary
mysteries surrounding this rose make it a poster child for the importance of rose
preservation and distribution. (5-gal, IW) (1-gal, HS)
23. *Super Jane. Hybrid Musk. Pink blend. 2001. Rupert. (3) This rose almost
disappeared in some wasted fields of Wasco, but a plant survived to the surprise of the
breeder and it was named after Jane Delahanty, VP of the VCRS. The rose is a climber up to
ten or twelve feet with a spread of six to ten feet although the rose can be narrowed with
judicious pruning. The one inch lilac pink double roses appear in small to medium clusters of
three to nine and recur throughout the season. The rose is remarkably tolerant of no care,
poor soil, shade, sun, and uses in the garden as a specimen, climber, pillar or landscape.
The foliage is a mid-green with some multiflora background which, in Southern California,
means that sometimes a branch showing chlorosis will appear; the cure is to lop it off. The
rose is generally thornless although it will throw an occasional prickly shoot. (2-gal, JD)
24. *”Vina Banks”. LCl. White. Unknown date. Sherri Berglund. (2) This found rose
is a descendant of the famous Banksia rose class and has a tall, climbing, arching spreading
growth habit. The small two inch cream to white flowers are double and appear in cluster
form. The first flush is humungous with later sporadic appearances in the fall, most likely
dependent upon the weather conditions approximating spring. Banksia roses tend to have
long elliptical matte foliage in light green with a minimum of prickles and strong disease re-
sistance. (5-gal, IW) (1-gal, HS)
25. Wickwar. Shrub. White blend. 1960. Steadman. Until recently, roses from
‘R. soulieana’ were quite rare. One of the earliest and most successful was this cross of
‘R. soulieana’ and R. ‘brunonii.’ The rose inherited the grayish green foliage and, in the
language of plantsmen, the rose is ‘well armed,’ which means that there are plenty of
prickles to spike the unwary. The single white and creamy two inch blooms emerge from
yellow buds to spread a powerful musk scent. The large clusters are only once blooming
although there is a major crop of red berry-like hips in the autumn. The rose bush rises to a
height of eight feet and spreads another five feet across. The disease resistance is as
powerful as would be expected from a cross of two species roses. (1-gal, ER)
Hybrid Teas
Auction Roses
26. *Arkansas. HT. Orange-red. 1980. Weeks. Had the name ‘Paprika’ not been
taken already, it might have sufficed for this rose with what is frequently described as
paprika red orange blooms with more than 48 petals arranged in a near perfect circle
around a pinpoint. The blooms come singly on stems that regularly soar 15 inches or more
on a columnar plant that stretches up five feet or so. The leathery foliage resists disease
totally in Thousand Oaks. The fragrance is mildly spicy. (5-gal, IW)
27. Avon. HT. Dark red. 1961. Morey. Thirty years after its introduction, this rose was
still popular in Australia—to a much greater extent than in America. The dark red four inch
across blooms exude an intense and heavy old rose fragrance consonant with its
parentage of ‘Nocturne’ x ‘Chrysler Imperial,’ both knockout fragrance producers
themselves. The plant grows taller than wider in an upright fashion. 23 petals form a high
centered rose that is considered a good cutting rose. (5-gal, RNR)
28. *Celebrate America. HT. Medium Red. 1991. Evers. (2) This rose is no longer
available in either Europe or the United States. The parentage of this rose is unknown.
The buds are a darker red than the occasional high centered pinpoint bloom of the classic
hybrid tea. The flowers are four to four and a half inches across, with a petal count in the
45 to 55 range. Medium green semi-glossy foliage frames the blooms on a rounded, five
by five foot bush. The stems of this rose can reach two feet in length. However, this is not
a rose bush for the exhibitor; it only reached the Court of Honor once in nearly two
decades. Despite this, it never fails to excite interest in rose celebrations or informal
garden displays. (5-gal, IW)
29. *Graceland. HT. Medium Yellow. 1988. Warriner. Dark green matte foliage
frames large cheery medium yellow blooms borne singly with long stems. The blooms age
to a lighter color at the edges and a looser form at the finish. For Southern California, the
rose has the optimum 30 to 35 petals slightly cupped. The rose was named after the
estate of Elvis Presley, although the popularity of the rose depends more on its persistent
surge of bloom. Although the rose is susceptible to mildew, it remains one of the most
sought-after roses. A winner of the Hague Gold Medal in 1988, the bush grows to about
four and a half feet tall in a columnar fashion. (1-gal, HS)
30. *Irene Churruca. HT. Light Yellow. 1934. La Florida. One synonym for this rose
is ‘Golden Melody,’ a tribute to the intense honeyed scent associated with the rose, which
starts out with pointed yellow buds and evolves into light buff blooms fading towards a
cream color. The form is classic hybrid tea with a high center and a symmetrical face. The
bush does not grow more than two and a half feet high, featuring dark green semi-glossy
foliage with bronze tints and purplish stems. The rose needs to be monitored for a
susceptibility to mildew in early spring. This is an interesting combination of the buff
colors from the tea family and the introduction of ‘Persian Yellow’ through ‘Souvenir de
Claudius Pernet.’ (5-gal, RU)
Auction Roses
31. *Kalahari. HT. Orange-pink. 1971. McGredy. This orange-pink rose resulted from
a cross involving two bright red climbers to yield four inch across blooms of 25 petals
showing classic high pointed form. The foliage is dark and glossy on a plant that rises to
three feet tall by two feet wide. The fragrance is mild and unassuming. Stirling Macoboy
accounted it to be a good rose for the garden, ‘free blooming and healthy.’ (5-gal, JD)
32. *Kuroshinju. HT. Dark Red. 1988. Suzuki. ‘Kuroshinju’ means Black Pearl. But
the name does not encompass the velvety texture of the 25 petals, or the dark noble
sense of deep black red in the buds and bloom, or the exquisite form of the high pointed
center and swirl of concentric petals formation. Were this rose just a little larger in
diameter, it would be a killer exhibition rose. As it is, the rose just adorns the garden with
a spectacular display of singly borne blooms on long stems amidst dark green foliage with
reddish bronze tints to a height of five feet with a columnar growth pattern. (3-gal, JD)
33. La Jolla. Hybrid Tea. Pink Blend. 1954. Swim. This rose was a sensation when it
was introduced a half century ago because it blended shades of pink, yellow, cream, gold
and dark pink veining without being garish. Long, pointed buds morphed into five inch
across blooms that darkened to red as they opened to reveal the golden stamens, outer
petals quilling so as to accommodate 65 petals. The glossy, dark green foliage appeared
on an upright bush of some five feet tall and four feet wide. Stirling Macoboy
recommended this rose for a hot, dry climate. (2-gal, RU)
34. Lady Forteviot, Cl. ClHT, Yellow Blend. 1935. Howard. The blooms surprise
with a conical form even after the petals open completely as the inner face of the petals
displays a startling orange with a bright canary yellow at the base of the petals and the
reverse shows a paler apricot color. The semi-double petals are intensely and sweetly
scented. The bronze glossy foliage decorates a climber that soars over twenty feet tall; the
canes are as prickly as they are vigorous. An Angeleno decorator recommends combining
it with a persimmon tree for complementary effects. (2-gal, VG)
35. *Lorenzo Pahissa. HT. Orange pink. 1941. Pahissa. Quest-Ritson wrote of this
rose that ‘at its best, no rose can match the ethereal loveliness of ‘Lorenzo Pahissa.’ The
blooms of pale pink, buff orange and coral are quite large up to six inches across in the
classic spiral tradition, blooming from mid-spring through the fall on a bush that reaches
up to six feet as a standing specimen or to twelve feet as a climber with support. The
Spanish rose won a Gold Medal at the Bagatelle in its year of introduction. There is sharp
dispute as to whether the fragrance is strong and intense or sadly insignificant. (2-gal,
GW)
Auction Roses
36. “Louise Avenue.” HT. White. 2000. Unknown. This HT is a rarity—one that
resists successfully the scourges of black spot, powdery mildew and rust and does it in
the Los Angeles area. Discovered in 2000 by Mary Louise Harrington at a 1920’s ranch
house in the Granada Hills area, the rose triumphs over lack of water, lack of fertilizer and
lack of spraying. The blooms are mostly singly borne with good stems with light green
matte foliage. The rose bush will soar to seven feet and half again as wide with care. The
blooms of white, white blend and cream carry a strong citrus scent and span five inches
cross. The forty-one petals arrange themselves in an old fashioned rosette form that
suggests that it might be a superior clone of ‘Snowbird.’ In the formative years of the
Pacific Rose Society, two heavyweights loudly disputed whether the best HT white rose
was ‘Snowbird’ or ‘White Ensign.’ The latter is the alternate identification of this rose. (2-
gal, JD)
37. Mrs. Lovell Swisher. HT. Pink blend. 1926. Howard. (2) An unheralded gem in
Southern California. The buds are pointed and elegant, and the large five inch across
salmon-pink to copper blooms with peach edges to the petals present the classic hybrid
tea form with seventeen to twenty-five symmetrically arranged petals. There is a strong
tea fragrance. Occasionally, the blooms achieve a nodding effect by the weight of singly
born flowers on the lithe and arching canes although the bush rarely achieves more than
four feet in height. The disease resistance for such an early Pernetiana entry is
remarkable, and the rose is acclaimed for its disease resistance to mildew and rust in the
moister climes of Portland, Oregon. There is a story that the young trophy wife of a
Southland businessman eloped with the chauffer, but the Swisher family heatedly denies
this story and asserts that the couple remained happily married until the death of Lovell
Swisher in 1980. The merit of the rose is unaffected thereby. (2-gal, RU) (1-gal, VG)
38. *Orchid Masterpiece. HT. Mauve. 1960. Boerner. Vintage Gardens says of this
rose that it ‘is of a perfection that can be astonishing.’ One of the early mauve roses out
of ‘Grey Pearl,’ it is essential that this rose not be allowed to dry out or it will refuse to
grow. The blooms are large, with 68 petals crowding in a quartered fully double form with
shades of lavender, mauve, brown, grey and orchid. The fragrance is reported to be both
strong and fruity. The foliage is deep green, dark, and leathery. Probably not a rose to be
grown at the coast, but it reaches up to eight or nine feet in the desert. (5-gal, CO)
39. Smoky. HT. Red Blend. 1968. Combe. (3) This rose fell out of popularity and was
unobtainable about the turn of the century; however half dozen nurseries carry this unusual rose
with nearly indescribable colors. The color images range from tan to oxblood to burgundy to
smoke-deep-plum-red coffee colored. Kim Rupert notes that the rose acquires a bloom like
grapes near the end of its blossom time. Vintage Gardens notes it is suitable in a bouquet to
match with Julia’s Rose and other ‘coffee’ colored blooms. The roses are three and a half to four
inches across with two dozen petals and a flat form. The bush is compact—three feet by two
feet—and the foliage is medium green and leathery. The fragrance is licorice, not entirely rare in
roses, but unusual. (1-gal, VG) (3-gal, 1-gal, JD)
Auction Roses
40. Snowbird. HT. White. 1936. Hatton. In the founding years of the Pacific Rose Society,
the society split over whether this rose or ‘White Ensign’ would be the rose for the ages. Both
roses survive in the commercial marketplace after seven decades, so the quarrel was not totally
incomprehensible. What is odd is that this rose should be so well suited to Southern California
although it is a descendant of ‘Frau Karl Druschki,’ arguably the best white rose of them all. The
rose presents long white pointed buds that open to three inch white blooms with cream centers,
very double, in an old fashioned form. There is a sweet and intense fragrance that accompanies
blooms borne singly in the midst of mid-green foliage on a bush that stays at a compact three
feet tall by two feet wide. Some argue that “Louise Avenue” is a better more vigorous clone of
‘Snowbird;’ others favor ‘White Ensign;’ it is good to know that not much has changed in that
regard in the last 75 years. (2-gal, JD)
41. *Sunny June. HT. Medium Yellow. 1952. Lammerts. Botanica’s Roses regards this
rose as one of the most reliable repeat bloomers among the yellow roses. The blooms are canary
yellow, single, three and a half inches across, relatively flat in form, and carried in large clusters
on a bush that can be treated either as a ten foot climber or an eight foot pillar or shrub. The
rose grows to six feet in width and possesses a strong spicy scent. The foliage is dark green and
glossy and highly disease resistant to all of the major diseases except where the climate is too
rainy. The chief distinction about the plant is the presence of red to apricot stamens in the middle
of the opened petals. The blooms do not withstand high triple digit heat and bloom quickly in the
desert. The blooms also have the quirky habit of closing up for the night. (1-gal, JD)
42. *Sunny South. HT. Pink blend. 1918. Clark. (2) This rose is sometimes cited as the
Australian counterpart to ‘Queen Elizabeth.’ The blooms are big, blowsy, soft pink and peach with
carmine flushes and a yellow base, cupped but semi-double in form. There is a strong fragrance
on a vigorous bush that rises to seven feet but with a narrow columnar growth habit. Sometimes
the stems can be three feet long according to Macoboy. The foliage is a large, mid-green and
semi-glossy. It was once used extensively as a tall hedge rose. There is Rosa gigantean in the
distant background of this rose that needs very little care in Southern California. (1-gal, JD)
43. *Tantarra. HT. Russet. 1996. Gardner. This is one of the ‘coffee’ colored roses written
about by Kim Rupert in A Passion for Roses. Therein he describes the colors as ‘slightly fragrant,
creamy-tan-mahogany blooms.’ The four inch blooms come mostly one to a stem although there
are occasional sprays of three. The bush barely rises to two and half feet tall with a lesser width.
The foliage is matte, dark blue-green and the whole ambience is enhanced in cooler weather or
light shade from the western sun. Vintage Gardens refers to the colors of this rose as
‘haunting.’ (5-gal, IW)
Floribundas
Auction Roses
44. Ava Rose. Yellow blend. 2007. McCann. (2) The rose is a seedling of ‘Playboy;’
this fact might send out warning signals to Southern California gardeners who know
‘Playboy’ as a rust bucket. However, in Sherman Oaks, this rose has grown for three years
without a trace of rust on it. The three inch blooms appear singly, but mostly in clusters of
three or more, with a tendency to morph from yellow or gold buds to a semi-double rose
suffused with pink and culminate in white. The frequency of bloom makes it appear that
there are several different roses on the one bush which arches about 3 to 5 feet in all
directions. Except for shaping and deadheading, the bush seems never to need pruning.
(3-gal, 5-gal, JD)
45. Black Ice. Dark red. 1971. Gandy. (2) It is hard to believe that this dark—almost
black—red rose was bred from the omnipresent ‘Iceberg.’ The buds are a tight curl of dark
red, lightening slightly as they open to 24 petals of open face blooms with golden stamens
of some size. The bush presents columnar upright growth with glossy dark foliage and the
blooms come one to a stem. There is a slight fragrance in the morning, but it dissipates
by noontime. The bush is compact, growing to about four feet and about half as wide.
Botanica’s Roses suggests that the plant is grown more as a curiosity than for any
horticultural excellence, but that comment ignores the vigor of the plant and the ease with
which it is grown. ( 5-gal, 1-gal, JD)
46. *Cimarosa. Floribunda. Orange pink. 1989. Lens. (2) This small three foot tall
and wide bush features three inch orange pink roses in small clusters. The blooms are
crowded with nearly a hundred petals in the form of an old fashioned rose. There is an
intense fruity fragrance representing its tea and foetida heritage. The colors on each
bloom range from coral orange at the center to outer petals of coral then pink, opening to
reveal a small green button center. Mid-green glossy foliage clothes a bushy and vigorous
plant. (5-gal, IW)
47. *Ma Bell. Orange blend. Unknown. Hillman. This odd rose comes with very
little information except that it was hybridized by Bill Hillman, a late exhibitor and judge in
the Pacific Southwest District, who never registered it. The parentage includes
‘Orangeade,’ but is otherwise unknown. The rose blooms singly or in small clusters in a
semi-double form with petals of vermillion with a center of yellow. With age the petals
take on a smudged look as if eyeliner had been brushed on the edges with a careless
finger. There is no scent and the foliage is a mid-green in leaflets of seven oblate and
faintly serrated edges. The bush grows to about three feet by two feet. The main flaw in
the plant is a thorough-going susceptibility to powdery mildew in spring. Occasionally, the
petals freeze into an upright cupped form. There are very prominent stipules suggesting a
multiflora heritage, and the prickles are tan and red but not overly acute. (5-gal, JD)
48. *Vintage Visalia. Medium Pink. 1992. Moore. Ralph Moore did create roses
other than Miniatures and ‘Vintage Visalia’ is one of his low-growing roses, under two and
a half feet tall. The flowers are in an old-fashioned form with pink blooms of variant
shades on the inside and reverse. The flowers grow one to a stem among medium green,
semi-glossy foliage that resists mildew, rust, and black spot. The rose is reputed to be
exceptionally good as a cut rose. (5-gal, JS)
Minis
Auction Roses
49. *Baby Jane Clare. Miniature. Deep pink. 2007. Moore. This micro-miniature
rose was the object of the ‘naming rights’ auction two years ago in January, 2007. The
rose is a root sport of a seedling of the miniature rose, ‘Sequoia Ruby.’ The flowers are
about a half-inch across in a shade of deep pink that can occasionally appear as a light red,
mostly singly borne. The foliage is perfectly disease free, small, mid-green,
semi-glossy and free of prickles. Especially suitable for containers, the growth eventually
reaches six to ten inches in height. In its mature form, the canes shoot off in several
directions forming pyramids of mid-green studded with deep pink blooms, not unlike a
plump cactus. (1-gal, JD)
50. *Lavender Spoon. Miniature. Mauve. 1994. Spooner. (3) ‘Lavender Spoon’ was
one of Ray Spooner’s last roses and one he was most proud of. This rose is one of the
most beautiful of all of the single roses with a clear lavender color that is constant from
center to the edge, bright yellow stiff stamens and clusters of from three to seven. The
foliage is dark green, semi-glossy and small. Own root the plant does not grow more than
a little over a foot. A few years ago an order was placed with Sequoia to create a half
dozen of these roses as two foot standards. Burling Leong used ‘Pink Clouds’ to produce
more vigorous and more floriferous plants with slightly bigger blooms. There are only three
of these plants left. They are excellent patio plants and attract both butterflies and
attention. (2-gal standards, JD)
51. *Mini Wings. Miniature. Red Blend. 1984. Hitoshi. (2) This rose has synonyms
like ‘Ayanishiki’ and ‘Little Star,’ the latter the name under which it was introduced into
commerce a quarter of a century ago. The blooms are small, about an inch in diameter
with a cupped shallow to flat bloom form mostly semi-double. The centers are an ivory
cream color and there is a tiny 1/16th of an inch edging to the petals that is a pomegranate
red. The colors are enhanced by bright yellow stamens. For the most part, the bush is
small and the foliage dense, dark green and semi-glossy. (1-gal, JD)
52. *Petite Perle d’OR. Miniature. Orange blend. 2007. Rippetoe. This cross of
‘Perle d’Or’ and ‘Cinderella’ yielded the best of both parents. The plant is one foot in height
with small mid-green semi-glossy foliage and virtually no prickles. The growth pattern is
busy, dense and twiggy. The flowers are a wonderful mélange of apricot, cream, and coral
blooms with a three quarter inch diameter borne in moderate clusters that increase in
number with age. The tea fragrance is even present in the bud stage. Would qualify for a
show class of micro-miniatures. (1-gal, HS)
53. Smiling Jean. Mini-Flora. Medium Pink. 2008. McCann. ‘Smiling Jean’
produces semi-double pink blooms with a coral tint toward the center of the petals. The
glossy foliage acts as a particularly fine background for this medium sized plant which
grows to something under three feet. Ashdown notes that the rose is eminently suited to a
container setting or a low-growing hedge. The rose is named after the mother-in-law of
Trish Walsh, the Office Manger at Ashdown Roses. (1-gal, AR)
Old Garden Roses
Auction Roses
54. *“Benny Lopez”. Damask Perpetual. Dark pink. 2005. Wapelhorst. (2) This
“found” rose has long established links with Southern California. The eponymously named
rose was first discovered in the 1960’s. It was re-discovered by VCRS Member Ingrid
Wapelhorst in 2005. Because the rose was re-discovered on a standard, it is not totally
clear what the growth habits of the own-root plants will be, although a shrub with arching
five foot canes seems right. The blooms are deep pink with a subtext of purple, but the
colors change with the weather ranging from hot pink in summer to purple-tinged red in
winter. The blooms have more than forty petals that darken toward the center of the
button-eye, and an old fashioned quartered rose form. The fragrance is intense and
captivating. The foliage has five to seven leaflets, semi-glossy and dark green. The blooms
must be deadheaded to encourage remontancy. With or without fertilizer, the rose will
bloom twelve months of the year. (5-gal, IW)
55. Celine Forestier. Noisette. Light Yellow. 1842. Trouillard. The ARS garden
rating for this rose is 8.7. The bush can range in size from six to eight feet (or more) tall
with a width of about four feet. Dark, glossy foliage frames light yellow blooms darkening
from the center with flushes of pink; the blooms are quartered in small clusters with
cupped or flat form, sometimes with a green button eye. The rose can withstand poor soil,
and being in containers, but prefers mild winters. There is a conflict of authority as to the
breeder and the year of introduction with some believing that the rose should be
attributed to Leroy in 1858; the rose doesn’t care. (1-gal, VG)
56. Duchess de Brabant. Tea. Light pink. 1857. Barnede. The popularity of this
pearl-pink tea rose spread over three continents, at least partially because of the fact the
President Theodore Roosevelt declared it to be his pet rose and wore it on his lapel
frequently. The two to three inch across cupped blooms are shaped like tulips on a plant
that grows four feet or higher in warm climates. The foliage is small, tidy, glossy and
mid-green. Despite the fact that the rose may get spring mildew, it is listed as one of the
premier Earthkind™ roses. (1-gal, JS)
57. Dupuy Jamain. HP. Medium Red. 1868. Jamain. The colors of this rose vary
from red to cherry to cerise despite its official classification as a medium red. At other
times it appears to have strong violet overtones and it certainly shows more color and
intense blooms in the fall. The scent is difficult to classify as well, although most
authorities agree that it is extremely fragrant; the scent reminds some of the early China
roses, but others think it presents itself as a variant on old port wine. The growth habit is
columnar, with individual stiff straight stems and canes reaching up to seven feet in
Southern California. Gray-green foliage can display a little chlorosis in the alkaline soil
here. Sometimes borne singly, the blooms can cluster together in a tight pattern that
almost forces removal of the central spray in order to ease the congestion of bloom.
Adaptable to poor soils and shade, the rose is a tough survivor. (5-gal, JD)
Auction Roses
58. *“Forest Ranch Pom-Pom.” HP. Mauve. This “found” rose was discovered by
Sherri Berglund on a site in Northern California near Chico; the site was associated with an
early California pioneer and plantsman, General John Bidwell. But the rose does not need
historical associations to justify its existence. It seems to be that rare creature, a HP rose
that does NOT mildew and rust in Southern California. The blooms are above average in
size, being three and a half inches across, fully double with a flat, quartered form. The
foliage is semi-glossy and dark green on a bush which will reach from three to six feet in
height. The growth habit includes a repeat in the fall, but also some repeat in the summer
as well, indicating a tolerance for heat unusual in the classification. And the scent is
typically damask, sensuous and lingering in the memory. (5-gal, JD)
59. *“Garberville HP.” HP. Mauve blend. This ‘found’ rose was discovered by
Jay Williams near Garberville, Ca., an unincorporated town about 200 miles north of San
Francisco. The purple blooms of this rose rival those of ‘Reine des Violettes’ in intensity and
surprise. The blooms average approximately four inches across, double in form in smallish
clusters. The spring flush of blooms is the heaviest with later scattered and repeat bloom.
The arching thorny canes rise to five feet wide and spread to six feet wide in time. This is
NOT a rose for a coastal situation. The blooms ball in wet weather and the bush goes
chlorotic in alkaline soil. Despite the caveats, the rose does possess disease resistance
much better than others in the class and is both mildew and rust resistant. (5-
gal, JD)
60. Gilda. Hybrid Multiflora. Dark Red. 1887. Geschwind. The hybrid multiflora
roses contain some of the most unusual of the mauve/purple group, stretching from the
almost violent purple of ‘Violetta,’ to the near-blue of ‘Veilchenblau.’ Despite the
designation of the color here as dark red, the blooms contain tones of pale pink near the
outside edge of the slightly over two inch across imbricated blooms, white at the very
edge, deeper pink to purple to lilac in the centers, and emanate from slightly rounded buds
in tight clusters. The rounded leaflets may be a bright green, needing iron adjustments in
alkaline soils as is the case with many multiflora roses in Southern California. This rambler
will grow ten feet tall, but needs to be placed where its lack of repeat will not be a major
factor. The fragrance is not overpowering. (1-gal, ER)
61. Grandmom Schmidt. Tea. Pink blend. 2004. Delahanty. (3) This sport of
‘Smith’s Parish,’ boasts two and a half inch pink blooms with a reverse of medium pink in
clusters of two or three; occasionally the blooms occur singly at the end of a shoot. The
plant resembles the mother plant in every way except color with an occasional blood red
bloom making itself known. The foliage is matte, light green and of medium size. The bush
builds over time to a height of six feet or more. The prickles occur on the mid-rib of the
leaf stem as opposed to on the canes. There is also a characteristically tea rose lanky
growth between the bud eyes. The disease resistance in Southern California is super. No
rust, no mildew, no blackspot. (1-gal, JD)
Auction Roses
62. Graves de Vayres. Hybrid Multiflora. Medium red. 1999. Eve. A blood red
single or semi-double rose with variations of red, blooms about two and a half inches in
small clusters. The rose commemorates one of the finest vineyards in France. The
medium green foliage of seven leaflets frames the roses beautifully. The rose may be
grown either as a shrubby pillar up to four or five feet, or as a climber, perhaps into a
small tree at ten feet tall. (1-gal, ER)
63. Lamarque. Noisette. White Blend. 1830. Marechal. (Atmore clone) This
early tea-noisette was one of the first noisettes to incorporate a touch of yellow or lemon
in the centers of the otherwise white, fully double 40 petal blooms in clusters of cupped
form roses with a lemon tea fragrance. The bush can range from eight to fifteen feet tall
and up to twelve feet wide. A report of a 1904 rose catalog cites a bush in San Gabriel
with over 158,000 blooms on it, so it is eminently suited to the local climate. This
particular cutting was rooted from a cutting of the Atmore family’s “Lamarque’ in Santa
Paula that has been growing there since 1869. And, a rose that traditionally does much
better on its own roots. (1-gal, HS)
64. *”Mableton Agrippina.” China. Red Blend. Unknown. A typical China in that
there is a mass of flowers with reasonably quick repeat of small Chinese red cupped
blooms with a lighter red reverse. The form is wider than tall and the bush rather sprouts
above two feet. Unlike many china roses, this rose has a strong fragrance. It is said to
resemble Cramoisi Superieur or another similar rose. Perhaps it is just a clone of an old
rose whose name has been lost in the mists of memory. (1-gal, VG)
65. Mme Apolline Foulon. HP. Light Pink (1) 1882. Vigneron. There is not a great
deal of information about this rose. And what information there is seems to be
contradictory. The rose is a Hybrid Perpetual in a part of the country where it traditionally
gets powdery mildew and rust as a matter of course, so what possible reason could there
be for growing this plant except as a historical curiosity? Well, the fact that the outer
petals of the florid full large blooms are light salmon color with the reverse touched with
lilac might give the plant greater validity; and the rose is much more remontant than the
usual HP. And it has few prickles on a bush with upright growth. Or the fact that it only
grows to be four feet tall unlike the typical eight feet a year spreaders. (2-gal, VG)
66. Madeleine Seltzer. Hybrid Multiflora. Light Yellow. 1926. Walter. Pale lemon
blooms, fading to a clear white, about 2 inches across, occur in such large sprays and
clusters that even though the rambler only climbs to ten or twelve feet tall, the rose re-
quires significant support because the blooms are so heavy. This mitigates the fact that
the rose is only a once bloomer. The foliage is bright green and the canes are thornless
although there are barbs on the backs of the leaves. It was introduced as a ‘Yellow
Tausendschoen,’ which it most emphatically is not, but Quest-Ritson characterized it ‘as
the most beautiful of all the Hybrid Multifloras.’ Probably the best climber for a small
garden. Another plus is that the cupped, flat form blooms possess a strong and intense
fragrance. (1-gal, ER)
Auction Roses
67. Maria Leonida. Hybrid Bracteata. White. 1829. Lemoyne. There is much
confusion surrounding the parentage of this rose, its identification, and even its
characteristics of growth. It could be Alba Odorata, or derive from R. bracteata x R.
laevigata, or R. bracteata x tea. What is indisputable, however, is that the two to three inch
white blooms with undertones of straw yellow have a rosy tinge at the center, possibly as a
result of the red tips of the anthers. The blooms are full, flat and quartered. A strong tea
aroma accompanies the plant. The foliage is dark green, glossy and the bush rises to five
feet easily. At least one authority relegates this rose to hot and dry climates because of the
thinness of the petals. Paul Barden, on the other hand, likens the blooms to a
rosette with the petals nestled inside of one another, like rumpled crepe paper. (1-gal, AR)
68. *Pink Surprise. Hybrid Bracteata. Light pink. 1987. Lens. Quest-Ritson refers to
this shrub as ‘exquisite.’ It is a cross of a Hybrid Bracteata with a Meilland HT, ‘La Rosee,’
to produce single pale pink blooms of about four inches across with a white reverse and
red stamens. The flowers are borne both singly and in clusters among large medium
green glossy foliage. The prickles are numerous on a bushy six feet tall by five feet plant.
The rose is cited as being both hardy and highly disease resistant to powdery mildew. The
bracteata heritage might suggest a susceptibility to rust. (1-gal, JD)
69. *“Placerville White Noisette.” Noisette. White. This ‘found’ rose was collected by
Gregg Lowery and Phillip Robinson, the owners of Vintage Gardens; it reminds them of the
characteristics of ‘Blush Noisette,’ only in white and white blends as opposed to a blush
coloration. The rebloom is rapid, the bloom form is double, and the growth characteristics
include a six foot plus bush in an inverted pyramidal shape and a strong fragrance. This
rose won the Victorian class at the Santa Barbara Rose Show in 2001. (1-gal, VG)
70. Rambling Rector. Hybrid Multiflora. White. Before 1910. Unknown. This rose
is not for the faint-of-heart or the homeless because it spreads twenty feet high and fifteen
to twenty feet wide. Graham Stuart Thomas referred to this rose in bloom as a ‘creamy
white cloud.’ The blooms are small, white and with a pinkish cast, intensely fragrant and
floriferous from the top to the bottom of the rose. The foliage displays no susceptibility
whatever to disease and the plant adapts to a wide range of climates. It can be grown into
trees and over two story buildings. The full double, flat one and a half inch blooms can
obscure the foliage. Blooms in mid-summer, with great sprays of red hips in the fall. (1-gal,
AR)
71. R. Palustris. Species. Violet-pink. 1726. Unknown. One synonym for this rose is
‘The Swamp Rose’ because it can take being raised in boggy or wet moist soil unlike almost
all of its contemporaries. The wood is red and nearly thornless, the flowers are two inches,
single, violet pink, and in numerous clusters. The plant grows to a height of about three
feet. The seven leaflets appear dark green and smooth on the surface and pale and hairy
on the reverse. Valley View Gardens recommends this rose as perfect for a nature
garden as birds feast on the seeds from the hips. Trish Walsh of Ashdown Roses swears
that this rose is viable in an arid climate such as Southern California despite being known
as ‘The Swamp Rose.’ (1-gal, AR)
Auction Roses
72. Rose du Roi. Portland. Medium red. 1819. Souchet. This rose is historically
important as the progenitor of the Hybrid Perpetual class of the 19th century, and as the rose
that inspired a king to claim it as his own. The blooms appear singly with purple red flowers of
nearly three inches in diameter, semi-double and with an intense damask fragrance. The rose
grows to three and a half feet and slightly less wide with light gray-green foliage. The rose is
highly recommended as a container plant. (1-gal, VG)
73. “*Setzer Noisette.” Noisette. White and pink. Date Unknown. Demits. The
history of this rose dates from 18th Century Virginia whence the Setzer family carried it
westward to Arkansas. In time a start of it was given to Joyce Demits who placed it in
commerce briefly. Although it did not stay in commerce, the rose is disease free enough for a
coastal climate. One and a half inch white double blooms with a pink undercast and occasional
blush occur in huge clusters of button-eyed and pompom form. The bloom is continuous
throughout the season on a twelve foot bush of narrow columnar growth with mid-green
semi-glossy ovoid leaflets numbering five to seven. The rose thrives in various climates
because it resists powdery mildew, black spot, and rust. (1-gal, JCJ)
74. Souvenir de la Malmaison. Bourbon. Light Pink. 1843. Beluze. The ‘Queen of
Beauty and Fragrance’ is simply the most famous and most beautiful of all the Bourbon roses,
commemorating the palace where the Empress Josephine presided. There is a strong tea
fragrance attached to the five inch pink blush fully double, quartered blooms that appear both
singly and in clusters. The bush grows to a height of three to six feet tall and about as wide.
Generally speaking the rose prefers warm, dry weather as the petals of the blooms ball and
refuse to open in wet weather. The rose also needs a couple of years to adjust itself and
HATES to be pruned heavily. (1-gal, VG)
75. Souvenir du Docteur Jamain. Hybrid Perpetual. Dark Red. 1865. Lacharme.
There is confusion over whether this rose really IS this rose or some other, and even more
confusion about the colors involved. Is it wine colored with purple shades? Or plum shaded
with deep crimson tones? Or just dark red shading to black? In any case the blooms are
double, cupped, and quartered appearing mostly singly on a tall (six to nine feet) arching bush
with mid green, smooth foliage and with a somewhat lean and lanky look to it. It is best not to
place this rose bush in direct sunlight since it scorches the flowers. The rose needs extra
fertilizer and feeding to be at its best. On the other hand, a rosebook of 1869 said that if you
cannot do a good job of growing this rose, you should try your hand at cultivating something
else. Plastic flowers, perhaps? (1-gal, VG)
76. Ulrich Brunner Fils. Hybrid Perpetual. Dark Pink. 1882. Levet. Thought to be a
sport of either ‘Anna de Diesbach’ or ‘Paul Neyron,’ the rose world does not particularly care for
the color of this rose. It is occasionally listed as geranium-red, or deep pink or rose-red. The
four inch across blooms are fully double, cupped and bloom in the typical HP cycle of heavy in
spring, sparse in summer, and stronger in the autumn. Graham Thomas referred to the color
as ‘vulgar.’ Moody suggests that the plant be placed in an area by itself because of the ‘strong
color.’ The bush is upright and columnar, narrower than tall—up to eight feet. The rose is
virtually thornless and possesses a powerful fragrance. The consensus seems to be that the
rose does not play well with others, but is worth the isolation because of the good cutting
flowers and its affinity for clay soil. (1-gal, HS)
Polyanthas
Auction Roses
77. *Angel Rose. Mauve. 1997. Tolmasaoffs. This unregistered rose could just as
easily be classified as a China because of its small flowers and continuous bloom. As it is,
the rose grows to a height of 2 to 3 feet tall with a similar width. The lavender-pink
blooms with bright yellow stamens appear in clusters of three to five in the middle of
matte mid-green foliage with leaflets numbering from five to seven. The leaves are
slightly serrated and jut upward in the china fashion. (1-gal, JD)
78. Denise Cassegrain, White. 1922. Grandes. (2). This polyantha seems to be sui
generis in many ways. For one thing it is strongly fragrant with a tea scent heavy with the
suggestion of field hay. The very double bloom form appears in clusters that can reach 30
or 40 in number, with a snow-white appearance although the buds may be pinkish. The
foliage is clean, semi-glossy, and usually appears in seven leaflets somewhat elongated
with slightly serrated edges. The bush will grow up to three feet, but tends to appear
wider than it is because of the weight of the sprays on the lean lithe canes. A final oddity
is that the blooms will prolificate in triple digit low humidity, a consequence normally
associated with too much nitrogen. Several nurseries recommend the bush as a good pot
plant. (1-gal, ER)
79. Doc. Medium pink. 1954. de Ruiter. The identity of the various members of the
Seven Dwarf roses is more controversial than the prospects of cold fusion. My ‘Happy’ is
really ‘Dopey,’ according to some sources, etc. Suffice to say that Jack Harkness who was
around at the beginnings, disliked them all, and summarized: “‘Dopey’ and ‘Happy’ are
red; ‘Bashful’ is single, red with a white eye; the others are brash pinks.” This ‘Doc’ is
small, with medium pink, 15 petaled blooms in tight clutches of trusses. The conical
trusses are late blooming (June) but continue until the first frost. Roots easily if a branch
touches the ground. (3-gal, JD)
80. *Elizabeth Navarro. Light Pink. 2001. Martin. The blooms on this rose appear in
large clusters with tight spacing between them; the white flushed with pink blooms are
three quarters of an inch in diameter and bear a resemblance to elegant and delicate
porcelain pieces. They appear on a bush that grows to two or two and a half feet tall.
Excellent as a pot rose. The matte light green foliage is sometimes obscured by the
prolific bloom. The rose is reputedly difficult to propagate. (3-gal, JD)
81. Etoile de Mai. Light yellow. 1893. Gamon. (2) This rose is perhaps most famous
as one of the parents of ‘Katherina Zeimat.’ However, it has charms of its own, including a
light yellow bloom in the bud that fades to a cream white over the course of a day. The
blooms are large, fully double and borne singly or in clusters of three. The foliage is dense
for a tea polyantha, and the bush grows to between two and three feet tall. Various
sources indicate a strong tea fragrance, but not all observers can identify or appreciate
that allegation. (5-gal, CO).
Auction Roses
82. *Fair Molly. White Blend. 1999. Moore. ‘Fair Molly’ grows in both the Midwest
summer heat and Alaskan zone three covered with snow all winter long. The strength and
vigor of this rose belie its short stature of less than fifteen inches, or the delicate one and a
half inch blooms in large clusters. The blooms show more pink in cooler weather and
appear to be pristine white in the heat of summer. The rose was originally classified as a
miniature, but Mr. Moore changed his mind and registered it as a polyantha. The
parentage includes genes from Moss, wichuriana, and miniature. One of the seed parents
included seedlings from a possible Lawrenciana background as well. Highly disease
resistant and eminently suited to growing in a pot. (5-gal, CO)
83. *Fluffy Cloud. White. 2004. Tolmasoff. This recent introduction by the Russian
River Rose Company is part of a trio of polyanthas bred by the Tolmasoffs, Jan & William
at their Healdsburg nursery. The white and white blend blooms of slightly under two inches
across appear in large clusters through the blooming season which can reach twelve
months in Southern California. The blooms are semi-double in form with about a dozen
petals more or less, but possess no fragrance. The bush reaches about two feet in height
and features semi-glossy, dark green foliage as a perfect contrast to the bright blooms;
there are also small dark red prickles to complete the picture. Disease resistance is very
high in Southern California. The parentage is unknown. (1-gal, JD)
84. *Jim Delahanty. Light pink. 2008. Wilke. This rose is a sport of ‘Wee Butterflies,’
a Paul Jerabek polyantha out of ‘The Fairy.’ The rose sports two inch across single light
pink blooms in great clusters and is more vigorous than the parent rose. The foliage is
medium, dark green and semi-glossy. The prickles are straight, red, and moderate in
intensity. The rose does not grow over two feet in height and about the same in width.
This rose will be delivered after the Auction. (1-gal, CBW)
85. La Marne. Pink Blend. 1915. Barbier. This rose has an ARS garden rating of 8.7.
This slightly oversize polyantha can climb to six feet or so making it a little too large for a
container, but it can be scaled back in the ground to a more manageable size. The single
blush white blooms with a vivid pink edge are in loose numerous clusters with an open
face arrangement of petals. The virtually thornless canes sport dark, shiny leaves indicative
of its wichuriana background and the growth is slow and steady betraying the china
influence. This rose is excellent for hot and humid Southern climates although the flowers
turn white in triple digit heat. (1-gal, AR)
86. *Lauren. Mauve. 2004. Rupert. A seedling of ‘Baby Faurax,’ this rose avoids some
of the problems associated with that seminal plant. This rose will grow to five feet tall,
although retaining its characteristic columnar growth habit. The half inch blooms cluster
together in a semi-double form with about ten to fifteen petals of violet, red, and dark
purple. It does inherit from ‘Baby Faurax’ the white striping so characteristic of both it and
‘Veilchenblau.’ The rose will grow in a container and can be maintained at three feet if
desired. Blooms all year long in Southern California. (1-gal, JD)
Auction Roses
87. *Little Baby Darling. Light Pink. 2005 Tolmasoff. The tiny pink roses bloom in
mid-sized clusters of five or seven jutting above the foliage; were the rose a miniature, it
would be recorded as a micro-mini for the size of the blooms. The bush rarely grows more
than a foot and a half to two feet tall and about half again as wide with mid-green matte
foliage in leaflets of five, and an occasional seven. There is a very slight fragrance, but it
disappears quickly in the morning sun. (1-gal, JD)
88. *Little White Star. White and White blend. 2007. Tolmasoff. This bloom is
truly stellate, with five pearly white petals thrusting out like a pentagon. The one inch
blooms appear in larger and small clusters, rapidly blooming one after the other. The
bush itself is relatively short—usually under two feet in height. The foliage is medium
green, semi-glossy and plentiful. The little red hips add a bright note in the fall. The
prickles are also reddish, with a slight recurve; they also grow inconspicuously along the
leaflets to provide a sharp reminder of their presence on occasion. Especially suitable for
container growing. The most beautiful of the Tolmasoff offerings so far. Deadhead to
ensure faster rebloom. (3-gal, JD)
89. *Mme Taft. Dark Red. 1909. Levavasseur. The confusion about the color of
‘Mme Taft’ stems from the sensitivity of the blooms to weather, showing a cherry red
color in fall and spring and displaying deep pink tones in the heat of summer. The blooms
appear in great clusters of ten to thirty or more in the midst of bushy foliage on a plant
that does not rise above a foot and a half. The rose has a tendency toward powdery
mildew in spring, but recovers with warmer and dryer weather. (2-gal, JD)
90. Marie Daly. Pink Blend. 1999. Shoup. ‘Marie Daly’ is only the second sport of
‘Marie Pavie’ in 120 years. Yet it shares the same soft musk fragrance, the same bursting
into clusters of bloom, the same thornlessness, long pointed buds, double bloom form and
small, dark green, thick and disease resistant foliage. This rose is one of the first selected
as Earthkind™ by Texas A & M; that means it survived—no, thrived—on a regime of no
spraying, no fertilizer, no extra water for five years and remained garden worthy. In
Southern California, this rose blooms twelve months out of the year. (2-gal, VG)
91. Marie Jeanne. White. 1913. Turbat. (2) The identity of the parents of this rose is
unknown. It is possible that it emanates from the ‘Orleans Rose’ family of polyanthas, but
the growth pattern is distinctly different. The rose can be treated either as a small
unmannerly climber, or as a traditional three foot tall polyantha. The roses are white with
a distinct pink blush to them, especially around the edges of the petals, in cupped blooms
one inch across in clusters up to sixty in number; some authorities describe the flush as
salmon-pink. The foliage is clear green and testifies to the multiflora heritage. The blush
of bloom is heavy in spring, continuous in summer and heavy again in fall. There are no
prickles and there is a pleasing musky scent. The rose reputedly tolerates both poor soil
and shade. (5-gal, VG) (1-gal JD)
Auction Roses
92. Mrs. W. H. Cutbush. Pink Blend. 1907. Levavasseur. This seedling or sport of
‘Mme Norbert Levavasseur’ tends to remain at a dwarf status. Initially, the Cutbush firm
imported ten thousand seedlings into London to propagate and sell this pink version of the
‘Baby Red Rambler.’ The pink color can range from light pink with a white center to deep
pink almost red clusters of twenty or more rosettes. One observer labeled the color to be
‘hot carnation pink.’ The semi-double blooms are most evident in the spring, with repeat
bloom at lesser degrees of density in the summer and fall. At its best, the blooms obscure
the foliage with the semi-glossy dark green leaflets. (5-gal, CO)
93. *“Paris Childhood.” Light pink. Found rose. (2) This rose is doubly lost. Not only
was the name of the rose lost in the memories of the finder’s childhood, but the name of
the finder has been lost as well. The bush is about three feet in height and the growth
habits resemble that of an unmannerly ‘Marie-Jeanne,’ stretching out in all directions with
mid-green disease resistant foliage. The blooms are a pale blush pink with tones of peach
pink toward the center and appear in clusters of various sizes with a relatively rapid repeat
cycle. The blooms are said to have a slight fragrance and double form. (2-gal, 1-gal, JD)
94. Perle d’Or. Yellow blend. 1875. Rambaux. The American Rose Society garden
rating for this rose is 8.5; the RHS of Garden Merit was announced 118 years after its
birth. Basically, it all means that this is a superb rose in every way except for exhibition.
One synonym, ‘Yellow Cecile Brunner,’ notes the similarity to ‘Mlle Cecile Brunner’ in bloom
and growth. Gold pink apricot tones age to buff to white in one inch blooms in clusters of
up to seven or eight with twenty-five narrow petals at first emulating the classic form but
eventually providing a confused center. The scent is intensely fruity and one bloom can
reportedly perfume an entire room. The bush is virtually thornless and the foliage is small,
pointed, glossy and dark green. The plant in Southern California can rise to six or nine feet
if there is no judicious pruning. For such a delicate looking plant, the rose is extremely
tough as witnessed by its designation as an Earthkind™ rose by Texas A & M. (1-gal, VG)
95. Petite Francoise. Light pink. 1915. Gravereaux. This rose grows double light
pink blooms in large clusters almost continuously from early spring on. Here in Southern
California it will bloom twelve months out of the year. The blooms are closely packed
together as if arranged in a prize-wining bouquet; and the scent is pleasant but not
overpowering. The foliage is dense, glossy, dark green and appears in five to seven
leaflets. The prickles are evenly spaced and inconspicuous. The plant will grow wider than
taller by a factor of two. (1-gal, ER)
96. *Pink Gift. Medium pink. 1998. Demits. (3) This sport of ‘The Gift’ differs from
the parent rose in a number of ways other than its color pink. The rose is more columnar
and does not arch over to the ground in a mid-sized container. And the prickles are less
invasive and intrusive. Otherwise, the tiny half inch across blooms--pink with a lilac tinge--
appear in small to medium sized clusters of three to nine throughout the season
surrounded by mid-green matte foliage and growing to a height of three to four feet. (1-
gal, JD)
Auction Roses
97. *Pink Sweetie. Light pink. 2004. Tolmasoff. Unlike most polyanthas, this rose
has a sweet and intense fragrance to accompany the small (under two inches across) light
pink flowers, semi-double and borne in large loose clusters of twenty or more over the
season. Small, pointed mid-green semi-glossy foliage with reddish green prickles add a
contrast on the two to two and a half foot bush. The rose is eminently suited to a
container or a low border rose. The buds are particularly attractive, looking like tiny pink
pearls. (3-gal, JD)
98. Poema. Climbing Polyantha. Medium Pink. 1933. Brada. (2) Bright yellow
pistils compete with bright pink colors that age to a lighter pink on one to one and a half
inch across blooms, semi-double in form, in clusters of ten to twenty although clusters of
a hundred blooms have been reported. The foliage is glossy and dark green on a vigorous
bush that grows upwards to nine feet tall and about as wide. Some authorities list this
rose as a Hybrid Musk, but the ‘Tausendschoen’ multiflora parentage tilts toward a
polyantha classification. (1-gal, JD)
99. Verdun. Mauve. 1918. Barbier. ‘Verdun’ appeared in commerce toward the end of
the First World War; it commemorates a battle which lasted nine months and involved a
quarter of a million dead and 1 million injured. It is a small rose to carry such a large
burden. The nickel sized blooms range in color from a medium red to mauve to carmine
purple. The small blooms are fully double with more than forty petals in a globular form
and they are packed closely together in clusters of twenty-five to fifty to a spray. The rose
grows from one to three feet tall and about a foot wide and is adorned with bright yellow
green foliage. The ARS Garden rating for this rose is 8.6. There are apparently two clones
of this rose in commerce, one more pinkish than the other. The rose is also capable of
getting powdery mildew in the spring, so is better suited to more inland climates. (5-gal,
CO)
100. White Pet. White. 1897. Henderson. This is the oldest American polyantha and
has no multiflora heritage since it is a dwarf form of a hybrid sempervirons rose, ‘Felicite
et Perpetue.’ The rose is a frequent winner on the show table, since it produces small
one-inch white blooms in sizable clusters tightly packed together, opening from tiny red
buds to a pompom form all season long. The plant stays low growing and compact. This is
a highly disease resistant rose, having survived the ten year test program at Longwood
Gardens in Pennsylvania. The ARS Garden rating for this rose is 8.6. (5-gal, CO)
Naming Rights Auction Rose
Name This Rose!!!
This Paul Barden rose is a sister seedling of the Hybrid Musk ‘Jeri Jennings.’ It grows to about four feet tall
and six feet wide, arching to the ground at the perimeter. Bloom color is a dusky pink, lighter pink as it ages.
The one and half inch blooms occur in groups of 40 to 50 at the ends of new shoots and the sprays on lateral
occur in and the
shoots number eight to fifteen. The plant is generous with blooms. The scent is of moderate clove. The plant
is mounded in form, vigorous and graceful. The foliage is medium to dark green and midway between matte
and semi-glossy. Prickles are few and slightly hooked.
Disease resistance is excellent with no mildew or rust having been observed in the first years of existence.
The umbrella-shaped plant requires little in the way of pruning maintenance. The bright yellow stamens have
a touch of red in them.
The winning bid not only acquires naming rights but twenty rose bushes as well.
‘Naming Rights’ Rules:
• No more than 30 syllables in the name.
• The names of commercial products or public or private persons may not be used without specific written
authorization to do so.
• Language that is provocative or ribald may not be used. Otherwise, ingenuity is an asset, but not
required.
Bidding starts at $250 dollars as the rose has a reserve price.
Fixed Sale Roses
Shrubs
1. Awakening. LCl. Light pink. Bohm. 1935. Ordinarily, a sport of ‘New Dawn’ would not
be highly regarded as a rose for southern California. Although popular in the rest of the
country, ‘New Dawn’ tends to be non-repeating in the alkaline soil of this part of the country, as
well as less floriferous. But the good people at Ashdown assert that this sport features great
disease resistance, a smaller growth habit, a bigger, fuller bloom and better re-bloom. The
rose is a quartered version of the original plant, thorny, with pliable canes suitable for attaching
to poles, trellises, or trees. The four-inch across salmon-pink blooms hold forty petals. The
climber can grow 8 to 14 feet tall and about 8 to 10 feet wide. It is reputedly shade tolerant. Be
careful not to overprune, since the blooms appear more frequently on old wood. (1-gal, AR)
2. Bourgogne. Shrub. Medium pink. Ilsink. 1983. The beauty of this cupped single
delicate pink rose is found in its hips, which have been cited by Markley as ‘the most beautiful
of all rose hips’ and the highlight of any fall garden. The hips are a red that invites description
by changing and reflecting light like a prism, large, pendulous and weighty enough to arc the
canes holding them. The rose is once blooming through the middle of summer. The dark green
foliage sets off the blooms with their white centers dramatically. The growth habit sends it to
five to seven feet tall. (1-gal, ER)
3. *Callista. Shrub. White. 2005. Rippetoe. The strong sweet scent of citrus permeates
this rose, reminiscent of an orchard in springtime. The combination of ‘Sweet Afton’ and
‘Abraham Darby’ produced a recurrent bloom white rose with pink and apricot undertones
especially evident in cool weather. The habits of the rose are modern in the sense of bushy
growth, a tendency to grow to five feet with medium green, semi-glossy foliage. The four inch
blooms are mostly produced one to a stem. The rose is perhaps better suited to the dryer
inlands than the moisture laden coast. The rose was named for the breeder’s prospective
daughter in law. (5-gal, IW)
4. Gardenia. Hybrid Wichurana. White. 1899. Horvath. This rose needs room. In mild
climates it throws twenty foot canes with seeming abandon. The yellow-flushed buds bloom a
creamy white, about four inches, fully doubled, with yellow centers in small sprays. The
fragrance is said to resemble that of apples. Given the wichuriana inheritance, the foliage is
dark, glossy, and small. The stems can become an inch thick in a matter of weeks. Some
reports suggest that there is scattered repeat bloom. And other reports warn of a propensity to
blackspot, only occasionally a concern. Be careful where you plant this rose as it is thorny and it
roots where it touches the ground. It may be pruned after flowering, but that will lessen the
chances of repeat bloom. (1-gal, AR)
5. Gentle Persuasion. Shrub. Medium Yellow. 1984. Buck. The color of this rose is
somewhat in dispute; some descriptions stress the apricot range of colors and others indicate a
more yellow tint to the petals. Actually, the apricot color deepens in cooler weather, accentuat-
ing the confusion. What is not in dispute is that this is a most beautiful Buck rose, a cross of the
incomparably healthy ‘Carefree Beauty’ and ‘Oregold.’ The blooms appear singly with a span of
five inches or more, fully double and cupped on a bush that rises to four feet or more. The
sweet fragrance lurks in high centered blooms that lighten as they open. The foliage is olive-
green, leathery and acquires a serrated red edge as the leaves mature. The question of size is a
conundrum; traditionally, Buck roses in California double in size due to the more lenient climate
than that of Iowa, so the suggestion of four feet may be thought of as a minimum. (1-gal, AR)
Fixed Sale Roses
6. Good ‘n Plenty. Shrub. Pink Blend. 2007. Zary. Glancing at the picture of this
rose with its single pink petals and a white center in neat little clusters, it would be easy to
dismiss it with a polite ho-hum. However, to do so would be to miss out on a small under
two and half feet bush with dark green glossy foliage that resists black spot to the point
that it was recommended for no-spray gardens in the Southeastern U.S. by the University
of Tennessee. Its blackspot infection rate was under 2%. Not only that, but the blooms
obscure the foliage because of the floriferousness and vigor of the bush. The pink in
question is really raspberry and the prickles are a grey-orange. It is a good idea to
deadhead in order to promote re-bloom. (3-gal, JD)
7. Home Run.™ Shrub. Medium Red. 2006. Carruth. This rose is the ‘Energizer
Bunny’ of modern shrub roses. The single three inch blooms of deep velvety red petals
bloom in spite of whatever care it receives. It resists black spot; it resists mildew. It is
recommended as a no-spray rose for the humid Southeastern United States; it bloomed
like a trouper during a week of triple digit dry heat in Exposition Park last summer. The
re-bloom rate is remarkably quick and the small clusters mask matte dark green foliage.
The plant grows to three feet and slightly wider. (3.5” pot, NE)
8. La Fraicheur. Hybrid Wichurana. Medium Pink. 1921. Turbat. This once
blooming rambling rose grows up to fifteen feet and supports great pyramids of pink
blooms with darker centers in a long, late display of sweetly scented one inch double
blooms in clusters of fifteen or twenty. The foliage is small, dark and glossy, while the
wood is that mahogany red that sets off the plant and roses so well. It is highly
recommended for guiding into a tree. Disease free in a coastal climate. (2-gal, JD)
9. Lady of the Mist. Shrub. Orange blend. 2002. Harkness. Although this rose is
listed as a shrub, it can also be utilized in the garden as a pillar or a short climber. The
growth is upright with rich green foliage. The disease resistant plant easily hits four to five
feet. The spectacular thing about this plant, however, is the subtle mystery of its old-
fashioned quartered blooms with a hundred petals that show a soft violet-pink hue at the
edges and almost imperceptibly shade to cream and then again to a coppery buff center.
Accompanying these sizable blooms is a fragrance variously described as intense, or
strong, or powerfully sweet. Not a rose for the coast given the number of petals. (5-gal,
IW)
10. Maytime. Shrub. Pink Blend. 1975. Buck. The American Rose Society calls this
rose a pink blend, but others refer to it in more rarefied terms such as russet, apricot pink,
or carmine with a yellow base. The four inch blooms appear to be semi-double, cupped,
and in clusters of five to fifteen with a sweet scent. The dense foliage is dark green and
leathery and resistant to disease. The bush is listed as three and a half feet tall and just as
wide, but a viewing of the Buck roses in Descanso Gardens dispels that illusion. Plan for a
rose about twice that tall. This is one tough plant that survived unaffected when a garden
was decimated by herbicide drift and a hurricane. Possibly the finest of all the Buck
creations. (2-gal, RU)
Fixed Sale Roses
11. Out of India. Hybrid Gigantea. Medium Red. 2006. Viraraghavan. This unusual
rose contains genes from interesting sources including gigantea and sempervirens. It results
in a bush four feet tall, with large and semi-glossy foliage which produces bright red four
inch blooms of double form that morph from red to purple in the course of opening. The
form is purely decorative and the unscented blooms appear in small clusters. (1-gal, RU)
12. Peach Blossom. Shrub. Light pink. 1990. Austin. Great clusters of blush pink
semi-double blooms with a yellow base appear in the midst of medium sized mid-green
semi-glossy foliage on a bush that normally grows to four feet. Clair Martin suggests that
the height might be closer to eight feet in a Southern California climate with another six feet
in width; probably there is a need for some kind of support for the bush. There is a sweet
musk fragrance. Martin also suggests planting the bush so that a late afternoon sun can
give the petals an opalescent appearance and each bloom the look of a light from within. It
has a penchant for mildew. (5-gal, IW)
13. Perennial Pink. LCl. Medium Pink. Pink. Unknown. Mehring.
The pink climber in the rambler series created by Mehring. (1-gal, AR)
14. Perennial White. White, near white. Unknown. Mehring.
The white climber in the rambler series created by Mehring. (1-gal, AR)
15. Purezza. LCl. White. 1961. Mansuino. One of the few popular
Banksia hybrids, ‘Purezza’ produces huge clusters—upwards of 50—of pompom one to two
inch white quilled blooms on a bush that may be confined to a five foot shrub or let loose as
a ten to fifteen feet tall bush and just about as wide. The foliage is small, glossy, leathery
and thornless. This cross involved the species with ‘Tom Thumb’ to lessen the growth
hormones somewhat. It is also repeat bloom. In addition to having crowded clusters of
bloom, the plant also tends to be drought-resistant, a not inconsiderable trait in Southern
California. (1-gal, VG)
16. Emily Gray. Hybrid Wichurana. Dark Yellow. 1918. A. H. Williams. This
rambler has survived because of its unusual colors of deep golden yellow and buff blooms of
three and a half inches in fully double form opening to a flat surface in small clusters. Some
writers describe the color as ‘chamois yellow.’ The rose climbs to about 15 feet tall and 10
feet wide, adorned with large, glossy, dark foliage of plum, bronze, and green. There is
scant repeat, but the rose can even be grown in poor soil, shade, up a tree, or along a cold
wall and it will still provide bloom and a recognizable tea fragrance. Prune after flowering.
(1-gal, RV)
17. Mme Gregoire Staechelin. LCl. Pink blend. 1927. Dot. This is the rose that
J. Horace McFarland thought would have stormed the rose world were it not for its
unfortunately jaw-breaking name to English speaking rosarians. Award winning on both
sides of the Atlantic, the bush climbs up to twenty feet high and half again as wide with
heavy, glossy dark foliage. Five-inch in diameter blooms appear as pink buds brushed with
deepest maroon, and open in semi-double form to pink ruffled petals stained with crimson
on the reverse. The rose can be grown as a pillar or a climber. J. H. Nicolas once described
this rose as the ‘aristocrat’ of hardy climbers. After the bloom attractive pear shaped pinkish-
orange to golden hips appear as an apparent punctuation to the bloom cycle. (1-gal, RV)
Fixed Sale Roses
18. Focus. Hybrid Musk. Light Pink. 1984. Lens. One of the synonyms for this rose
is ‘Sweet Bouquet.’ As such, it exudes the scent of myrrh which has a certain bitter
undertone sometimes exacerbated by cool weather. Otherwise, the double white shaded
to pink blooms of twenty petals burst into sprays of 50 covering the small dark disease
free foliage. The arching growth pattern frames a plant that grows to six feet and about
as half as wide. The rose is descended from the fragrant polyantha, ‘Marie Pavie.’ An
article in the London Times observed that no garden should be without a Hybrid Musk;
this could be perfect for the specimen in a small garden. (1-gal, RV)
Hybrid Teas
19. Julia’s Rose. HT. Russet. 1976. Wisbech. The colors of this rose test the arts of
description of rose writers. They are variously described as copper, tan, parchment,
brown, tan with pink overtones, russet with a copper sheen. The bloom spans a four inch
diameter with a double bloom form and 20 petals whose colors intensify with cooler
weather. The foliage tends to be reddish on a bush that grows slightly taller to three feet
than wide. Despite wining a Gold Medal at Baden-Baden in 1982, and being
recommended for arrangers, the rose requires that the grower pay attention to it and
optimize its growing conditions. (5-gal, IW)
20. Mrs. Sam McGredy. HT. Orange-Pink. 1929. McGredy. Before there was
‘Peace,’ there was ‘Mrs Sam McGredy.’ This rose was the talk of the rose world through
the thirties for its complex color shadings of scarlet, copper, and orange petals with a
reverse heavily flushed red, the beauty of its classic HT form until opening, and the neat
circular forty petals five inches across. The bush ran to a three by three area and
presented richly purpled new foliage and bronze red tints thereafter. The rose won the
National Rose Society (UK) Gold Medal in its year of introduction and again in Portland a
quarter of a century later. Older books talk about its vigor, but more recent books note
that it needs heavy feeding and care against black spot to be at its best. (5-gal, IW)
21. Peace. HT. Yellow blend. 1942. Meilland. Quite simply, the rose of the 20th
century. Surrounded by myth, mystique and the basis for post WWII Meilland
renaissance, this then enormous six inch across rose of yellow with pink edges and 43
petals sold millions and millions of roses. The form was sufficiently high-centered to set
the standard for postwar performances among exhibitors. The bush is about four feet tall
and the plant enclothed with dark, leathery glossy foliage. The rose seems to have lost
some vigor due to excessive or careless budding, but that does not diminish its popularity
or importance. It is wise to remember that the rose does NOT like hard pruning and will
sulk if you are too much of a Mad Pruner. The list of Gold Medals spans the last half of
the century from the first in 1942 to the last in Montreal in 1999. However, Katherine S.
White referred to the rose as ‘grotesque.’ (1-gal, VG)
Fixed Sale Roses
22. Peachblow. Light Pink. 1942. Coddington. Long tapered buds show petals that
roll back to reveal wide blooms of peach pink, soft apricot and clear pink. The blooms
come singly, one to a stem, but are of garden quality rather than exhibition form. The
bush has glossy foliage and grows to four feet tall. The rose elicits favorable comment
from such disparate venues as Portland, Oregon, mid-country Oklahoma and San Marino,
California. (1-gal, VG)
23. Eiffel Tower. HT. Medium Pink. 1963. Armstrong and Swim. RV. The growth
habits of this plant warrant the term ‘Tower’ in its name; it is tall and columnar in shape
and the blooms are borne singly to a stem. The blooms are a cool shade of pink,
numbering about 35 petals—ideal for a Southern California climate--and stretching up to
six inches across. The long elegant urn-shaped petals open to a high centered form and
are long lasting as a cut flower. The rose, according to Botanica’s, is eminently suitable
for a warm, dry climate. The unforgettable scent is reminiscent of licorice and very
intense and noticeable. Leathery semi-glossy foliage resists disease. Although the rose
tolerates shade and poor soils, it responds better to a little pampering and a sunny
location.
Floribundas
24. Carol Amling. Medium pink. 1953. Beltran & Amling. The edges of the bloom
are a lighter shade of pink than the center. As a sport of ‘Garnette,’ the rose shares the
characteristics of a strong fragrance, a growth habit of approximately 3 feet tall by 2 feet
wide, and an excess of 50 petals in the bloom. The effect of the crowded petals is to give
the bloom the look of a perky carnation. ‘Garnette’ was a mainstay of the cut flower
trade. This combination of genetic forces produced a group of florist roses with a staying
power than can last weeks in a vase. However, the rose can suffer from mildew in the
Southern California climate, although it is most likely to occur in the fall. (1-gal, JD)
25. Miss Ada. Light Pink. 1998. Pawlikowski. This light pink sport of ‘Playgirl’ can
sometimes manage to boast all three of its colors in one single bloom of light pink, peach
pink, and dark pink 4 inches across borne both singly and in small clusters. The foliage is
medium sized, medium green and semi-glossy. The rose can grow to four feet in height
and the growth habit is upright and bushy. This rose has an ARS garden rating of 8.0 and
is a frequent winner on the show table. However, in Southern California spraying in
spring is necessary to prevent a powerful susceptibility to powdery mildew. (5-gal, JD)
26. “Winecup.” Mauve. Unknown. Shoup. Antique Rose Emporium found this rose
about a dozen years ago. It resembles a china rose in some ways although it is classified
as a floribunda. The small one and a half inch semi-double blooms rise above the foliage
in medium sized sprays of purplish crimson with occasional white streaks in a shallow cup
form. The foliage is dark green, glossy and has the scent of apples associated with it. The
bush grows from one to three feet tall and one to two feet wide. The blooms have an
irregular white eye near the center of the loose golden stamens while the upper petals
tend to curl inward. The rose requires a sunny location. The rose was named for a Texas
wildflower of similar color. (5-gal, JD)
Fixed Sale Roses
27. Poppy. Floribunda. Orange-red. 1960. Soenderhousen. Two and a half inch
blooms cluster together in fine sprays of an unusual combination of orange scalloped
petals with occasional white striping down the centers. The semi-double flowers present
an open face to the world. This vigorous bush grows between two and a half and four
feet tall with a commensurately rounded growth habit. The color is hard to describe,
sometimes being called, ‘scarlet,’ or ‘vermilion,’ or ‘madder-rose.’ (2-gal, JD)
Miniatures and Mini-Floras
28. Ambiance.™ Mini-Flora. Apricot blend. 2007. Benardella. In inland Ventura
County, this rose produces blooms of the palest apricot with show table form in sprays or
sometimes borne singly. The blooms are fully double, spreading two to three inches
across on a plant that is essentially two to three feet tall and the same width. The foliage
is matte and dark green. (3.5”pot, NE)
29. Antique Rose. ™ Miniature. Medium pink. 1980. Moore. Twenty years after its
first introduction, this rose was still winning awards in the miniature class. The one and a
half to two inch flowers are a medium pink with 38 petals and last a long time in the vase
or on the plant. The height is only a foot and a half tall with semi-glossy dark green
foliage. (3.5”pot, NE)
30. Baby Austin. Miniature. Apricot blend. 2002. Moore. This micro-miniature
sports one inch fully double blooms with peach pink and peach apricot reverse petals in
great clusters all season long. The growth characteristics include a mounded habit
reaching no more than twelve inches high. The foliage is small, dark green, and dense.
The rose is named after Ralph Mooore’s great grandson. (3.5”pot, NE)
31. Black Jade™. Miniature. Dark Red. 1985. Benardella. Considered a
breakthrough in color nearly a quarter century ago upon its introduction, the rose still
stuns people with its black red buds and blooms of about an inch and a half in pure HT
classic form. Peter Schneider noted that the black red tendency intensified when the rose
is stored in a refrigerator. The basic growth characteristics show a two by two plant with
foliage that requires protection from mildew. Like any dark red rose, the blooms must be
protected inland from the afternoon sun. Incredibly, ‘Black Jade’ is a grandparent of
‘Lavender Spoon.’ (3.5”pot, NE)
32. Charmer. Miniature. White. 2004. Benardella. A white rose with a pink center
arising from the base of the petals to contrast with the dark green glossy and disease
free foliage of a plant that rises and spreads to about a foot and a half maximum. The
one and a half inches blooms are double, high-centered as you would expect from a
Benardella rose and also make good cut flowers. The plant needs to be dead-headed to
bloom most freely. (3.5”pot, NE)
Fixed Sale Roses
33. Cherry Hi. Miniature. Dark Red. 1996. Moore. Flowers of an inch and a half with
fifty petals explode into color even in the midst of summer heat on a small neat rose bush
that stays within a one by one foot frame. The semi-glossy foliage provides a terrific
backdrop for roses that will last on the bush or in the vase for five days or so. This rose is
especially valuable as a container plant. (3.5”pot, NE)
34. Gizmo. Miniature. Orange blend. 1998. Carruth. Scarlet-orange single blooms
with a white eye, two inches across, contrast with dark green, semi-glossy foliage on a
plant that grows to two feet and perhaps a little wider than that. The flowers are long
lasting and possess what some detect as an apple fragrance. The plant is very
disease-resistant and shows a mounded form. (3.5”pot, NE)
35. Grace Seward. Miniature. White. 1991. Bennett. The rose is named after a
long-time force in the Pacific Southwest District. The bloom is a two and a half inch snowy
white single with a bright yellow stamens and a distinct fragrance growing on a bush that
stretches two to three feet in height and width. The blooms frequently wind up on the
show table in both local and national competitions. (3.5”pot, NE)
36. Green Ice. Miniature. White (green). 1971. Moore. White, near white and white
blend blooms are fully double, with an occasional pink cast that varies with the weather.
The bush is compact and apparently does very well in cascading containers as well as in
the ground. But be sure to allow enough shade to encourage the green cast that
occasioned its name. (3.5’pots, NE)
37. Halo Sweetie. Miniature. Pink Blend. 2002. Moore. The ‘Halo’ series by Ralph
Moore has a dozen entries featuring a different colored halo around the stamens but not
as subtly colored as this rose which opens from orange buds with a pink cast to peach
colored petals with a red halo surrounding bright golden prominent stamens. The single
form works to enhance the halo effect and the one inch blooms are suited to a bush that
rarely exceeds fifteen inches in height. The stellate form of the blooms is exceptionally
pretty. (3.5” pots, NE)
Fixed Sale Roses
38. Iced Raspberry™. Miniature. Red Blend. 2005. White. ‘Iced Raspberry is one
of those bicolors in which a white reverse graces a vibrant red upper petal color. In
addition to that, there is a suggestion of a raspberry fragrance attached to the one inch
blooms that more often than not bloom singly to a stem. The form is fully double in a
clear exhibition style on a plant that grows slightly wider than the slightly over a foot
height. The flowers last a week in the ground or in a vase. Despite an Award of
Excellence in 2006 and a Certificate of Merit in the Rose Hills Trials of that year, the rose
is susceptible to mildew and black spot. (3.5”pot, NE)
39. Iced Tea. Miniature. Russet. 2002. Moore. The rose is named ‘Iced Tea’
because of its collection of colors in russet tones masking peach and pink tones with a
darker reverse on fully double one and a half inch blooms amidst foliage that is bronzy
red when new and matte, but turning glossy. The bush form is to a foot and a half and is
virtually thornless as well. The rose when open resembles the form of a camellia.
Personally, I think it resembles Thai iced tea with the creamy tones to all the colors. (3.5”
NE)
40. Jean Kenneally. Miniature. Apricot blend. 1984. Bennett. The rose honors an
esteemed California rosarian who died recently at age 99. The apricot blend rose scores
the highest of any rose in commerce at 9.2. The peach tones are better when the weather
is cooler, but the exhibition form holds so well that it topped all miniature roses for over a
decade. The one and a half inch flowers appear singly on a bush that grows to three feet
both in height and width. Award of Excellence in 1986. (3.5”pot, NE)
41. Jim Dandy. Miniature. Red Blend. 1989. Benardella. Three inch double blooms
with orange red upper petals and a yellow reverse also possess a spicy fragrance, unusual
for a miniature rose. The blooms are appropriate for a bush that grows two to three feet
in every direction. The foliage is medium green, semi-glossy, ovate and serrated. The
disease resistance is considered to be good. (3.5”pot, NE)
42. Kristin™. Miniature. Red blend. 1992. Benardella. This rose has been
referred to as a ‘Queen Machine’ given that it maintains a presence on the show table
nearly two decades after its introduction. One to two inch double blooms of white petals
edged—each and every one—with carmine red. When the blooms reach a half-open state,
stasis sets in and the blooms last for a legendary period of time. The bush grows to a
height and width of nearly two and a half feet. The rose received an ARS Award of
Excellence in 1993. ‘Kristin’ is one of the Horizon Honor Roll of Exhibition Honorees.
(3.5”pot, NE)
43. *Lindsay’s Rose. Miniature. Light Yellow. 2003. Barden. The bloom of this
miniature rose is a complex shading of yellow and white on both the upper and reverse
petals, fully double, and one and a half inch in diameter. The clusters are large while the
foliage is dark green, semi-glossy and the prickles have a reddish tinge to them. The bush
does not exceed a foot and a half in height. The rose at its best has exhibition form, but is
also valuable for cutting as it can last in a vase for eight days without significant
deterioration. The rose should receive adequate sunlight since there are fifty petals in the
bloom. The rose was named for the breeder’s niece. (1-gal, HS)
Fixed Sale Roses
44. Little Pinkie™. Miniature. Medium Pink. 2000. Moore. This rose bush harkens
back to the early days of Ralph Moore breeding when his miniatures were under one foot
tall with blooms the size of a dime. Paul Barden refers to the charm of this rose as “elfin;”
it’s not only small and petite, but compact and bushy with virtually no thorns. The small
blooms are a medium pink and the plant generates bloom after bloom, spray after spray
with an almost wanton enthusiasm. Although the name suggests that the plant were bred
from ‘Pinkie,’ in truth it is a cross of ‘Anytime’ and ‘Renae.’ (3.5”pot, NE)
45. Mother Lode. Miniature. Yellow blend. 2007. White. The name originated from
the Mother Lode Rose Society in Northern California. The two inch double blooms in
exhibition form can display every shade of yellow and gold in the course of the opening of
the rose. Although the fragrance cannot be appreciated by everyone, some people swear
there is a vibrant fragrance attached to the rose. The bush grows slightly wider than the
twelve to fifteen inches in height. The foliage is small and dense. (3.5”pot, NE)
46. My Sunshine. Miniature. Medium Yellow. 1986. Bennett. This yellow rose ages
orange, but otherwise presents a yellow blanket of color. Single two and a half inch yellow
petals surround yellow stamens that have enchanted exhibitors and gardeners for over two
decades. A strong fragrance enhances the stature of this twenty-two inch bush that still
appears on the show table. This is reputed to be Sean McCann’s favorite single mini.
(3.5”pot, NE)
47. Overnight Scentsation.™ Mini-Flora. Medium Pink. 1997. Saville. A bouquet of
this rose will perfume a room with an unforgettable fragrance. The Nor’East Miniature
website flatly declares this to be the most fragrant mini ever. Three inch fully double
blooms appear in the midst of soft matte foliage on a bush that grows up to three feet and
two feet across. The rose went up into space with John Glenn in 1998. The rose is drought
resistant which may make a difference in parched Southern California. (3.5”pot, NE)
48. Picotee.™ Miniature. Red blend. 2004. Benardella. An Award of Excellence
winner in 2004, this rose displays the characteristic Benardella exhibition form. One and a
half inch blooms of white petals with red edges appear mostly singly or in small clusters.
The petals are slightly scalloped, which some judges do not like, but it does not affect the
splendor of the rose. The bush is basically a two by two compact affair with medium green,
semi-glossy disease resistant foliage. (3.5”pot, NE)
49. Roseketeer. Miniature. Orange blend. 2002. Bennett. The single soft orange
blend blooms combined with a white eye and dark green foliage all complement each
other. The rose was named for friends who had helped in the testing of the rose. The
flower and the bush are very petite, with the blooms averaging no more than one inch in
diameter. The bush is a mannerly two feet by two feet with magnificent disease
resistance. (3.5”pot, NE)
Fixed Sale Roses
50. Rowdy Roy. Mini-Flora. Red Blend. 2005. Bennett. This striped rose is so
variable that the colors can range from bright scarlet red to a saturated burgundy and the
striping from pink to white. No two blooms are exactly the same and the variability is
partially a response to weather conditions. The blooms are nearly three inches, fully
double with an old fashioned rose configuration. The rose is one of the first to bloom in
the spring but remains a relatively low growing plant under two and a half feet in height
and width. The plant was named after the breeder’s brother. (3.5”pot, NE)
51. Sweet Chariot.™ Miniature. Mauve. 1984. Moore. The rose has varying shades
of lavender, lilac, purple and mauve in small pompom, fully double, one inch blooms that
appear in clusters. The damask fragrance is powerful and not at all hesitant about making
itself known. The bush grows to about a foot and a half high with a slightly larger width.
The plant is both disease resistant and prolific, and a popular plant with breeders. Sean
McCann suggests that the rose be placed in a hanging container for a wonderful cascade
effect. (3.5”pot, NE)
52. Work of Art. Climbing Miniature. Orange blend. 1989. Moore. Tiny blooms
reveal shades of coral to deep orange to yellow, fully double, and with exhibition form—a
rarity in the late minis of the Master, Ralph Moore. The climber grows to six feet tall with
medium green, semi-glossy foliage and has superior disease resistance and
hardiness. The blooms also make excellent cutting flowers. The rose is as wide as it is tall.
(3.5”pot, NE)
Old Garden Roses
53. Fortuniana. Miscellaneous OGR. White. 1840. Unknown. ‘Fortuniana’ has been
used as understock for roses in warmer areas, especially Florida where the plant is
resistant to nematodes. The parentage includes banksia as well as the Cherokee rose. The
blooms are a blush white two inches across fully double and possess a sweet fragrance.
The rose is virtually thornless although it did inherit some sharp short thorns from
‘Cherokee.’ The plant grows up to twelve feet high and another eight feet in width. The
foliage is clean of disease, dark green and glossy. The rose received a rating of 8.0 from
the American Rose Society as a garden rose. The rose is once blooming only. (5-gal, IW)
54. La Belle Sultane. Hybrid Gallica. Dark Red. 1801/1794. Dupont. (2) The
origins of this hauntingly beautiful rose are lost in the mists of history although the Dutch
18th century breeders are credited with its creation. And we cannot unreservedly
recommend buying this rose unless you have sufficient cold to guarantee its blooming and
you have a place or a container so as to contain its enthusiasm for suckering and creating
a grove. Otherwise, there are semi-double flat open blooms of purple, maroon, crimson,
reddish violet, and mauve with a white center obscured by giant saffron stamens. The
heart shaped petals stretch to four inches across at the end of long arching canes that rise
to seven feet tall and five feet wide with red bristles attached to the otherwise nearly
thornless canes. Large matte disease resistant foliage completes the package for a garden
rose with an ARS rating of 8.3. (1-gal, JD)
Fixed Sale Roses
Old Garden Roses
55. R. Maximowicziana. Species. White. Before 1880. Unknown. This rose is
rarely seen outside of large collections. It presents single white scentless blooms of one
and a half inches across in large sprays on a partially climbing plant. The rose grows to
about seven feet by ten feet, is densely branched, and is virtually thornless, but new
branches can be bristly. The foliage is glossy and light green. The spring or summer
bloom is followed by red hips in the fall. The plant is thought to be native to Manchuria
and Korea. (1-gal, ER)
56. R. Muscipula. Species. White. Unknown. The white mild scented single rose
grows on a mannerly bush that reaches only four feet tall at a maximum and stretches out
to two and a half feet wide. So far the rose seems not to have produced any descendants
through cross breeding. (1-gal, ER)
57. R. Uncinella. Species. White/pink. 1811. Unknown. The best guess is that this
is one of the 60 some forms of the ‘Dog Rose’ and represents one form of r. canina.
Parsons identified this form as being of British origin found in fields and ditches with pale
red single flowers, bald ovate foliage and a growth habit of six to ten feet tall. Others
describe pink and white blooms of one and a half inches across in small clusters of two or
three, on long arching canes with strong steely tipped prickles found in the Caucasus. (1-
gal, ER)
58. *R. Watsoniana. Species. White to pink. C.1870. This rose is also known as the
‘Bamboo Rose’ for its mottled white variegated thin, sometimes blue-green and oblong
foliage. Reputedly it originated in a Japanese garden in 1870, according to Sala and
Krussman or in the garden of a Mr. Watson in Albany, New York according to Macaboy.
The flowers are white to pink, quite small enough that the stamens are larger than the
five petals. The blooms appear in large pyramidal corymbs. The bush grows up to three to
four feet tall with lithe red-green stems. The prickles are few in number but exceedingly
sharp. The rose does not appear in the wild, despite the species designation. (1-gal, CO)
59. Rose de Rescht. Portland. Dark pink. Before 1880. Unknown. The
arguments over the origins and discovery of this plant obscure its very real value as an
addition to the garden, a fact made evident by the RNS Award for garden merit in 1993
and reinforced by the ARS Garden rating of 8.8. ‘Dark pink’ hardly describes the crimson
red rosettes, aging with lilac tints that appear mostly singly among dense foliage, nestled
in a kind of ‘hunched shoulder’ pose on a bush that reaches three feet high and two and a
half feet. Some gardeners report continuous bloom of the two and a half inches blooms
that provide an intense damask fragrance. The rose grows beautifully in containers
without any signs of disease. Both Macoboy and Cairns report that the rose grows lazy
with age and needs severe pruning to restore floriferousness. (5-gal, IW)
Fixed Sale Roses
60. Seagull. Hybrid Multiflora. White. 1907. Pritchard. For a long time, this was
the most popular white climbing rose. One inch white blooms emerged from pink tinged
buds in huge pyramidal trusses and bloomed in the thousands on a twelve foot climber
that Reddell recommended as ‘companiable’ plant for a tree. A moderate multiflora
fragrance enhances gray-green foliage. The stamens are so far to the edge of the yellow
color range as to be described as ‘orange’ in some reports. The prickles are large and
vicious, enough to draw blood. The vigor of the plant belies its occasional susceptibility to
mildew. Still, the Royal National Rose Society awarded it a Gold Medal for Garden Merit in
1993. (5-gal, IW)
61. Lady Hillingdon. Tea. Yellow Blend. 1910. Lowe & Shawyer. The yellow blend
color of the blooms edges toward apricot as opposed to lemon. The garden rating of 8.4 by
the ARS indicates the many fine qualities of this rose. Long, pointed buds of deep apricot
yellow open to progressively lighter shades in semi-double form with a moderate tea
fragrance. The bush will grow to six feet but sometimes lingers in the three foot zone. The
roses are borne mostly singly, although small clusters appear as well. The foliage changes
color as well from green in youth to dark purplish green in age. Arguably, the most popular
tea rose in the world, the roses hang down on the bush inviting viewers to look up and
admire the open blooms. (1-gal, RV)
Polyantha
62. Paul Crampel. Orange blend. 1930. Kersbergen. (2) The gene for orange
appeared in a polyantha as far back as 1887, but it took forty-three years of sporting and
re-sporting before orange actually made its appearance in this 1930 rose. The orange has
red tints and yellow undertones, but the two inch globular blooms appear in large clusters,
sometimes elongated, on a two by two bush with light green foliage. Selected by Baldo
Villegas as one of the best polyanthas to grow in the Sacramento Valley, the rose is
susceptible to a touch of mildew in the spring, but it outgrows this tendency as the plant
matures. (2-gal, 1-gal, JD)
63. Rita Sammons. Polyantha. Pink blend. 1925. Clarke Brothers. This pink sport
of ‘Mlle Cecile Brunner’ has buds that are so elegant and perfectly formed that for two
decades practically all high school prom corsages in the City of Portland were composed of
buds from this rose. The color of the rose is a little deeper than that of its parent, and the
pink spreads further down in the center. However, the candelabra effect is the same, as is
the three to four foot height, and the generally lack of thorns and prickles. The Clarke
nursery did not submit this rose to the ARS for Proof of the Pudding until the late 1940’s.
Roy Hennessey who was not overly kind to competitor’s roses declared that this rose was
the ‘only fragrant mass effect rose’ of its class. (1-gal, RV)
Photographer Credits
The following photographers’ pictures were used in the compilation of this year’s catalog:
Etienne Bouret (Ami Roses) Basye's Purple Rose, Pink Surprise, Denise Cassegrain, Awakening,
Mme Gregoire Staechelin, La Belle Sultane
Ami Roses Royal Lavender, Poema
Peter Alonso Mini Wings
Ashdown Roses Filigree, Ivor's Rose, Lynnie, Perennial Blue, Perennial Blush,
Smiling Jean, Rambling Rector, Marie Jeanne
Cass Bernstein Etoile de Mai
Paul Barden Jeri Jennings, Tantarra, Maria Leonida, Fair Molly, Gardenia,
Mrs. Sam McGredy, Iced Tea, Lindsay's Rose, Little Pinkie,
Mother Lode, Work of Art
Lisa Bullard Clytemnestra, Gilda, Mme Apolline Foulon, Madeleine Seltzer
Jim Delahanty Aptos, Super Jane, Black Ice, Doc, Fluffy Cloud, La Marne, Lauren,
Pink Gift, Paul Crampel
Beth Dewsbery, RSA, 2007 Kordes' Brilliant
Cliff Orent (EuroDesert Roses) Bukavu, Royal Show, Scarlet Ripple, Wickwar, Orchid Masterpiece,
Rose du Roi, Petite Francoise, Lady of the Mist, Poppy,
Rita Sammons
Bill Grant Antique Rose
Sharon J. Harris Purple Buttons, Baby Jane Clare, Mme Taft, Home Run(tm)
Jedmar Graves de Vayres
Photographer Credits
The following photographers’ pictures were used in the compilation of this year’s catalog:
Jeri Jennings Indian Love Call, Secret Garden Musk Climber, Vina Banks, Louise
Avenue, Dupuy Jamain, Forest Ranch Pom-Pom, Garberville HP,
Grandmom Schmidt, Setzer Noisette, White Pet, La Fraicheur,
Emily Gray, Winecup
justourpictures.com R. Watsoniana
Irene Lindsey Vintage Visalia
Gregg Lowery Commander Gillette
Robert Neil Rippetoe Manipur Magic, Avon, Irene Churucca, Smoky, Sunny June,
Petite Perle d'Or, Duchess de Brabant, Callista, Peachblow,
Eiffel Tower
Jean Marion Good 'n Plenty
Dona Martin Elizabeth Navarro, Verdun, Purezza
Nor'East Miniature Roses Ambiance, Baby Austin, Black Jade, Charmer, Cherry Hi, Gizmo,
Grace Seward, Green Ice, Halo Sweetie, Iced Raspberry(tm), Jean
Kenneally, Jim Dandy, Kristin, Overnight Scentsation(tm), Picotee
(tm), Roseketeer, Rowdy Roy, Sweet Chariot(tm)
Barbara Osterberg Kuroshinju, La Jolla, Lady Forteviot, Lorenzo Pahissa, Lavender
Spoon, Mableton Agrippina, Placerville White Noisette, Angel Rose,
Perle d'Or, Out of India, Peace
Ron Robertson R. Maximowicziana
Henrique Rodrigues Malicorne
Rogue Valley Roses Sunny South, Souvenir du Docteur Jamain, Focus, Cornelia
Photographer Credits
The following photographers’ pictures were used in the compilation of this year’s catalog:
John Starnes Jr. Fortuniana, Seagull
Jan Tolmasoff Pink Sweetie
Baldo Villegas Miss Ada, My Sunshine
Vintage Gardens Mrs. Lovell Swisher, Snowbird, Mrs. W. H. Cutbush, Paris Childhood,
Carol Amling
Vintage Rosery Celine Forestier, Lamarque, R. Palustris (Swamp Rose), Marie Daly,
Lady Hillingdon
Ingrid Wapelhorst Paul Ecke. Jr., Arkansas, Celebrate America, Graceland, Ava Rose,
Cimarosa, Benny Lopez, Souvenir de la Malmaison,
Gentle Persuasion, Maytime, Peach Blossom, Julia's Rose,
Rose de Rescht
Bill Wilkie Jim Delahanty
Luanne Wilson Ulrich Brunner Fils
~ The End ~
The Ventura County Rose Society would like to express
its gratitude to the Stagecoach Inn Museum Director,
Sandra Hildebrandt, and the Museum staff for their
permission to use the grounds for this auction as
well as their welcoming and positive attitude
every step of the way.