Crimson Ramblers in our garden (from two French nurseries) have rebloomed now in December, though only with semi-double blooms. Seems unusual, so maybe the clone in France is incorrect. Any experience with rebloom of this rose?
I have three plants from two sources and I’ve never seen any rebloom. However they are all on distant fences so can’t guarantee that, but I will watch.
There are occasionally a few flowers on Michael Walsh's ramblers in the late fall, some of which are descended from Crimson Rambler. In particular 'Lady Blanche' which does not appear to have any CR in its genes, more like Ayrshire from its general look and habit. I was surprised that the Setigera hybrid 'Captain Kidd' gave a few flowers in late fall this year.
Aristocrats of the Garden pp. 8-9. (1917) Ernest Wilson
In 1878, Prof. R. Smith sent from Japan to Mr. Jenner in England a Rose which the recipient named The Engineer in compliment to the profession of its donor. In course of time this Rose came into possession of a nurseryman named Gilbert who exhibited some cut flowers of it under the above name in 1890, and received an Award of Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. Soon afterward Messrs. Chas. Turner, of Slough, purchased the stock and changed the name to Crimson Rambler. This Rose is generally assumed to be a hybrid between Rosa multiflora and some China Monthly Rose, but to me this view is untenable. I do not think it has any China Monthly blood in it at all. It has long been cultivated in China and I consider that, like the Seven Sisters Rose, it is a sport from the common, wild pink-flowered China Rambler (R. multiflora, var. cathayensis). These various Chinese Roses were introduced from Chinese gardens where they have been cultivated from time immemorial and their wild prototypes were not discovered, much less introduced, until comparatively recently.
The true Rambler Rose (R. multiflora) is a native of Japan and has single white flowers in large panicles. This was sent to Lyons, France, from Japan in 1862, by Monsieur Coignet, an engineer. The pink-flowered Chinese variety has only just been dignified by a distinctive name.
This rose is at our place very susceptible to mildew! It covers all the leaves and buds, and the leaves fall off. Even the buds do not open properly because of it!
Move it Jay-Jay. Because of the name, people treated 'Turner's crimson Rambler' like a rambler and put it up against the walls of the houses where it felt smothered. It developed mildew in these situations and became known as a leper, a mildew-breeder. This rose likes the “wide open spaces” of cool climates. It hates warm climates and was never quite happy in the Riviera, seldom bloomed in Florida, and was climatically unsuited to California. If you prepare a good root run right from the start, and plant it as a pillar or large shrub in the open, where it will receive air circulation from all sides, then you will have a sight that will gladden your heart each spring. Patricia
Thank You for Your reaction Patricia, it was for me an eyeopener. I already gave up the "Crimson Rambler", but next year it wil become the place it deserves. My brother has a big open field next to his new home, and I think he and his wife will adopt it AND enjoy its beauty! Their garden needs still some "furnishing". Always when You load up Your photo's, there is again that surprise effect because there often is again another, for me unknown, old rose in all its aspects! Thank You for sharing Your enthousiasm! Greetings from the opposite site of the world, Jay-Jay.
Greetings and waves back to you up there Jay-Jay. My reaction was rather abrupt I am afraid, but I was taking a short-cut and just cutting-and-pasteing from an article I did on 'Turner's Crimson Rambler' in February 2008 for my local newspaper. I am glad you like the old roses too. I don't recall who wrote the lines below but I am sure she wrote them just for us. Patricia - down under.
One comes back to those old-fashioned roses as one does to old music and poetry. A garden needs old association, old fragrances, as a home needs things that have been lived with.
An excellent black and white photo from 1913 can be viewed by searching the Historic Image Collection of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden: http://www.bbg.org/cgi/hic/hic_search.cgi
