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Dear Robert,
You have a photo 7604 on the 'Compassion' rose pages which is exactly the same picture to be found last on the 'Mischief' rose pages with a different number 7637 and shows a salmon/coral bud beginning to unfurl. I love the photo by the way but which rose is it - 'Mischief' or 'Compassion'?
Also, I would like to know if a bloom of 'Mischief' is very fragrant when placed in a vase of water - anyone?
Some roses are more fragrant in a vase and can fill a room with scent but still have just a basic rose scent when you put your nose in them to sniff whilst they are on the plant.
The HMF pages state elsewhere that 'Mischief' won the RNRS 'Clay Cup for Fragrance' in 1961 but a number of books including the RNRS Annuals don't mention this award for 'Mischief' at all and it is usually described as having a 'mild' scent with a score of 5/10.
Mischief looks a bit like a leggy old 5 foot hybrid tea with beautiful pink/orange-blended bloom which generated an amazing exotic scent of vanilla/lime/strawberries (when put in a vase) and used to grow on a friend's South-facing shed here in South East England. The blooms were no more than 4 inches diameter but were all beautifully formed with rolled back petals like 'Red Devil's or 'Wendy Cussons' and similar to Steve Rousell's 'Clovie' in colour but a neater, smaller more globular bloom than all three giving the illusion of being taller than its diameter.
They didn't fade in sun or get spotty in the rain.The supporting peduncles - occasionally in pairs or rarely threes were light green, very slim but strong enough and had small prickles.
I regret never digging up and saving the plant and taking cuttings when my neighbour moved house and he has since passed away. The closest rose I've found so far is 'Prima Ballerina' but she can have flatter blooms and wavy petals and doesn't have the orange tint. My mystery rose's blooms all looked uniform and spiralling and not filled, ruflled or cabbage-like as with many Hybrid Teas.
Jack Harkness wrote in his book 'Roses' that he would have given 'Prima Ballerina' a 10/10 for scent and 'Fragrant Cloud' a 9 so I thought I'd grow PB and find out but can anyone recommend 'Mischief' or someting else orange/pink for (in the vase) fragrance?
Chris
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I think that more likely 'Compassion' as I don't remember growing 'Mischief', but I probably did at some point.
Honestly it could have been either. Both photos are now deleted.
I don't want to mislead anyone.
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Hello,
I garden in Las Vegas Nevada and our gardening conditions are similar in many ways. I am re-landscaping my garden and have purchased many own root David Austin roses and Old Garden Roses.
Could you provide any advice regarding successfully cultivating the soil in preparation for these roses? My sandy soil is alkaline and void a lot of nutrients. I am in the process of having it professionally tested. I am partial to pink roses. Are there any roses that you can recommend or could you please list the ones that have been bullet-proof in your garden?
Any advice or information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Lynn
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HI Lynn, as you know roses can be quite forgiving. That said, any effort made toward preparing the root zone ahead of planting will be well rewarded. Your soil analysis will give you your best clues as to what to use.
I'm afraid our soils burn through root zone organic amendments quickly and we're left with mineral subsoil in short time. Mulches are our best investment in the long term for moisture retention and slow feeding.
My roses are a combination of own-root and budded. Those budded usually have an easier time of it in terms of tolerating less than ideal soil conditions. A few of the best Austin pinks here are/were 'Mary Rose', 'Eglantyne', 'Pretty Jessica'. My best pink is old pink is 'Souvenir de la Malmaison'. I'm also quite fond of 'Tiffany', 'Yves Piaget', and 'Friendship'.
I'm a sucker for fragrance. Selection will depend on placement and usage.
If you have questions about anything specific I can give you my thoughts.
I envy you the new garden. Best wishes, Robert
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Yes, I'm interested in seeds of the blue "Joyberry" offspring that you breed.
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Greetings, I don't have seed to share but might be able to send you a rooted plant.
I'm not looking for much these days. I have far too many roses already.
I'll try sending you a PM. I don't know why my account won't accept messages. I'll look at my settings. I prefer that messages be allowed.
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Question about Bohemian Rhapsody for my zone 5a: Will it be about the size of Knock-out (4' x 4'), same hardiness, and always blooming like Knock-out? I killed Knock-outs since they are thorny and I'm thinking about replacing them with less thorn Bohemian Rhapsody (I wonder if I can cut a branch for the vase since it's fragrant?) Thank you for any info.
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Usually grows a bit wider than tall, maybe 3' tall by 4' -5' wide after 3-4 seasons. Repeat is good, and so is fragrance. It's mostly smooth. Any branches that produce prickles should be pruned away. I've only had one branch produce a few prickles here and there.
Hardiness is untested. I'm guessing it will be ok. It looks as if you grow a few roses I thought might be too tender for your zone.
I've never tried it as a cut flower. I'm guessing it's probably not the best, maybe a few days before shattering. I try to breed roses that self clean for the garden.
Best wishes, Robert
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Thank you, Robert, for that info. I grow some roses in pots, to be winterized in my garage, like Annie Laurie McDowell. The rest I planted deep, next to the house with southern or western exposure. I also bury them with extra 4" of dirt after the first killing frost.
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