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I planted my Norma Major rose five years ago starting out as a budded maiden from Steve Singer at Wisconsin Roses.
It took a couple of years to establish, but now that it has, it is a wonderful garden rose for me. The bush is quite healthy and seems to handle very nasty winters with ease. IT is quick to attain a height of about 5'-6' tall in the Spring and starts blooming right away. Most flushes have 30+ blooms and they are very sturdy lasting two weeks or more while still maintaining a very nice exhibition form. They are lightly fragrant and make a wonderful cut flower. The description of Norma Major states this rose blooms in flushes, but quite frankly I think it is a continuous bloomer. Once it starts blooming in the Spring it will have at least 6 or 8 blooms on it all the time. And during flushes, it may have as many as 40 or 50 flowers on the mature bush. My bush has gotten so large now that it has to be moved out of the regular bed and planted all alone because it encroaches on its' neighbors, hiding them from view. All in all this rose makes quite a stunning pink display rose for the garden that is second to none.
My one criticism of this rose is that the foliage could be more dense. It can look a bit skimpy of leaves when it is fully grown. The spacing of the stems is the problem. The stems need to be a bit closer together to give it a fuller look, but this is really nit-picking to be honest.
Other than that one very slight drawback Norma Major makes a very nice garden display since the blooms are so beautiful and plentiful and the foliage does stay quite healthy. It never shows any signs of blackspot or mildew since I have had mine this past 5 years. I do spray my roses regularly.
John
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Your sharing of your experience and expertise is greatly appreciated.
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Could 'Norma Major's scent be described as fruity?
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Sadly, he is no longer with us, Heelin, so he can't answer.
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I have two young Julias Rose plants. They both produce flowers with very good scent and the growth habit is very upright. The foliage is more of the matte dull green color and in my opinion is a bit sparse and could be more dense. The stems are spaced a bit too far apart. However, that could improve a bit as the bushes mature over the next couple of years. My Julia's Rose plants have 5 leaflet sets as I remember.
I have tried to grow Cafe twice and both times the plant didn't survive the first year. The first plant lived until winter and succumbed to the winter temps even though it was overwintered in my unheated garage. I generally don't lose any of my "Pot Ghetto" overwintering in the garage but that particular year I lost 20 for some unknown bizarre reason, so I won't blame that on the rose. The second try with a Cafe plant was short lived as the own root plant I received only lived about 4 months. It was never vigorous and just faded away slowly. That was two years ago--2008--and I would like to give Cafe one more try before giving up on it completely.
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The brown-violet roses all seem to have a hard time growing on their own roots (at least for me). If you can get any of these brown/violet roses on a suitable rootstock for your climate (or graft them yourself), you will be pleased, I think. I am growing Julia's rose on it's own roots, and my experience is similar to yours -- not a particularly vigorous plant. I just got a plant of Cafe grafted on Pink Clouds by Burling (which is an excellent cold weather very vigorous rootstock by the way), and it looks like it is going to be a winner. Try Burlington roses, and see what she can do for you -- she also does custom grafting.
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Our 'Julia's Rose', growing in a warm - hot climate, sounds just like your descriptions. It's budded onto Fortuniana, which will often help with vigour, but this rose is not what I'd call a garden-worthy rose. It's not unhealthy, but quite sparse and spindly.
I think you're right about the brown/violet roses.
One for the cutting bed with the other ones we grow for the blooms and forgive the shortcomings of the bush?
I wonder if anyone can report a vigorous, well foliated plant of 'Julia's Rose'.
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I do agree that the brown/russet/violet roses seem to be poorer growers on their own roots. Most all of them I have grown seem to need a good rootstock under them. The one exception is the Terracotta HT that is a sport of the HT florist rose Leonidas. My Terracotta's and one other I have seen in person grow quite well on their own roots with no problem, including being very winter hardy with no added help from me in my zone 5b/6a area. I also grow Leonidas and I almost cannot believe that Terracotta is a sport of that bush. Terracotta is ten times the plant and rose that Leonidas has ever hoped to be. Terracotta is more vigorous, winter hardy, heavier blooming, has better flowers, denser foliaged, and way more disease resistant than Leonidas is. There is just no comparison between the two for me. It is a shame because I think when people see Terracotta is a sport of Leonidas they assume it is very like the parent except for the color which it is not in any way. Even the petal pigmentation is much better on Terracotta than Leonidas. And, Terracotta will set OP hips and I have never had any luck at all trying Leonidas as a pollen or seed parent either one. In short, I just have a hard time believing that Terracotta is a sport of Leonidas because there are way too many differences 'tween the two.
But, most of the brown/russet/coffee/lavender roses just aren't good doers on their own roots. Of course we shouldn't forget the brown floribunda Hot Cocoa of course. It too grows well own-root or budded either one and it seems to pass that vigor to it's offspring. I have seen some gorgeous huge bushes of Hot Cocoa that were own-root that were better than those budded onto multiflora or even fortuniana.
I have heard of using Pink Clouds as an understock but haven't seen any in person. I think I might try to purchase a couple of plants of Pink Clouds and give it a try myself.
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'Belle Epoque' does very well own-root. Its one of the exceptions imo. 'Ann Henderson' is probably okay own-root, but the dang thing mildews, even in the PNW.
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Excellent representation of the flower of Canary Diamond. This shows the color of the bloom in cooler weather when the color is a bit darker and it also shows the good petal arrangement and the nice high center these blooms can have. Sometimes the petals can get a bit muddled in the center but many times the centers are drilled perfectly. When all things are right, Canary Diamond blooms are the best yellow HT blooms in the garden.
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I agree with that assessment. Canary Diamond has consistently great shape and color in my Idaho garden.
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This is available from Palatine Roses in Canada as well.
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I wouldn't want to know where it is available from for I don't buy roses without a pedigree.
Imagine buying a yearling colt or filly without a pedigree.
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