This thing looks fascinating, and McGredy's are usually decent things to grow. Bred in NZ, but apparently not in commerce in NZ or Australia. Why not? What happened?
I'm very impressed with this rose and feel fortunate to have it. We just had a heat wave with 90 degree fahrenheit temperatures that fried some of my roses. But as long as I watered it well, my young Marriotta rose plant took the heat with no problem at all.
This rose is very striking, with its overlapping spiral of petals that resemble those of a zinnia. The delicate white border around the deep pink petals is spectacular. Sam McGredy, the breeder, was a specialist in 'hand-painted' roses, and in fact, Mariotta is descended from Little Artist, one of McGredy's hand-painted series. Apart from its unique color, Mariotta is a healthy, well-branched mini with fine disease resistance. It deserves to be more widely grown. Claire, St Louis, Zone 5/6
