Back in the 70's it seemed Jackson & Perkins had a strangle hold on "everything:" if THEY released it, it just got flying marks.....was sold everywhere....many of their introductions seemed to deflect any criticism at all (First Prize has an ugly plant, blackspots and clusters; Pristine never blooms)...............THAT being said, as there now IS some interest in the 60's-70's roses, it is odd that whenever I am literally SHOCKED a rose is no longer at ALL available, it is usually a J&P?! Not sure WHAT this says regarding horticultural business sociology?
Removing emotion from the equation, Patrician is far better deserved of "being around" now than so many that are still offered be it in bands/specialty or the general budded market. Yes, it gets some blackspot, what DOESN'T from that era? The buds are gorgeous! Long, tapered, and it rarely clusters! The scent is as good as its parent, "Fragrant Cloud!" I always REALLY LIKED this rose. Grew it in Chico, CA and Columbus, OH 1977-1990 and it never gave me any "issues": and generally made me very happy. Sort of assumed it would always "be around" and apparently I was wrong..............it is absolutely a WORTHY rose! Most definately worthy of someone, somewhere sending cuttings or budwood to someone, somewhere..............I mean, MARMALADE is offered by more than one grower at this point.............lovely though it CAN be.......drum roll................REALLY?!?!
I will be growing PATRICIAN again next year as I got budwood from UC Davis and will have a maiden. It is EXACTLY what you think you would get from the parentage. It is extremely fragrant, it never clusters, it is a strong plant. I grew it in the 70's and again in the mid-80's and it performed the same in Chico, CA as it did in Columbus, OH. I don't really like red roses I will admit and I am running out of room and could only take on very few this coming spring but this one WILL come on because I am not sure WHY it wasn't a success. Patrician seemed LOST in the J&P Catalog in the 70's and 80's. Even if not an AMAZING rose it is a GOOD rose, solid, really solid. This one seems to me to be AARS quality to be honest. At least per the 70's. At least as AARS plays out, etc.
Funny that I see this as I am getting ready to order this from the FPS program at UCal-Davis. Glad to see a comment on it since I had never heard of it.
