I really want this rose to work in my garden, but will be digging it up soon. The blooms are very pretty but infrequent, and only last 1-2 days. It also has TERRIBLE blackspot resistance, to the point of being defoliated for most of the season.
La Park is a yellow to apricot ground with subtle pink striping, less contrasty than many other stripes. It blooms freely , and has a nice dense compact habit, good general health. The fragrance is highly variable...sometimes faint, grassy and unimpressive, at other times wonderfully strong and perfumey. It keeps its stripes well in hot weather, when many striped varieties are nearly solid colored. I do wish the blooms lasted a day or two longer, they are a bit on the loose side. Otherwise I think it is a good addition to the garden, and I like that it’s named for Park Seed Company, whose catalog was my wishlist for many winters.
Good review! Your photos look better than the ones on the Jackson & Perkins website. I've toyed with getting this one...I'm in Houston and I see you're in Texas...how did this one do over the summer?
Hello Dross, La Park did not have any issue with the hot summer, it was a real trooper. Very nice habit and good rebloom, able to kept decent petal count and bloom size. Only issue is the blooms are a bit fleeting. By autumn it had grown into a good sized shapely bush covered with nice buds, but alas an early frost precluded a great fall flush. Looking forward to good things from this one, definitely a keeper!
I’ve enjoyed reading your comments on various roses as well!
