Does anyone know the story with this rose? The pictures are GORGEOUS, but finding it is a challenge. I missed Palatine's offering (they're now sold out). Pickering has it, but won't sell to the US. HMF doesn't show any US retailers. David Austin says that it only grows well in the cooler climate of the UK thus they aren't selling in the US (I asked why it's in Australia and Europe), as if all the US was hot. I asked if they had licensed it to one US grower for US sales only (but if so, why could Palatine sell to the US?) -- they said no, they hadn't. Anyway, what information there is seems to be conflicting. Any thoughts? A related question: how wrong/complicated/problematic would it be to buy it in Canada and bring it across the border into the US? I'm thinking that might not be allowed (besides being a really long drive!).

Thanks,

Lisa

Lisa - I have no problem getting things when I lived close to Canada.. when I lived in upstate NY (about 20 miles from the Canadian border) we would go shopping there all the time because the dollar was much stronger than the loon (CAD). If I had the chance to go up there to buy it, I would in a heartbeat!

BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You must be EXTREMELY careful on bringing plants back across the border. Border patrol has been ramping up because of drugs going back & forth and I'm not sure if they'll let you bring it back stateside w/o some kind of Dept of Ag certification or something along those lines.

On a different note, I found it on a Dutch website (http://www.1000islands.nl/shop...) and I just sent them a quick email asking if they ship to the US and, if so, how much. Might be easier that way.

I ordered it last year from Palatine and wasn't sure how it would fare after I dug it up for the move so ordered a second one as soon as Palatine opened shop a couple of weeks ago.
And yes, you do have to have a Dept of Ag certification to bring plants across the border, no sneaking, not worth the risk!

I ordered mine from Hortico two years ago and it's a beauty! Ordering from Hortico is always risky, however, so I hesitate to recommend it.

Pickering's prices are so low that they can't accommodate special license or patent fees. That's why they have some roses that can't be shipped to the United States. Other nurseries either charge a little more for those roses or absorb the cost of those fees by charging higher prices across the board.

Zuzu - do you think that Burling could make a custom cutting?

I think by the time she does that, you'd be able to get it from another source.

Did I ever send this? I wrote it hours ago.

Thank you all so much for the encouragement (and cautions!). I appreciate it hugely. I'll let you know what ends up happening.

Well, Hortico doesn't list Summer Song anymore, and neither Pickering nor Garden Imports will send it to the US. I just don't get this......(or the rose, for that matter!). So, those of you with the rose will need to post lots of pictures!

Lisa

Yay!!! I got an email back from the Netherlands people.. and they seem pretty nice (if they can't figure out my gender.. no one can. :( My name's too ambiguous.) Here's what they had to say. And this is for BAREROOT ROSES:

Thank you for your interest in our website. To ship a single rose to the US we would have to charge € 24,- ( 32 USD) for the shippingcosts. This is for a package of maximum 2 kilos. We can fit about 5 roses in a 2 kilo package. So you could decide to order more roses for the same shippingcosts.

Officially we are not allowed to ship roses to the US without phytosanitary certification. Since this certification is very expensive (starting at € 70,-) we have shipped before without certification. We then put on the customs papers that the content is 'garden decoration'. The shipments we send before (as far as we know) all arrived to the customers. Shipping without certification will be at your own risk though.

Kind regards,

Marielor and Nico van Aarle
1000 Islands Roses
Rhoonstraat 10
5035 AG Tilburg
tel: 013-5700936 / 06-29571597
[email protected]
www.1000islands.nl

From the Netherlands? No way would I risk it. My last daylily order was sniffed out by dogs and held up while they inspected it (it was fine), not worth the risk falsifying documents just to possible get roses suffering a long transportation trip, in my humble opinion.

I would agree.

Skiekitty: You are so kind to research that for me. Thank you! I am, however, too much of a follow the rules kind of person to push the international boundaries - plus I'd feel badly mobilizing all those resources just because I'm impatient for a new rose (which I really don't need anyway, but then that could said of a fair amount we all do!). I will live vicariously through others for another year! Thanks all, for your thoughts.

Lisa

ah, had no idea as I have only ordered bird supplies from England and music from Germany, clothes from India, & decor from Russia (plus plastic crap from China) but never live plants from Europe.

Lisa - You'll just have to be like me, waiting patiently 'til next year and then jump on it as fast as you can before they're all out. And, you never know, maybe one of the other distributors may open up with some cuttings?

Does anyone know if Cliff may have it? Or could get it? I'd think (bad me, I shouldn't be thinking, not my strong suit) that Green Romantica would survive here, why not Summer Song? That's just a lame excuse not to ship it here.

I assumed that summer song was a new rose, guess I was wrong. I love the pictures of it. I like it even more now that I read that it does best in cooler climates. I hope an American own root nursery like chamblees starts to carry it.

It is a new rose, Andi, so it will be offered by all of the American nurseries soon. Canada is just quicker to get the English roses than we are. Next year it probably will be available from Garden Valley Ranch, Regan's, etc. Chamblee and the other own-root nurseries might have it the year after that.

Guess WHAT!!!! I'd written to Rahel at Palatine to ask to be put on the list for next fall, 2011, so that I don't miss again, which she very kindly agreed to do. But then later, emailed me back saying that someone had cancelled their order for Summer Song, and would I like it?!!!!!! So, I am beyond thrilled, partially at the rose, but mainly at Rahel's incredible thoughtfulness. Busy as can be, but remembered an individual and acted. Wow! Thanks for accompanying me on this journey.

Lisa

That's great news!

Lisa - !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I found that Rahel is a very nice person to work with! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I took a few pictures of my Summer Song today, as they age, they fade to this nice soft coral. LOVE this rose!

Oh, Sue --- I was excited before, but I'm beside myself now! Those are utterly gorgeous pictures. I am so missing the Bay Area (for gardening reasons -- family reasons make me happy to be here, but oh, gee, sometimes I ache for the garden there....). Thank you so much for the pictures. What general form does the bush have? I'm thinking I'd like to plant Summer Song with a deep purple clematis.

Thanks!!!