I'm trying to remember if my nursery had that one up there or not. It's close to Munstead Wood it color it looks like. I have a feeling I may be replacing Black Baccara so need an excuse to go back up there.

Mike said: I went to three of my favorite nurseries today, primarily with the intent of picking up some perennials, annuals, and shrubs...

Although I wasn't intent on buying any roses, I always enjoy perusing what's on offer, and found myself stopping to gaze at 'South Africa'. I then remembered that Sue once posted that 'South Africa' is one of the best performing roses in her garden, and is nearly always in bloom. So I checked the price, and grumbled to myself that I didn't want to pay the $55 price they had on it, and wondered how roses had become so expensive, and moved on.

Sooo... I confess. I have no willpower over roses. Today I went back and got South Africa.

Mike said: Sooo... I confess. I have no willpower over roses. Today I went back and got South Africa.

Like I caved and got another Firefighter yesterday. Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow....................

I love my South Africa. That's one purchase you won't regret except for wishing you had another one or two....

Not sure why since I'm still plagued with Japanese Beetles... new this year after not buying very many roses in recent years:
Golden Celebration
Iceberg
Windermere
Honeymoon™ Arborose® by Kordes

Vicky! How are you? How are all of your animals? Show us some pictures of them.

Great to hear from you, Vicky. Tell us more!

I picked up a nice specimen of 'True Sincerity' this weekend at one of my favorite nurseries.

I want to order more roses but I can't even figure out where to put the ones still in pots. I'll get to them once other stuff is taken care of outside there. They will be going in good and loose soil. I'm doing the hard as a rock soil stuff right now.

Was at a local nursery last week and they had a Gertrude Jeckel with lots of buds. I desperately wanted to put in in my cart but resisted. I think i found a spot in the garden for it, any issues with this one? I've heard its big and thorny.

I swore to myself that I was only buying one new rose this year (Nicole Carol Miller from Witherspoon), not counting trades with my rare rose trading partners, and I stuck to it until yesterday. Heirloom is having a 25% off sale this weekend. But I ended up ordering four: Heirloom, Velvet Fragrance, and Julia's Rose (all faves from the past that I've wanted to replace). Plus Rosie the Riveter, who I've been circling for awhile now. If you're in the right mood at the time...

jpm995 said: Was at a local nursery last week and they had a Gertrude Jeckel with lots of buds. I desperately wanted to put in in my cart but resisted. I think i found a spot in the garden for it, any issues with this one? I've heard its big and thorny.

I have Getrude Jekyll....I bought it as bare roots from the David Austin website. I love the colour and scent of the blooms but I find it to be VERY leafy. I joke it's more of a bush than a rose. I often cut out leaves throughout the season so air can properly circulate around the rose. It's also the thorniest rose I own...very strong, thick thorns too...be sure to wear heavy gardening gloves when handling it.

I would really love to add either David Austin's 'The Lark Ascending' or 'Lady of Shalott' to my garden but both roses are hard to find in nurseries here in southern Ontario.

Unfortunately, the David Austin website is not shipping to Canada this year. I may be able to order LoS from a nursery in British Columbia next year.

Does anyone have experience with either of these roses? Any issues?

@jpm995
I purchased GJ from DA this year. I ended up moving it 3 times (yikes..) 5 hrs sun then 4 hours sun as it was wilting and not producing many leaves with too much sun. On the 3rd move it gets about 2 hours of early sun now with 2-3 hours of dappled sun. It is no longer wilting and is growing with vigor now. It is very leafy and I hear it does succumb easily to blackspot so thinning out the leaves might make sense. I haven't tried that yet. Good luck.

@CRosarian
I have grown LoS for 3 years now. I moved it this year because I think it was not getting enough sun. It is touted as one that tolerates shade but 4 hours was not enough. I found it is more susceptible to rose saw fly. They seem to love it. Before moving it I cut it back to the ground and put it in 5-6 hours of sun. Flowers are lovely, lasting several days, and looks great with a dark rose such as Munstead Wood or Princess Anne of Kent. Lark Ascending does well in 4-5 hours of sun and is not too fussy. Mine grows with vigor so I end up cutting it back 1/3 once or twice a season. Otherwise it would be 6' tall. Japanese beetles really go for LA. Other than that it is not too fussy. Flowers are light and airy, and last 1-2 days. I am in zone 4, Minnesota so the season is shorter with more sunlight and more robust as far as plant growth. Everything knows time is short so the plants grow a little differently here.

I just ordered Strike It Rich from High Country. Anyone have it and if so, how does it do? I've read it's very disease resistant. I hope so because I usually stay away from yellow roses.

MNdigger said: @CRosarian
I have grown LoS for 3 years now. I moved it this year because I think it was not getting enough sun. It is touted as one that tolerates shade but 4 hours was not enough. I found it is more susceptible to rose saw fly. They seem to love it. Before moving it I cut it back to the ground and put it in 5-6 hours of sun. Flowers are lovely, lasting several days, and looks great with a dark rose such as Munstead Wood or Princess Anne of Kent. Lark Ascending does well in 4-5 hours of sun and is not too fussy. Mine grows with vigor so I end up cutting it back 1/3 once or twice a season. Otherwise it would be 6' tall. Japanese beetles really go for LA. Other than that it is not too fussy. Flowers are light and airy, and last 1-2 days. I am in zone 4, Minnesota so the season is shorter with more sunlight and more robust as far as plant growth. Everything knows time is short so the plants grow a little differently here.

Thank you so much! This is great info for me to consider. Japanese beetles killed my Queen Elizabeth grandiflora last year (attacked the blooms and were nesting in her roots) so I think the Lark Ascending is out of the question for me.....I don't want to attract more beetles to my garden!

I gave my mother Munstead Wood for Mother's Day last year....the colour is mesmerizing. It would definitely look amazing next to LoS.

I had ordered zero but now, I have lost four roses each North and South.

Cane disease got the ones up North (could probably have saved one but my days of being finicky with roses has sailed) and the ones down South it was probably partly due to drought last summer and my not tending to any gardens there as I normally would due to auto problems.

Not sure if I will look this spring or wait till next spring.

@RpR
Too bad about your roses. It's hard when you can't be around to handle the drought. We have hardly gotten any rain here. Third year now. Snowmelt helped but drought is starting up again. I don't mind dithering a bit with the roses but too much is too much. Hopefully things will turn around and you will find a few new treasures for next year.