After a week's abscence I finally got back to my land today,and was dismayed to see Durance (a Massad rose) with every single flower badly balled. True, we've been blessed with unusually rainy weather , considering that it's June,so it's easily explained by that. However, this rose is in a very prominent spot in my garden,and I'd really prefer to have something completely reliable in such a spot,so probably I'll move Durance. But should I even bother to keep it? It hasn't been in my garden very long-maybe about 2 years-so it's hard to form a fair opinion of it in my climate. Up until now, it really hasn't done much of anything to impress me, but things tend to be a bit slow at establishing themselves in my garden,so I write these issues off. But a tendency to ball...hmm. One grows roses for their flowers, right? and so,whilst I am willing to close an eye on some disease issues (Climbing Old Blush,for example, always defoiliates and looks wretched after it's big flush,but that flush is so adorable that I forgive it for it's down time),a reluctance to produce good flowers early in the season is something I want to avoid. I know that roses can and do grow out of some health issues,but do they grow out of defects such as the tendency to ball or proliferate excessively?

It would help to know where this rose is growing and what climate you have there.

If you've had a lot of wet weather, that would increase a tendency to "Ball." However, I have had roses that balled here in my conditions, to a degree that I never saw them open, no matter what the weather. Those roses are "no longer with us."

I don't care how well reviewed, or how great they are somewhere else, for someone else. If they look awful HERE, I don't need them.

Nope. Balling is a combination of damp/wet and petal texture. If the petals arent moisture resistant and get wet but don't dry out they kind of glue together and start rotting. Doesn't really happrn with roses with thicker petals or not overly petaled.

Thanks, folks. Maybe Durance is destined for the compost ,then. I SO love the rain, and am SO grateful for it, and I think maybe I just don't want a rose that doesn't appreciate it as well. For now it's going to stay-I cleverly broke two ribs, so digging is off the table for me until July. In the mean time I'll think it over. But I have never, ever regretted getting rid of E. Veyrat Hermanos! and in fact still-years later-feel satisfied with myself for sp-ing that wretched baller...