Perennials: What\'s Blooming #3, 2 by DonnaMack

DonnaMack wrote:
I was fortunate enough to buy roses from Pickering in their last season of 2014. An amazing Stanwell Perpetual (now almost six feet tall), 2 Morden Blush and an Enfant de France. Over the years, 21 roses! I have to say that for me in a northern garden they were my favorite provider, and had roses that were difficult to find in America (Enfant de France is only available at one other domestic supplier).

And then there were those two foot bareroots. Yes, they were grafted, but I never lost one because of their excellent instructions. And they were grafted onto hardy stock, as opposed to David Austin\'s roses, which are grafted on Dr. Huey, was is particularly unsuitable for northern climates (around here, Dr. Huey grafts are what remain of dozens of hybrid teas). I would buy four bareroots at a time, because shipping for three or four roses was, tops, $18.00 (which is what it often costs to ship ONE rose). But your chance of loss is greater if you unwrap four roses and try to plant them all.

Because they were so big, they were cheap to ship and matured in about two years. Talk about immediate gratification!

Then they emphasized their instructions, and they were, basically - don\'t even unwrap the rose - go dig a perfect hole first. So I dug four perfect holes, leaving the roses unwrapped and ignoring other company\'s instructions to take them right out and soak them. It took two days, but he was right.

But what I miss the most are \"Joel\'s picks). He had a list of recommended roses. When I was comparing roses, I would go to the list, and he was always spot on. I would guess that at least 15 of my roses were on his list. If I was seeking a rose and got down to two or three his pick was what I would go with. Better yet, if you were looking for a plant they did not have (I was looking for Morden Snow Beauty, which they did not have and which I now read is somewhat weak) he would take the time to respond to your email. He recommended Heidesommer, a fabulous scented Kordes rose that I loved. When I was looking for a particular climber, he suggested Harkness\'s \'High Hopes\". Fabulous. I cannot find that list of his picks no matter how hard I try. I\'d love to get my hands on it.

I am finding now that my best substitute is High Country Roses, simply because I discovered that roses grown at high altitude in my zone can actually be planted in fall. And he has some very unusual roses, like the Canadian \'Navy Lady\' and Morden\' \'Snow Beauty\' . And I order from Antique Rose Emporium despite the expense because I wanted another \'Enfant\' and they were the only remaining supplier.

But I will always be grateful to the wonderful people at Pickering. I wrote him a note telling him how much I and others will miss them. For the northern grower, they were great!

So here is my little salute to their wonderful roses:

Morden Blush. Quadra, Marie Pavie, Constance Spry, Sea Foam