"Unique Too" wrote:
"Mark. Gooley" writes:

"For those who prefer a smaller rose[bush]." Okay, if you like
miniatures or if you have a small garden, that's a selling point.
I'm fortunate enough to have room, and I want BIG rosebushes.

I have a small lot, but I really like the BIG plants. Of the 50 or
so roses I have, only 10 are less than 3 X 3 and that includes
four miniatures.

What I'm missing from your post is why. Why do you want
recent introductions when there are so many oldies but goodies
out there? I ran out of room long before I aquired all the ones
that fit your requirements of "huge plants, remontant, and
strongly scented."

Yeah, on reflection you're probably right. My big-variety plants
are still small (lack of proper care, and of course ravages of
Bambi and chums): I haven't see e.g. my two plants of New Dawn
putting on a big show, and the Noisettes I acquired this spring are
blooming but they are still small. My Mermaids are more like
brine shrimp so far (I'm told that they grow slowly when small;
one rosarian at the ARS chapter in Gainesville says that his is
over twelve feet high and across).

Then again, the own-root Clair Matin I planted this spring has just
put up several six-foot canes right from the base (it's next to a trellis
near the trailer, and the deer avoid it). Patience with the real giants
might be key.

I think I've been having unrealistic expectations of a recent
introduction being something that looks and repeats like the
best of the English Roses but smothers houses given half a
chance, when I should be giving my Noisettes and other
potential giants more time and a better situation -- and maybe
get more of them. (Raised beds may be a necessity in wetter
bits of my land, too, what with roses not liking wet feet.)

Mark., trying to chill out and be realistic