"JimS." wrote in message
news:Aae2a.76346$be.56636@rwcrnsc53...

ANYWAY- I see Iceberg makes lots of people's "Top 30" lists, and I've
also
seen easy local availability of Fabulous! On www.helpmefind.com I noticed
that Fabulous! is descended from Iceberg. Any comments on one vs. the
other? (and not, "hey, just get both..."...can't do it!)


Hello Jim,

"I don't know nothing about Fabulous, Mizz Scarlet",
but I can give you an earful about Iceberg. Climbing
Iceberg that is. Gorgeous, fragrant, hates to be pruned,
it punishes you by holding on to her blooms for dear life
if you cut a single inch of her day-old wood. Bees love it
so don't plant her near any walk that you may not want
to find filled with workers.

It is a beautiful rose. I never grew the others because
having that one was enough. It was heavy with canes and
heavy with blooms, and at least here in Portland bloomed
early in June and then again I think it was either September
or October in the years we had Indian Summer. Then she
went clear until Thanksgiving. I imagine that the others have
to be as good or better as the climber, and for the fragrance
alone Iceberg is worth the trouble in my book. She can get
really big, tho. But I imagine you are going for anything
but the climber? If I remember correctly I got it at Edmunds
when they still had the greenhouses in Oregon.

Can I enable you into an ogr instead? I have seen some
gorgeous ones and my favorite still is Kaiserina Augusta
Viktoria. That is one babe to die for! We went to Washington
last Sunday, all because of JD who show me the way to Bird's
and got both Rouge Royale and Taboo, the latter because BH
fell in love with it when we moved into this house and while
cleaning the back I found cane borers going in and out of it
like through a tunnel. A hole as big as a fifty cents piece! So
since he loves the color, I am putting it among the old girls
and see how it holds its own. What else are you replacing,
moving, shovel pruning?

Allegra