On 7/27/12 3:07 AM, Bill who putters wrote:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/27/ny...vigorous-and-s
elf-sufficient-rose-in-the-bronx.html?_r=1&hp

A good read.


Unfortunately, the modern roses cited in the article generally have poor
scent. This is a result of trying to develop a universal rose.

At one time, growers (mostly amateur hobbyists) would develop roses for
their local areas. The article cited black spot, which does not appear
where I live; but rust and mildew are too common here. Unlike the
twice-a-year show cited in the article, Roses here bloom and rest and
bloom and rest again and again from April until pruned in December or
January. (I often cut a bouquet for my wife while pruning.) On the
other hand, many of our roses are not as hardy as those in the New York
Botanical Garden; they don't have to be as hardy here. Many of my roses
are quite fragrant.

Today, however, roses are being developed by commercial growers for
planting from San Diego to Boston, from Seattle to Miami. Color,
disease resistance (even resistance to diseases that are localized),
hardiness, plant vigor, and duration of bloom period all have a priority
over perfume.

By the way, thank you for bracketing the article's URI with and . As
you can see from my quote of your original message, the URI was broken
into two lines and could not be used as a link with a single click.
Your bracketing meant that I could easily piece it back together.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean, see
http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary