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Discussion id : 172-935
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Initial post 3 days ago by christineb
Which roses give you the longest lasting blooms (on the plant, not necessarily in a vase)?

The best in my SE England garden are:
Dublin Bay, each flower lasts 4 weeks
Parade, 3 weeks
Ginger Syllabub, 2 weeks
Elmshorn, 2 weeks
(I don't seem to notice the bushes as much as the climbers.)

I think longer lasting flowers make for the most color. Blooms that only last a few days usually repeat faster and can be very floriferous (my stand outs are For Yours Eyes Only and Alibaba), but I really prefer longer lasting blooms. I can’t understand why no one talks about this! I would always go for the longest lasting flowers when buying a rose if this info was available, but it is quite hard to find.

Most newer rose varieties only last a few days each. I think in recent decades, rose breeders have concentrated on healthy foliage and fragrance, whereas in the 1950s-70s long lasting blooms seem to have been a higher priority, and most last a week or more. Older roses than that I think vary by family, but I don't have a lot of experience with them.

Thoughts?
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Reply #1 of 4 posted 3 days ago by HubertG
At the moment in winter in Sydney I've noticed my 'Europeana' is giving bloom that doesn't seem to age, lasting for weeks.

I have a pale pink seedling which I bred, 'General Schablikine' x 'Lorraine Lee', which has given winter flowers lasting in good condition for nearly four weeks. It was surprising since neither parent lasts that long, 'General Schablikine' in particular lasting maybe four days at best.
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Reply #2 of 4 posted 2 days ago by christineb
Thanks for your reply. Interesting that the seedling can differ from the parents in this way. Should I look forward to your new rose coming on the market someday? ;)
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Reply #3 of 4 posted 2 days ago by HubertG
Christineb, it's just a hobby for me, but if I did ever produce something really worthwhile I wouldn't rule out trying to introduce it.

Regarding long lasting roses, I'd say probably any rose initially bred for the florist industry that has become popular in gardens stands a good chance of lasting longer than average. I bought on impulse 'Our Vanilla' a few weeks ago, and it is supposed to be such a type of rose, and it is described as having papery petals. It's already sending out shoots, so I'll let you know later on how long they last.

I remember reading an old reference that 'Kaiserin Auguste Viktoria' was outstanding in how well it lasted. I tried growing it years ago but rarely got a flower.

'Peter Frankenfeld' is popular in Australia and for me it lasts well on the bush. It does have quite a lot of the early twentieth century American florist roses in its background, which might explain that.

'Camp David' is another one I grow with lasting flowers. I even made a post a couple of years ago about mine lasting two and a half weeks. It's a surprisingly good winter flowerer here too.
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Reply #4 of 4 posted 2 days ago by Lee H.
From casual observation, my top 4:

Beauty Secret
Stars ‘n’ Stripes
Florentina
O.L. Weeks

The latter is very resistant to fading and bluing, and may also be the most vigorous and floriferous hybrid tea in my garden. Yet I’ve found little about it in the literature.
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