Rosa 'Royal Highness'

Rosa 'Royal Highness'

She failed me.  I gave her every chance over the course of 15 years.  She was one of my first rose purchases.  It was nearing the end of bareroot season.  I didn't know any better, didn't know that a fresh plant was a far  better choice than the kind that come with the roots packed  in sawdust in plastic bags, sitting  in the heat for weeks before  I came along and bought her.   She was never a good rose--the Rust was heavy and the flowers were few and far between, but I tried, Lord how I tried.  For six years. 

Rosa 'Royal Highness'

After six years, I decided to keep trying.  I got some good fresh growth, took a good cutting, and rooted  myself a new plant, discarding the grafted one.   Perhaps she'd be  better on her own roots.  The cutting grew.  It looked better than the discarded grafted plant.  A lot better.  I had hope.  I gave it nine more years of patient care--a ridiculous amount, an absurd--and finally today Mr. Shovel got his way. 



I would get a few flowers a year one or two of them absolute perfection, and  a lot of rust.  She failed  me.  I gave her every chance,  good soil, good fertilizer, good water,  protection from gophers and moles.  She failed me.  I did not fail her.  Some  battles are not worth fighting.  I should have known better.  We should  have known better. 

Rosa 'Royal Highness'

Comments

  1. Love this rose. In zone 10. Beatiful pocelain pink, nice petal count, fragrant, good in vase. Slow to establish, but worth it. Doesn't ball in hot spaces. Color much warmer then other pink roses. Nice fragrance. Exhibition quality, high pointed , open and loose for pruning. Love this rose. Keeper for warm pink pocelain looking rose.
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    1. A truly beautiful rose. I wish my plant had been more vigorous. It would be worth trying grafted onto fortuniana, which would give it more vigor in our climate. It has an offspring, 'Brides Dream', almost the same flower, more vigor.

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