Me me ME!! Ooh, I'm so glad to see a roses thread. I have about 30 roses planted around our little ranch, and I'm working on more. I ordered them from Chamblee's roses in Tyler TX, and I have been thrilled with them.
http://www.chambleeroses.com
There was a time when I would have never even attempted roses; I thought they had to be pruned and sprayed and babied. I'm totally lazy and not really good at gardening, so anything that I plant had better be "bullet proof". But after I "discovered" heirlooms and own-root roses, it opened up a whole new world for me in the garden...
I specifically bought heirloom and own-root roses that have been designated as "earth-kind" for Texas by Texas A&M horticulturalists. (That sounds like an "eco-nut" thing, but it simply means the roses do well without spraying or too much water). They have done magnificently, even in a drought and without a lot of attention. I did virtually nothing to prepare the soil, only fertilized once (with Miracle Gro) and still they grew! VERY disease resistant and hardy!
Here is my rose list so far:
Shrub, Climber and Landscape Roses
Belinda's Dream
Climbing Pinkie (4)
Reve D' Or
Dublin Bay
Sombruiel (mislabelled as "La Biche")
Buff Beauty
Climbing Cecile Brunner
Cherokee Rose
Mermaid (2)
Seafoam
Mutabilis
New Dawn
Love
Monteczuma
Climbing Joseph's Coat
Mrs. Oakley Fisher
and a GIANT unknown gloriously red grandiflora planted the gardener before me...
AND IN THE OTHER CORNER:
Teas, "Tea Types" and Hybrid Tea Roses (In the enclosed front "Rose Garden")
Heirloom
Baroness Henriette De Snoy
Maggie
Peach Beauty
Granada
Sweet Vivian
Autumn Damask
Sun Flare
Knock Out
I'm very excited about this year's "crop" of roses, since we are entering our third year after planting and I am hoping the recent rains will bring plenty of beautiful blooms...
As for heirloom tomatoes, I have three I am planting this year: Arkansas Traveler, Cherokee Purple, and Yellow Pear. I had great success with Yellow Pear, but I think it was simply too hot for Brandywine last year :P This year I'm going to test Arkansas Traveler and Cherokee Purple to see if they'll produce in the terrific Texas heat!
Hey, could we start "The Rose Garden" ping list?
That sounds like a great idea!
The ones I picked aren't same root, but they are disease resistant. After having grown roses near the gulf coast, I know how important that can be.
But worse than diseases are not enough light and too much bermuda grass sneaking in the rosebed! I HATE Bermuda grass.
I like hybrid teas myself, quickly followed by floribundas and then there are some nice grandifloras....*sigh*... I just have no land at the moment.
Have never tried climbers but, btw, the sweet peas are starting to bloom here in SoCal. I first saw and inhaled them today on my walk. Oh, and wisteria is on the way...
Let me know how your Arkansas Traveler does. I tried it once, didn't get too far with it... perhaps was too close to the salt sea.