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"Princesse de Sagan": My plant here in Richmond Va. from Heritage in Ca. does not look like the plate reproduced by Cass amid the HMF photos. Heritage sells two roses under this name, allowing that one or the other may be the real plant; and I've lost track which of the two mine is.
Temperatures over the last 5 years or so average 101 F at worst for a week or two, low 30's and even a few high 20's F in winter, but this is a terraced garden open to the Winter wind. Rain in spring is generous, the summer is a drought, and rain begins slowly in Aug., with a very few violent Summer storms. Yes the world has been growing warmer gradually.
The Tea I grow is very much like all the photos in HMF. It's about 15 years old, is a modest 5' tall, and unfortunately has a sideways growth to 10', which obstructs a path here. I seldom water and never spray.
Flowers are of medium size, not quite full, plant almost disease free, thorns are smaller and fewer than usual on a Tea. There are a great many in Spring, another in Fall, and the coloring is very attractive indeed, which the HMF photos fail to reproduce. Looking at the plant, in full sun, from a window 50' above, the petals are a dark cerise within, followed by a much lighter pink, and white core that in sum makes me think of strawberries & cream; I can honestly say that the flower seems to glow in the sun like no other in the garden. They seldom open completely but keep a V-shape, and probably are not good for exhibition. Their continual adolescent (not totally open) appearance, not a 'bud', is also very attractive, but they can be coaxed open & then resemble a kind of spiral of color down to a white interior. Since I don't normally like pink flowers, you can trust that this is an acceptable mix. Unfortunatley in Summer the RIchmond heat darkens the rose to a kind of burnt red, and it's then rather ugly, & stems as usual with Teas are always short, so that they're not the best for cut display.
Early this spring I made a mistake & fed 'blossom food', perhaps too strong. The flowers are many but too small & their best coloring not very clear. Not the rose's fault. But in general, taking into account the plant's outward spread, this is a fine bargain for a dependable, carefree rose.
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