Rosemary Harkness is a very large rose. She is certainly not only 3 feet tall. In my garden in the south SF Bay area she is 10' tall and as wide. She would get even larger if I did not prune some of the numerous basal break canes she pops out all year.
These are observations on a 4 year old Rosemary Harkness growing in Montreal zone 4:
The plant is grafted on multiflora from Pickering. The bud union is planted at least 6" (15 cm) below soil line, northern style. The plant receives 5-6hrs of sun from June to August. From September onwards it's in full shade.
The plant is not cane hardy in zone 4, regardless the amount of snow. Mine gets covered under 6' (180 cm) of snow every year. It dies to the mulch line.
Compared with Felicia, semi-plena, Sweet Chariot and even Tamora, which have the propensity to waft and fill the garden with fragrance, Rosemary Harkness does so with more modesty.
The flowers were more fragrant in the beginning, But with years I've noticed the fragrance has diminished. The scent is somewhat fruity with a twist.
Indoors, the flowers waft in an ebb and flow motion. I had 2 flowers in a smallish room and I was often surprised by the fragrance.
It is a very healthy plant. No disease in the past 4 years. Healthy shiny leaves. New growth has purplish hue. It has two flushes for me. One long one from mid-June to July. This first flush can be described as a back to back double flush, the first one spectacular, the 2nd one more modest, 3 buds per stem.
The plant takes a break in July & August. It has another flush in mid to late September. This year was the first time it set no flower buds in September.
For those who love orange roses, one of the most beautiful roses....
Sorry Kim. Sloppy sentence! I meant that before the flower expires (usually on the 3rd or 4th day) the flowers tends to "freckle". Unless I misunderstood you....
I ordered this rose two years ago and I could not be more pleased. It has a wonderfully fruity fragrance, It is beautiful both at exhibition stage and when it is fully open. The petals are of particularly good substance. This rose looks particularly vibrant floated in a black glazed bowl (two years ago she received a blue in that particular class)
I grow it in Minnesota (edge of zone 4 / 3), on its own root in a 14" square "ornimental" plastic pot, where it seems quite happy. I overwinter my tender roses in an insulated shed which was supposed to be kept between 34 and 38 degrees by an agricultural thermostatically controlled electric heater, but last winter the heater failed and the shed reached a low of -15F on a morning where we had -25 ambient. She came out of the shed with only minor damage and has recovered beautifully, so I would disagree with the assessment of her cold hardiness.
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#1 posted
21 FEB 08 by
Unregistered Guest
Where did you get Rosemary Harkness on its own root? I prefer own root, when possible. Thanks!
