This is a really GOOD rose! And probably in the mix when it has been discussed who/what did/didn't get an AARS accolade.................THAT being said, I do think it is odd that THIS rose---a pink-to-coral Floribunda---is what was named for Bill Warriner! Because unlike Gene Boerner (and HIS namesake is a PERECT tribute!), Warriner really specialized in Hybrid Teas and he rammed into our rose history that "color change" fad of the 70's.............when I think of Warriner I think BIG and LUSTY as much as color change---he used South Seas extensively for that FAT bloom and think Tampico, Spellbinder, Antigua,Color Magic, Medallion, Pristine, Headliner and so on----he maybe got a little scattered (Red Reflection?! How and moreover WHY?!!!!)................he got a little over-rated at the end (Cherish?!)..............but he was a Hybrid Tea man! DREAM COME TRUE-----the Gr.from Dr. Potterschmidt----THAT is what I would see as carrying Warriner's name, soomething like that...............or just a big fat coral that fades red or something, but a Hybrid Tea, a BIG rose...............
I haven't grown this one in years and have toyed with ordering one from Jackson & Perkins. I just remember it being a very small, short bush...but I also remember it being COVERED in blooms. Was that your experience too?
Previously grown in South Mississippi, this rose was relatively short and more like a shrub rose. It rarely eclipsed 2'. However, it had excellent disease resistance and was a profuse bloomer. The blooms also held a long time on the bush and in a vase. The only small negative is a lack of fragrance. Otherwise, a great rose for tight spots or pots.
Bill Warriner was almost like a shrub rose for me, it was so healthy and long in bloom. Not much fragrance. Blooms lasted well in vase--holds its shape a long time.
This rose has turned out to be one of my best and favorties. I am surprised it does so well in our zone 8b Texas humid climate. I will add more of this rose to my gardens. The blooms stay open and beautiful for such a long time. They do not shatter out easily even on windy days. The foliage is always very healthy and very pretty. The color blends are so soft.
