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'Melody Parfumée ™' rose Reviews & Comments
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Initial post
6 NOV 14 by
Kit
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I'm posting a picture of this thing's habit in my So Cal garden. I planted it four years back, and everytime I think it's found its height it grows another level - here it is, having effortlessly reached 3m/10' of altitude. In my garden, the color is a little deeper than 'Sweetness,' which here is more reliably perfumed. My two year old 'Sweetness' is also bigger, both wider and taller (4m/12'6"h x 5m/16'w)
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Hows the rose since you posted? I am looking for a soft purple highly fragrant long vase life rose but it seems in my one 10b (Pasadena CA) garden this is not it! Hoping Barbra Streisand will fit the bill.
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I grow both Melody Parfumee and Barbara Striesand...Babs is by far the more free blooming bush for me so far, it is one of my most productive varieties across all colors. But I like the colors of Melody much more, it starts out more purple than Babs and ends up more lavender, Babs is too pink all the time. Both are very fragrant.
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thanks for the tip!
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I bought Melody Parfumee to plant at the rear of a bed because of it's height and scent. I thought it would show up nicely, and the color is a very interesting one. I was correct that the height, scent, and color were all as expect, but man...I've had some blackspot issues with this one. It was as if I walked outside one day and half the leaves where riddled and then the next the entire bottom of the plant was bare...and I spray once a week. Luckily, it's a vigorous plant that threw out new growth quickly and filled in where she dropped leaves earlier. However, another round of very rainy weather a couple of months later and she's back to being the blackspot queen. Due to the vigor the rose has and how much it blooms, it can be forgiven for being a bit fussy with blackspot.
Update: Still has blackspot issues, but it grows so vigorously and blooms so much I don't really care. This rose is a workhorse.
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I'm in zone 7 and Melody Parfumee has been one of my favorite roses for years - I love her fragrance, remonance, and disease resistance. However, after being in my garden from early 1999, she stopped being so prolific or hardy about 2 or 3 years ago. I know that grafted roses sometimes don't last very long, and should be happy with the 10y or so that I did get from her. I'm wondering if I should replace her or, maybe better, replace her with an own-root bush.
Any thoughts? Is she available own-root? Thanks.
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With many grafted roses, it is necessary to do a "rejuvination pruning" annually. Basically you are stimulating the rose to put out new basal growth. The technique is to remove one or two of the oldest canes on the rose at the base. Old wood is naturally less prolific because of its decreased ability to move nutrients and moisture up the cane ... like old arteries. This process stimulates new growth and your plant actually becomes a younger plant with a great root system over time.
It's not considered wise to do this kind of pruning all in one year because that can stress the rose. Yes, it can lead to a lopsided looking plant at first, but follow your normal pruning practices and try to shape the plant to your pleasure.
If you continue this practice every year, you will always have a younger plant.
Smiles,
Lyn
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Thanks, Lyn. I've done that - and even used Espom salts to stimulate basal growth. Yet the last few years this bush has done so well, alas.
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Hi...
I don't know where you garden, and I know that a lot of people swear by epsom salts, but that can actually cause more problems. Generally, the use of ES is to add more magnisium to the soil, but my soil has an excess of that element, adding more stresses the plant. Also, when it is added to soils that were once covered by the sea, the soil already has a lot of salts in it and adding more actually kind of poisons the plant.
That's the problem with general rules. Roses can't read, so they don't follow instructions well ... 'o)
There are so many variables, it's hard to define what's going on with your rose. Sorry, I couldn't be of more help.
Smiles,
Lyn
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Thanks, Lyn. My roses here in Zone 7 of North Carolina seem to do well with ES. I have heard from a number of others that their grafted roses give up after some years. I do know that my Melody Parfumee used to be quite prolific!
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#5 of 17 posted
21 JUN 12 by
Carol T
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Try alfalfa meal, that almost always rejuvenates roses, as well as removing old brown canes. I have had mine since 2003 and try to give all my roses alfalfa meal at least once per season.
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Hi Dilip....
As for grafted roses giving up after some years, I think it depends on the rose and the root stock. I have several grafted HTs that are more than 60 years old and are thriving. However, when I bought my house back in '04, they did not look like healthy plants. I have been doing what is sometimes called a 'rejuvenation pruning', which is a process that takes a few years, but the plants have all come back just fine.
Rejuvenation pruning works on the theory that canes get old and are less functional over time. The goal is to create new canes. You remove one or two of the oldest canes at the base each spring and many roses will put up new basals which grow into new canes which are more functional and over a few years you virtually have a "new" rose. Removing the old canes encourages the plant to put its energy into new growth rather than maintaining the old canes.
This process worked in this garden where the roses were planted a long time ago and neglected for a few decades as the previous owners got too old to maintain the garden.
Changing the food you are using is another method, but it in the long run, I think the practice of encouraging the plant to create new wood is most effective. However, each rose gardener does what works for him or her and there are a lot of right ways to grow roses.
Smiles,
Lyn
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#7 of 17 posted
21 JUN 12 by
Carol T
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A few years ago my Fabulous rose looked old and tired. I replaced with an own root plant. I did not have an irrigation system and it was stupid of me not to have one. The new one was planted and did not get enough water and wilted. I tried watering it more than others. I decided I have too many roses , over 200 not to have an irrigation system, I got one in August 2010. I should have had one years ago. The new own root Fabulous would not come back and I was almost going to remove the old one. Instead I got out my Felco 21 pruners and removed several old brownish cane and the rose is like new. I feed them almost weekly with a water soluble food, I also alternate with some organic super humane and other fertilizers.
There was another year I noticed all my roses didn't look as great as they should. I looked back and hadn't given them alfalfa meal for three years. I find alfalfa meal rejuvenates the soil and the roses. Now we are having 95-100 degree heat wave, but I gave half of my roses alfalfa meal last week. Once it cools down I will work a cup into the soil of the roses I did not get to last week. I also give them Epsom Salts one a month. I have been an ARS member since 1986, I think I bought my first roses in 1985.
Back then they used to say to break the basal shoots once they reached 6-8 inches. Today they say to leave them alone, the rose knows best. I have tried it both ways and find the roses grow much better when the basal shoots are broken off at the correct height. The new shoot has a chance to harden off and can support the new growth on the stem, rather than end up with a candelabra which is unattractive and I end up cutting it way back after its done blooming.
Thank you, Carol
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Carol: Fantastic experience, thank you for sharing.
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#10 of 17 posted
14 MAY 16 by
Carol T
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You're welcome. It's been a cold spring here & I haven't finished pruning. I have alfalfa meal to use this spring. I ordered it too late last year to use it.
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It's cold spring here, in the 40's. Husband will pick up a bag of Standlee alfalfa pellets from the feed store today. It has zero salt & zero sugar, and smells like fresh grass .. unlike alfalfa meal which is stinky and dusty. I had to call the feedstore and order in advance, it's a HUGE bag, only $17. Husband will pick up a big bale of alfalfa hay for $8, I use that to mulch roses, but there are a few seeds in there which sprout in my clay, I don't mind, they can be pulled up easily.
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#12 of 17 posted
14 MAY 16 by
Carol T
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Straw Chicago,
I can't carry things, too long to get into. I order from Mills Mix & it's all free shipping. I don't want alfalfa smell in my car.
I'm in Boston area & lost a lot of roses winter 2014-2015 because of subzero temps before we had last year's record snowfall. I lost 10 y/o Climbing Iceberg this winter due to subzero temps again in January.
Good luck!
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#13 of 17 posted
14 MAY 16 by
Carol T
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There is or was feed store in suburb. I never thought to use alfalfa hay to mulch roses. I'll have to see if it's still there & if so ask them to order.Thank you.
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Carol: 2014-15 was bad for my roses too .. lost quite a few on a raised bed with temp. way below -20 degree. The alfalfa hay bale is quite light but bulky. Standlee alfalfa pellet bag is long & bulky but much easier to carry than a bag of 40 lb. top soil. Neither stink up my garage nor my car. But alfalfa-meal stinks up and attract dogs from far-away. This past winter I winter-protected roses with alfalfa hay, leaves only, or leaves mixed with my clay. The best-winter survival and earliest to sprout is with alfalfa hay, then leaves mixed with clay. The worst winter-die-back is with acidic leaves like maple (my last house).
Alfalfa hay is messy and stringy, I prefer chopped alfalfa for summer mulching. Standlee also sells cubed and chopped alfalfa in a large bag. I saw chopped alfalfa in a small bag for pets at local store, but that was expensive.
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#15 of 17 posted
15 MAY 16 by
Carol T
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I haven't been in suburb with the Feed Store in 20 years. I live close to Boston & there aren't many feed stores in this area. I usually add extra cedar mulch around the bud unions & near root zones of own root roses. I spent almost all day outside & am 95% sure two own root Pasadena Star roses are dead, Louise Estes & a few other own root roses I've had since 2006-2008.
Thank you for alfalfa hay tip. I know I have feed store number saved in an old Rolodex.
I've been trying to buy more own root roses instead of budded roses. But, living through our last three winters has been a challenge & depressing when the rose tells me where to prune than my own
I love Alysheba mini, but I've had several since 2013 & none make it through our winters. It's a beautiful rose, but it's not hardy in Zone 6b.
Joy is a very tough mini rose.
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#16 of 17 posted
15 MAY 16 by
Carol T
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Chicago Straw,
I've searched for Standlee Alfalfa Bales in 20 miles within my city. None exist.
I saved website & hope retailers will be added.
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Carol: My local feed store only has the type with salt and molasses, I asked them if they can order Standlee for me, and they did with no charge, I just have to come an pick it up.
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If you live in an area that has oak root fungus in the soil as parts of California does that could be the problem. It is not obvious from above soil line; you have to dig down with a trowel and if you see white "cobwebs" that is it.. You have to dig up the rose and all soil with "cobwebs" because there is no cure.
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Initial post
30 MAR 13 by
 goncmg
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The only other "modern" rose in my experience that has a scent that will carry in the air around it----Sunsprite is the other one...............this one has a color that you will either love or hate, the pics on here are very true, I think the shade is something like "mars violet," a harsh purple with an earthy undertone, often lighter on the edges of the bloom, sometimes with darker veins in the petals. My plant is quite susceptible to blackspot but seems to be unaffected by its annual mid-summer defoliation and blooms constantly, often in absolutely huge pannicles. Much less formal in form than Fragrant Plum but like Plum this one is a BIG plant and would think in moderate to warm climates could almost be used as a pillar or specimen shrub. Seems to be widely available, often in local garden centers, and one that despite its affinity for blackspot I would still recommend to any grower/new grower who has an attraction to this color...............but again, the scent will please everyone but the color isn't for everyone............would be a great candidate for the back of a mixed border, a modern "cottage" garden as the bloom form is suggestively old fashioned especially once fully open...........
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