Just one look at the plant--cast iron, fat, hard-bitten and ludicrously thorny stems and so tall---and you just "know" it is a mid-century Kordes release. I never grew it until 2015 and while I find the blooms very small for the size of the plant and the stem, the color is something I have never seen before and I love it: neon coral with salmon and red shadings and very thin line of white along petal edges? The blooms simply glow.
While this rose generally thrives where it is located, I have noticed that it has developed stems that are too weak to support its flowers. Does anyone have any ideas to remedy this?
Only a vague idea that calcium makes strong bones in animals. But it would depend on the pH of your soil. Here is something (old) from Australia's garden guru:
“Best of “Gardening Australia”No. 1. Peter Cundall article on enhancing the soil. Aug 1992? p27. CALCIUM. Lime is a form of calcium but it isn’t a fertilizer. it’s a kind of soil unlocker. It is a means of sweetening acid soils to make them more alkaline. Many essential minerals can be unavailable to plants, even though they may be in the soil, because excessively acidic conditions prevent them from being taken up. That’s where applications of calcium can come to the rescue. Calcium also plays an essential role within growing plants. it helps strengthen cells so that dry conditions become less damaging. The growing tips of plants deficient in calcium are often weak.
This is one of the best roses in my garden. Seashell blooms continuously, even through the unforgiving heat--90's and 100's. Her color in the intense sun is lovely, a soft coral orange, and doesn't fade out. I have her near Ingrid Bergman, and the two of them put on an all-summer show. I highly recommend Seashell, Ingrid Bergman and Voluptuous for any place where heat is continuous and intense, as it is for me on the high plains of West Texas.
