I saw a Facebook post the other day on our New England Rose Society page from one of our newer members questioning the performance of one of her roses. The rose in question was John F. Kennedy. I promptly told her the rose was an inferior rose, and if she wanted a hybrid tea-type rose, she should grow something different like Pope John Paul II or Elina. Also, I informed her that these roses have a much better track record in our area and she would have much better luck growing them. I further explained that John F. Kennedy had a rating in the Handbook for Selecting Roses of 6.5 (which is not very good rating).

Unbeknownst to me she contacted the nursery that had sold her the rose, and told them that she had learned from the experts in her rose society that the rose was inferior, it didn’t have a good rating, and they shouldn’t continue to sell it. Their response was that the John F. Kennedy rose was one of their most popular roses (no surprise there being in Massachusetts – John’s home state – and local gardeners constantly needing to replace the rose due to poor performance and constant winter dieback). The manager giving the response further urged our society member to try growing John F. Kennedy again, now that she is more experienced. The manager additionally asked me to forward the ratings so that he could buy the right roses.

My response

I thought that I would share my response with you here.

“Unfortunately, the ratings list is not something that we have available to share. It is a printed booklet that we receive as a member benefit for belonging to the American Rose Society. The list is also heavily skewed towards the West Coast and the climates there, and shouldn’t be used as a guide for nurseries to follow in New England.

I am NOT going to recommend the John F. Kennedy rose again as a challenge for our society member, and I would hope that you wouldn’t either. Or, for that matter, recommend it to anyone but the most skilled of gardeners who know beforehand that the rose probably won’t perform as well as other roses. It is not a good rose in general, and especially not on the east coast in climates such as New England. I would also hope that you would educate yourself on the appropriate roses to grow in New England for all types of gardeners from the beginner to the advanced, and use that information to become a valuable resource for your clients. Many nurseries utilize rating systems for their roses when they sell them as being appropriate for Beginners/Advanced/Experts and this seems to help out with any confusion as to what they should buy and be successful in growing them.

I continued…

Here in the New England Rose Society we continuously have to pick up the pieces from where nurseries such as yours that have inappropriate roses available and are selling them as appropriate. Many people who try these same roses think that they are doing something wrong and/or think that growing roses is too hard, when in reality they are doing things correctly and not getting the proper education/roses from their nurseries. You should also be educating yourself and your staff as to what roses are good choices and what aren’t for New England and sell/recommend these roses to your clients. Roses such as John F. Kennedy are not appropriate for this area. The rose would also probably be extinct if it was named anything other than “John F. Kennedy.” 

Your suppliers know what is appropriate for this area, and it is up to you to get this information from them. If they don’t have this information, then they are not the reputable suppliers as you suggest. You’re also welcome to join the New England Rose Society, and learn firsthand what the best roses are to sell in our area. We’re happy to share our knowledge with all who seek it.”

Reactions

The manager only responded with a simple “Ok, thanks.” My subsequent recommendation to our society member was to find another nursery/supplier that has taken the time and energy to educate themselves and their employees on what roses do well in our area. I told her that I didn’t think that the nursery that she bought her rose from sold roses because they wanted to, they sold roses because they had to. They didn’t take the time and effort to have the right roses available. I further recommended another Massachusetts nursery, Roseland, which specializes in roses, and gives New England Rose Society members a discount. The discount afforded to us by Roseland is one of our member benefits for belonging to the society, and we should repay them for their efforts by utilizing them whenever possible.

My own experience with John F. Kennedy

Reflecting on my own experiences what I first started growing roses, I was given a gift certificate to our local gardening center as a housewarming gift from my mother for my wife and I to use when we first moved in to our new house. I went to the garden center and did not know which rose to buy. I knew I wanted a yellow rose, and asked for help. The woman working there recommended John F. Kennedy for me to grow. In retrospect, I find it baffling that of all of the roses that were there for sale that day, she chose John F. Kennedy as a yellow rose for me to grow. For those who are unfamiliar with the John F. Kennedy rose, it is probably the whitest of all of the white roses that has ever been introduced.

How it went

I planted John F. Kennedy (incorrectly) in front of my house. I didn’t have the correct knowledge available for planting grafted roses. I planted the rose at the same level it was currently growing. The bud union was 4”-5” above ground level. After a winter in my zone five garden without any protection at the bud union, the top portion of the rose died, and I was left with only the rootstock growing (Dr Huey). I blamed myself for my inability to grow roses successfully at the time, and if the rose wasn’t my wife’s favorite flower, I probably would not have tried any more roses and planted something else.

Research, research, research

Today’s blog is about roses and warning rose lovers to be aware. It is up to them to determine if the roses that are being sold are appropriate for your particular region or not. Not all nurseries are the same. Do your homework and educate yourselves before you choose your roses. Avoid impulse buys, and when in doubt – pass on the rose. There’s always another rose available just around the corner.

It should also to be noted that while you may think that the garden centers and rose suppliers have your best interest at heart, they don’t always look out for beginning/intermediate rosarians and their needs. These same nurseries/suppliers also don’t always educate themselves and their employees as to what roses are best for the area in which they are selling their roses. They are in business to make money and the more money they make – the better. And, when a rose dies, it opens up the opportunity to sell another rose to replace the dead one. When a rose is sold and it lives/thrives for many years, the opportunity to sell additional roses and/or plants to replace it are drastically reduced.

Ask Rosarians

My fellow local society member and I were lucky in that we were able to get help and advice from local consulting rosarians before we got too discouraged to try other roses. We asked the right questions and received the right knowledge to be successful. Not everyone who has tried roses and failed has sought out this advice. And, yes, local consulting rosarians often do pick up the pieces from nurseries that do sell inappropriate roses without proper instructions. We advise the best roses to grow based on the level of expertise that each individual rosarian has. We work hard to restore confidence in people who have failed. Also, we lecture/demonstrate proper ways for them to plant and take care of their roses. Also, we love seeing fellow rosarians grow and mature with their rose-growing knowledge and skill. Their success is our success. We only ask that when the time comes, that they pass along this knowledge to others who need it too.

Roses are rewarding to grow

Growing roses and gardening should be an enjoyable and rewarding experience. If you do not feel this way about growing roses, seek out advice from your local consulting rosarians. It is their duty to educate and inform those who are learning how to grow roses. And, don’t think for one second that consulting rosarians know everything about roses. Roses and rose culture is constantly evolving. And, it is evolving towards growing roses that are easier to grow and take care of in the modern fast-pace society we find ourselves living in. We often need help as well. And, we need you there to learn from us as we learn from you. And somewhere along the way, we can all stop and take the time to smell the roses together.

Epilogue

Today’s blog has its origins with my phone and email. While I did write the introduction with my trusty Schaeffer fountain pen that is always inked and ready to go, the bulk of it goes to my ever more arthritic fumbling thumbs. I guess I can think and create without my favorite writing implement. However, it is not nearly as much fun and rewarding. Stay cool fellow rosarians. It’s hot out there. Be sure to drink plenty of water during these summer months. Fall is on the way soon, and along with it cooler weather.