I first wrote this earlier in the yr. on another blog of mine so thats why there are references to Feb. But I love this rose so much I thought Id post it here too.
This is around the time of year when I start craving my roses. We dont get a winter like alot of you do with snow and stuff but we get a cold snap around this time of year. Most of the year its in the 70s plus but winter gets cold. Now of course cold to me is 50-60s here and at nite in the 30s. For some of you Im sure that sounds like spring!
So its been reallllllllllly cold here the last month, below freezing temps. most nites, even the furnace cant keep up so we light a fire in the fireplace. Mine has a cast iron stove attached so it warms this place up nicely. But most times of the year things are growing out here and I love to bring some of it inside when I can. I grow roses, Ive planted them everywhere Ive lived out here, lots of them. My last house had a dozen rose bushes across the front of my victorian porch and climbers on the side. The back yard I planted ground cover roses and a row of my favorites, Double Delight... seen in the picture up there.
Sadly these roses are hard to find out in the stores, growers dont grow them much for sale. So these are the first ones I plant wherever I live. Right now I have 3 across my lil porch. Ive planted others here too at this house now, rose bushes front and back and across the back yard, rose trees.
What got me started on loving these particular roses is, I went to the Drs. for something one day.(dont remember what at the moment) When I walked into the nurses area, OMG it smelled heavenly, the whole room did and it was a large room. I asked the nurse about it and she showed me this bud vase holding 3 double delight roses in it. I couldnt believe ONLY 3 roses filled that room with such incredible fragrance. I knew from then on I was hooked and I had to ask her what kind they were.
So Double Delight have become my signature rose. Valentines Day is coming and it makes me think of that. While I know I wont be getting any of those for V day, the holiday itself reminds me of them. When my bf asks me what I want for V day I tell him roses. I know he cannot get the ones I like but it seems its at this time of year when mine are not growing that I just crave them. True they are pricey for this holiday but to me these flowers dont symbolize just Love and V day. Knowing that I cant grow them this time of year, his buying them for me symbolizes more love, than anything else he could buy me for this holiday.
Class:
Hybrid Tea / Large-Flowered, Tree Rose.
Availability:
Commercially available
aka:
Andeli
Registration:
Andeli, Double Delight
Origin:
Bred in United States (1977) by A.E. & A.W. Ellis. Bred in United States (1977) by Herbert C. Swim.
Bloom:
Red blend [rb], red and white, red edge blooms. Spicy fragrance. Average diameter 5". Double (17-25 petals), high-centered bloom form. Blooms in flushes throughout the season.
Habit:
Height of 36" to 5' (90 to 150 cm). Width of 24" to 5' . (60 to 150 cm).
Growing:
Zone 7 thru 10. Disease susceptibility: susceptible to Mildew (See FAQ). Requires winter protection if temperatures drop below freezing. Spring Pruning: Remove old canes and dead or diseased wood and cut back canes that cross. In warmer climates, cut back the remaining canes by about one-third. In colder areas, you'll probably find you'll have to prune a little more than that.
Parentage:
Granada (Hybrid Tea, Lindquist, 1963) × Garden Party (Hybrid Tea, Swim, 1959)
Notes:
Breeder John Sheldon provided the following information about this rose: Some roses fade in the sun, some roses darken in the sun, some roses actually change color in the sun. Roses such as 'Elina','Double Delight', 'Headliner', 'Color Magic' and 'Paradise' all show these traits. In my breeding program, I have worked on making them more dramatic and bringing in new genes. And... it was an area of hybridizing that others were ignoring. At on point these traits were seen as faults. 'Double Delight' was almost discarded because it was thought to be just another WHITE rose. Only later were it's phototropic characteristics seen when it turned red in the sun.
