Tag Archives: Souvenir de la Malmaison

Souvenir de la Malmaison

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This was one of the first antique roses I planted at the rancho. To commemorate my Mississippi great great grandmother who had one in her dooryard. But I never took a decent shot of ours, and a neighbor’s use of too much herbicide, apparently, wiped it out last summer. Having to use this Australian site’s photo of a bloom because the replacement plant, which I finally got around to planting was run over the other day and chewed up by the landscaper’s lawnmower. It’s reliable and it will come back from the roots, and I’ll get my own photo, but it may not be until next spring.

The Knockout rose

Mrs. Charm heard about these Radrazz beauties from a favorite local radio talker and planted two of them next to a couple of tall Mr. Lincoln hybrids in the back forty. The hybrids, oddly enough, have a scent, whereas the Knockouts, although also repeat bloomers, do not.

Still, with six fragrant antiques (Old Blush, Ducher, Louis Philippe, Souvenir de la Malmaison, Altissimo, and Zephirine Drouhin) nearby pouring their scent into the air I really shouldn’t complain. Besides, if the Knockouts are as disease resistant as their breeders claim, they’ll keep their color going while the antiques are struggling to replace their dropped, blackspotted leaves.

Spring planting

I do believe another Ducher (white) and a Souvenir de la Malmaison (pale pink) will do it for fresh antique roses this spring. Souvenir is a Bourbon and they generally aren’t disease-resistent enough to thrive at the Rancho, but Souvenir was doing fine before the deer ate it. Besides it’s one of the few roses named in my great great grandmother’s 1850s pocket diary as one she used to form an arbor near the house. The other Bourbon, a reddish-pink climber called Zephirine Drouhin, survived the deer, and looks ready to go gang busters by late March. The Ducher is a China, the hardiest of all we’ve found. Add a few perrenials, a Blackfoot daisy or a Barbadoes Cherry, and we’re good to go. Nandina frames them. Blue jasmine added for highlights. Local pictures when available.