23 Feb '04 1:27 am Who would put Mutabilis as their favourite old-fashioned rose? I think I would!
chooky
Guest
mutabilis
11 Mar '04 9:45 am I too love this rose-the only tricky thing about it when too prune(or trim)as it never seems to stop flowering and the changing colours of the flowers are great as well.
moosey
head gardener
19 Mar '04 8:23 am I think Mutabilis is a rose for the hedge clippers. And you have to accept the good with the bad - yellowing leaves in autumn, etc. I agree it's hopeless to prune and keep tidy nicely. Sometimes my big bush by the house looks so straggley!! But like you say, it always seems to have quite a few bunches of flowers.
kevarose.
Guest
Favourite old fashioned rose
19 Aug '04 7:52 pm Hello all from Australia. I am also semi-retired now and have started a garden on 5 acres in a great area for gardens with mountains (maybe New Zealanders who have real mountains would call them craggy hills) and good soil and sun.
I am interested to plant 3 or 4 mutabilis in an informal hedge to block the (beautiful) view of my chook and duck house when people drive up to my front door. How tall does mutabilis get if allowed? I have also bought some Souvenir d'un Ami that can get to 2 metres and could use 1 or 2 of these instead.
moosey
head gardener
23 Aug '04 3:28 pm Kevarose, have you thought about or seen rugosa roses used for hedges? Some of them would thicken out to person-height, and all the books claim that they are aphid - free and generally bug-proof. That way you would get fragrance - plus the rugosa foliage is nicer than Mutabilis's. I don't grow the Souvenir D'un Ami (I don't think I grow it!)
My oldest Mutabilis is 9 years old, grown on its own roots from a cutting, and it has now reached up to the floor of the second story balcony...
Best of luck choosing!
catsmum
honoured helper
Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia
3 Oct '05 11:48 pm Hi Moosey,
I know this discussion is quite old but I'm reading old posts at the moment.
Just thought I'd mention re the rugosas that some of them are actually considered pests in some rural areas in [at least] southern Oz and it sounds as tho Kevarose is in at least a semi rural area. I gather that this is because they ARE so hardy and so good at thicketing that they can invade pasture. I was going to plant a hedge of them here until I found out that the Shire Council would be veeerrry unhappy if I did
cheers
Susan
moosey
head gardener
15 Oct '05 7:47 am Here in New Zealand the rugosas are OK (I'm sure!). Briar roses have escaped into some of the hill country further inland from me, however - I don't know how much of a problem this is. Here at least rugosas are good value, and do no harm.
I hope this is the case! As often happens, a gardener can be the last to hear about a plant problem - and none of us want to cause any harm!
In NZ, too, the north island has a less extreme climate, and I know they have problems with Gunnera in the natural waterways, etc. So different plants will be on the naughty lists up there.
Agnes is probably my favourite rugosa - she's pale lemony yellow.
Cheers, and happy OZ gardening!
I am also semi-retired now and have started a garden on 5 acres in a great area for gardens with mountains (maybe New Zealanders who have real mountains would call them craggy hills) and good soil and sun.
