Freedom Gardens is a source for rare roses

[david zlesak]

We were looking for Rosa x kordesii for a black spot research study to understand if it may be the source/share the same black spot resistance gene that is in many of the Explorer series of roses. It was very hard to find R. x kordesii in the US. A friend from CA was very kind and shared a couple cuttings and then also through Kim Rupert I was able to learn about Peter Schneider from Freedom Gardens. Peter helps create the Combined Rose List. There are many older and rare roses (~1200 varieties) in his and his wife Susan's garden. They propagate some and have plants ready that are ready to sell on their website and can do custom propagation and/or send unrooted cuttings. Peter is open to people reaching out to him to see if they have the rose one is interested in in their collection. The whole 1200 variety collection is not listed on the website.

Here is the link to information about their garden and some of the roses propagated and ready. http://www.combinedroselist.com/freedom-gardens.html

[jakaufmann]

Very interesting information! I'l definitely going to have to look into this a bit more. THanks!

[vaporvac]

I'm glad the suggestion worked out. I post on the gardenweb and hope people don't get tired of my suggesting FreedomGardens as a source of rare roses. He also has many from the now defunct ODNR Garden of Roses of Legend and Romance in Wooster. I believe R. Kordesii was one of its holdings.

[dgermeys]

Hi David!
Looking forward to the results of your research!

If I remember well, the explorer series have not necessary all rosa kordesii as there ancestors, but they do have Max Graf as their ancestor somewhere... Could it be that Svejda obtained another rose, simular to rosa kordesii, but not "the" rosa kordesii? I think Max Graf might had some more offsprings, and one of these might have been used by Svejda. Not entirely sure. I should read her notes again but that is what I more or less remember from reading them.

Therefore I believe it would be interesting to obtain rosa Max Graf as well.

Let us know what your findings are!

[Plazbo]

Svejda used at least g12 (another max graf op) as well.

[rwjr61]

thanks for the link , nice site for older & rare roses

[david zlesak]

Thanks Dane,

I have 'Max Graf' fortunately and we are using it in the study too. I got it years ago from Pickering in Canada and have been able to keep plants going of it since through various moves. It is a little tender dying down to the ground in harsh winters. It is described as near sterile and R. x kordesii as being a very rare event. People love to embellish stories :0). It has some routine fertility and that is how Svedja was able to get her G12. I have a nice op seedling of 'Max Graf' that is tetraploid and highly fertile coded 3K20. I suspect the neighboring 'John Davis' is the dad based on the features. I have a couple pics of 3K20 attached.