Happy Birthday, Mr. President
To those of us who love roses, and who love the Civil War, growing a Mr. Lincoln rose is a natural. Mr. Lincoln (Rosa ‘Mr. Lincoln’) is one of the loveliest, deliciously fragrant red roses ever bred–a proud rose with a proud name.
Mr. Lincoln is a hybrid tea rose, which
means that the flowers are usually borne singly, at the end of a long strong stem. This makes hybrid teas the most popular type of rose grown in the United States. Herbert C. Swim and O. L. Weeks, who combined the outstanding red tea roses Rosa ‘Chrysler Imperial’ and Rosa ‘Charles Mallerin,’ created Mr. Lincoln. Mr. L was introduced to the public by Star® Roses in 1964.
It was named an All-American selection the very next year, and is rated “good to excellent” for both its fragrance and its dependability. It continually wins Most Fragrant Rose at rose shows across the country, and at the corner of my driveway! It is deep velvet red in color, and has about 30-35 petals per bloom, making it truly regal in appearance. The average plant reaches about 3-5 feet in height, and has a comfortably compact shape.
In addition, it is easy to prune. Even the least experienced rose pruner can do a better-
than-average job on Mr. Lincoln, and get a magnificent spring showing for the effort. If the lovely red color isn’t enough, the fragrance will amaze you! It has a powerful Damask smell, reminiscent of old garden roses, which seduces the senses. Any powdery mildew should be caught early, and is easily treated with a fungicidal spray.
I had not planned on sounding like a Rose magazine here, but I am justifiably proud of my Mr. Lincoln rose. If you live in rose zones 5-10, try growing this rose. If you live in a colder climate–a zone 6 or more–plant it deeper than you might normally, and give it good winter protection. Its natural hardiness should see it through, and it is a rose worth the effort. Every garden should have this rose in it–after all, it is a Mr. Lincoln rose!
Read more: Information on Mr. Lincoln Roses | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_7634946_information-mr-lincoln-roses.html#ixzz2KWf9MAha
“Mister Lincoln” has always been one my fave rose of the many I’ve grown in gardens on two continents. For me it’s the decadent velvetiness of the very dark red petals that grabs my senses of sight and smell every time. (The fragrance is a bit much for my allergies to take.) These big blooms on their long, strong stems are impressive for the grower who brings the best roses indoors to gloat over. A single bloom with its robust green leaves is perfection in my family heirloom milk-glass bud vase on the kitchen or bathroom counter, but these roses are also visually incredible as a bunch in my huge, vintage milk-glass jug. (Albeit with the fragrance needing an appropriately huge room to spread out…or outward into other rooms!) “Mister Lincoln” always gleans my affection and loyalty, no matter the battleground in the everlasting war of the rose gardeners!