Rose
of the Month #3
By Gaird Hamilton
KARDINAL
Last Fall we started a series
called Rose of the Month which so far has Apricot Nectar and Gold Medal
listed. This month being January there isn’t really any blooms
to inspire me to the next selection, though I must admit that my pick
of Apricot Nectar was a winner, since it still has a few fairly nice
blooms in January after our super rainy December. Thinking back to last
year though, this month we decided that the honor should go to Kardinal,
a hybrid tea of impeccable form which repeats so rapidly that it seems
to be always in bloom. While there are other red roses which are larger,
there is really none with more consistent exhibition form which can
win in rose shows, last beautifully in a vase, or keep the bush clothed
in beauty almost impervious to the weather. While it is rated second
among the red hybrid teas at 8.6 and Olympiad is rated at 8.7, for us
Kardinal has had many more blooms, and does considerably better when
the weather is less than ideal.
Kardinal
was hybridized by Kordes of Germany in 1985 and has 30-35 petals which
are medium red in color with slight fragrance. The foliage is medium,
dark, semi-glossy, and the bush has upright growth. It is extremely
disease resistant and is vigorous while not being overly tall like some
of the recent varieties. Another thing which it is really great for
is use in arrangements. Because the blooms are very uniform in size,
not too big and ungainly, and they always have perfect form, they are
very effective in many kinds of arrangement. Kardinal should be readily
available, though you may have to try several places.
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