I’ve wanted to grow a Griffith Buck rose for awhile now, and was delighted to find Pearlie Mae listed in Heirloom Roses selections. Planted late April in zone 5b high plains, she is happy in our mixed border. Her first couple of buds grew limp mid day despite deep watering, so I clipped them off down to just above a five leaf section. Now each bloom grows a bit larger and the bud count is increasing. I’m thrilled with her flower form and color. A soft fragrance, hopefully it increases as the shrub matures.

Being from Iowa, I had "attempted" roses in the past but had challenges with black spot and powdery mildew. For a while, I just started purchasing inexpensive, grafted varieties every year and grew them in pots next to my hardy geraniums and composted them after the growing season. Sadly, the potted plants didn't come back in our compost the following year either, lol. Anyway, I had heard about Dr. Griffith Buck and looked all over for his hybrids for many years but could not find them. Now that I have, I have just ordered 2 more of a different Griff variety. Why? Because the 3 Pearlie Mae variety I've planted have been blooming since the first year. These plants begin leafing out about the same time the tulips and daffodils begin to barely sprout...and that's without any protection during the winter. This rose is beautiful. Her deep peach buds finish with apricot centers, expanding to almost pure white edges on some full blooms, but have sort of a pink overcast on others. It's an absolutely beautiful, continually blooming rose. I would recommend her for any rose lover in zone 5 or colder whom has previously had issues with growing roses in a climate that fluctuates from double digit, below zero wind chills to above 90 with 100% humidity in the summer. I don't treat this rose for disease at all, just spray a little liquid fence on her to keep the deer away, and fertilize with a good liquid rose fertilizer once a month and she is a healthy, happy, vigorous lady.

I love this rose and I'm not disappointed to have her in my garden! This rose has been a prolific bloomer this summer, and is a healthy grower. I have not had problems with
black spot or powdery mildew as of yet, and we've had many days of rain this past few weeks. Although my sense of smell seems to be more acute than others, I do enjoy her fragrance. I look forward to seeing what Pearlie Mae will do next year!

Year 3 for this gal and she is just underwhelming. I do think she wasn’t getting enough sun the first year so I moved the pot this year and that has been a little better. I have maybe had 5 tiny blooms in all 3 years and they are small, flat, unimpressive. I’ll give it one more year.