Best plant from last year's seedlings

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This is my best plant from last year’s seedlings. Beautiful dark blue green foliage that starts out burgundy and slowly turns green. No damage from the late season ice storm. Nicely branched and so far no thorns. Roots easily. The first bloom last year was a single, brilliant orange red. The cross is Irish Mist X Smoky. I will be adding this one to my breeding stock this year.
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Pretty foliage, Joan. I hope it does well for you.

That is very nice foliage. I have not had good luck with that color–it always seems to spot here. Brilliant orange red sounds like a real compliment to the foliage. Post a picture when it blooms.

This is the first bloom from late last summer. Lots of pollen to use. I have another rose with a beautiful yellow color that I would like to cross with this one, it is Honey Perfume X Smoky, since this one is Irish Mist X Smoky I am wondering if there would be a problem having this much Smoky in the background. I haven’t done this before, any comments or advice?[attachment=0]29-12-02 (3).JPG[/attachment]
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Interesting, Joan. Don’t get me wrong, I love Smoky. I’ve loved it for a very long time. For quite a few years, it was the only readily available “russet” rose. But, it has health issues in many places. I wouldn’t cross anything containing more Smoky with any seedling of it for fear of homogenizing the disease problems. I doubt you would obtain more of the Smoky coloring from doubling up on its genes.

Joan-You might try crossing each seedling with Cinco De Mayo, which is not very closely related (has a few descendants in common way back there) because it also produces some ‘smokey’ offspring and has the tendency to pass on somewhat prolific blooming. It does pass on its’ share of weak seedlings but doesn’t everything?

Kim, thanks for the heads up on health issues for Smoky, mine has been ok but it is not a vigorous grower. I usually try to avoid crossing roses that have a common parent.

Jackie, thanks for the suggestion. I do have Cinco De Mayo I will definitely make that cross if the opportunity presents itself.

Update—the cutting I made last fall from this rose bloomed last week with lots of good pollen so I collected and saved it. Cinco de Mayo finally bloomed this week so I took Jackie’s suggestion and made the cross. Fingers crossed