OP Abraham Darby




Big FAT buds!! Not gonna lie, I’m pretty excited.

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Here it goes! Colour me surprised that pink overwhelms. (Heavy sarcasm) I think I got a whiff of light sweetness, but the bud is barely opened. This one is the healthiest of the bunch, the others are quite liberally spotted.
My Abraham Darby is just flushing out again, so I may strip a few buds and pick pollen-partners myself. I do wish I’d saved some pollen from Stephens Big Purple. Maybe I’ll use Outta the Blue pollen; I like the shape of it (as a plant) better. Maybe J P Connell, or Winnipeg Parks…

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Well it’s quite pretty, but pink; also not much scent. Sufficiently healthy to grow on for a bit.
Second one is a paler, not-so-double version of the first, not nearly as vigorous & healthy, so YOINK out it goes.
Third has some warm yellow-tones at the petal base, so I won’t discard it yet.

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Lord it’s pink. But pretty enough I suppose. If it doesn’t develop a good scent, it will be discarded most likely.
And a YELLOW BUD?! That’s exciting.

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HUZZAH!! Some yellow faded, but the centre shows gorgeous apricot tones, AND SCENT: sweet and light. A keeper.

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Oh HUZZAH! It’s lovely.

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Quite nice! My local rose garden has a large bed of Abraham Darby that I’m hoping to harvest OP hips from in a month or two.

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Shockingly (to me), I’ve had only ONE GERMINATION this spring from a row of OP Abraham Darby seeds. Thus far, anyway…
AD was to be particularly “put upon” this season, for deliberate crosses. I will do so, but also use it’s pollen on some of my better germinators.