It thrilled me so to find your page on the Internet. You are a soul after my own heart! As a child growing up in the 60's, my Grandma had a yellow rose bush that I am almost certain must be a Harison rose. Grandma Blanche lived in Lawrenceville, Il. We lived in Robinson, Il about twenty miles north of Grandma's. After my mom and dad divorced, dad would pick me and my brother up on Saturday mornings and after eating a big breakfast at a local restaurant, dad would take us to Grandma's. In the summer we would all three pitch in and mow her yard. She had a tree she called a prayer tree, which was my brother's favorite (he was fortunate to get a start of it). My favorite color has always been yellow and I was naturally drawn to the yellow rose. I mowed around it countless times. In the early 80's, dad and my Aunt and Uncle moved grandma to an apartment in Robinson. Her home in Lawrenceville was sold at an auction. Before this took place, dad dug up the yellow rose bush and moved it to his house. He was lucky and it grew for him. He tried on several ocassions to get me a start. Unfortunately, I could never get it to grow for me.  I tried putting a start under a glass jar. This would work for a while. I could see new leaves sprouting, but then the start would end up whithering. Maybe I didn't leave the jar on long enough? My dad passed away in 2005 with cancer. He got sick real sudden like and never did get any better. Now I have no way of even trying to get a start of the yellow rose bush that still grows in his back yard. I have noticed two other yellow rose bushes that look like they could be the same type. One is located at a home just south of the Robinson city limits, another is located at an old home (looks abandoned) inside Robinson. I might see if I could get a start from one of these bushes, but I was wondering if you could tell me the best way to get this type of rose to start. I would appreciate any guidance you could give me.

Thanks,
Pam

Hey Girl,
Your letter about the Harison's Yellow is amazing! Telling these stories has really linked a lot of us together. The instructions I have for starting a slip of Harison's is published in the back of my novel, A Rose By The Door. Here's what I have.

To find an appropriate sucker, dig in the ground around a rosebush until you find a little side shoot of plant that has both wooden stem and green sprout attached. Keep this in water the same way you would keep a cut flower.

When the sucker has begun to root, transplant the rose into potting soil or into some other good growing medium and 'harden it off.' To harden it off, do not water often after the rootlings are planted in soil. Give moisture only when abosolutely necessary.

When transplanting from pots into the ground, dig the hole twice as big as a lazy person would dig it, twice as wide and twice as deep. Plant in a location where roses will receive six to eight hours of direct sunlight a day. Prepare the soil by working good humus or compost into the dirt. A good commercial product is Osmocote Granualr. Be careful not to work too much into the soil or the roses will burn. The roses don't want to be planted deep. They should be planted at the same depth that they have been growing in the pot, in well-drained soil. Now, you can water thoroughly.

I hope this helps.  

Best,
Deborah

Thank you for posting the planting instructions!  I was thinking, as I read about the yellow rose that I definitely must have one of these special plants.  In fact I don't think I want to buy one. . .   I must really do it from a cutting now, or it wouldn't be the same.    Since I don't know anyone with one, I will have to meet someone.  I think I will pray that the Lord will lead me to just the right person and that person won't think I'm some kind of nut case after I explain the whole thing.    I'm looking at it as an adventure to find the Harison Yellow Rose.  Maybe we will be starting a trend!

One question:  wondering what time of year it's best to plant?  I'm thinking spring, late summer or early fall.  Am I right?

Thanks again!
Susan in PA

Susan,
From the research I did for the book, early spring to late June is the best for planting Harison's Yellow. But I think clear into July will work.
Deb