DANCING FLAME, MINIATURE ROSE
Photos Copyright © Kitty Belendez
I am delighted to write about a rose that has absolutely captured my heart, Dancing Flame. This was one of the first miniature roses to be introduced by hybridizer Robbie Tucker at Rosemania, and it was named by our District Director/exhibitor extraordinaire, Bob Martin.
Dancing Flame is a cross of Cal Poly x Kristin, and it is a true miniature rose. Robbie says that his original thought was to get the form of Kristin with the great color of Cal Poly. He also notes, "As you can see, this cross did yield a very nice rose and since I have introduced Providence and Conundrum, both of which are from the same cross but a later year."
Dancing Flame mini rose arrived in my garden as a relatively unknown quantity. However, I remember the day I saw that first exhibition quality bloom on my young miniature rose bush. From that moment, I was a believer that this little miniature rose was going to be a star. I contacted Rosemania, singing its praises; and I immediately put in an order for four more. Since that time, Dancing Flame has been the most successful miniature rose in my exhibition garden and has become a favorite of exhibitors all around the country.
Allow me to share with you what I believe makes Dancing Flame such an outstanding miniature rose. To begin with, it is a prolific bloomer and, except for right after being pruned, never seems to be out of bloom. Dancing Flame is relatively disease resistant as well, although a regular spray program is recommended to keep this miniature rosebush looking its best and healthiest,
Of primary importance to me as a rose exhibitor, Dancing Flame has strikingly good exhibition form, providing a high percentage of show-worthy blooms. Many rose exhibitors have said that it resembles a smaller version of the hybrid tea rose, Flaming Beauty. Dancing Flame also displays perfectly uniform foliage that drapes around the stem like a miniature Christmas tree, giving it a positively "Queenly" appearance.
With regard to its eye-catching color, Dancing Flame is officially categorized as a yellow blend miniature rose. However, it presents a variety of different intensities of color blends, from white with deep pink edging to the most preferable coloration of a strong yellow blush through the white with deep pink edging. This miniature rose is always a beauty and, if you catch it just right, Dancing Flame will take your breath away.
Since Dancing Flame is a color blend as discussed above, it is not as easy to match for collections as a solid color miniature rose would be. For that reason I grow a lot of Dancing Flame in order to be able to put together English boxes and vases of three, six and twelve that all have the same coloration. However, Dancing Flame is well worth the extra trouble, since a good collection of these miniature rose beauties will stop traffic at a rose show.
To summarize, Dancing Flame is an equally desirable miniature rose for the home garden or the exhibition table. No wonder it has so quickly climbed to Number 1 in the national "Top 20" list of exhibition miniature roses
Dancing Flame miniature rose is available from Rosemania, and I don't think you will find a better miniature rose anywhere. I encourage you to try it, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
© Copyright Suzanne Horn. All rights reserved.
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Photos © Copyright Kitty Belendez
