A "slower starter", yes. Think about it. This thing is a larger shrub in Britain. Here, it is a climber. Climbers take up to three years to do their thing: first year sleeps; second year creeps; third year leaps! The plant wants to be large. It needs a large root system to push the nutrients to produce the size and quantity of flowers you expect. So, compared to HTs, floribundas and other smaller English roses, yes, GC is a "slower starter". Kim

High Country Roses and another vendor specified that Golden Cel. needs constant moisture to be established. I planted mine in a partial shade, really wet clay bed and it was vigorous with 49" rain. I kept chopping it to make it into a bush but I gave up. I watered it often during my zone 5a winter and it's green to the tip.

It was annoying to water it often in the 1st month. If I had to do it all over again, I would had planted it 3" deep as own-root, rather than at ground level.

My own-root sat and did nothing for two years. Then it exploded into vigorous growth. Mine is not a climber, it is a big shrub.

Here mine was the slowest to get going. In fact, this is only its second year in the ground so it is still to start properly. I'm sure it will be worth the wait though :-)

We have 6 plants of 'Golden Celebration' -- a WONDERFUL rose for us here in coastal Ventura County.

Ours are all large shrubs. The biggest, on Multiflora, is a good 6 ft. tall, but a shrub, not a climber.

The other 3 are on Huey, and are a tad smaller.

One replacement plant, on its own roots, is much smaller, and only really taking off now after perhaps 4 years.

Jeri

I have heard such good things about this rose but mine has been in the ground 3 - 5 years, cant remember. It never changes - same size, has some pretty blooms, but no real growth and healthy looking folliage. I use Mills Magic Rose Mix, epsom salts, alfalfa pellets. It is out in full, all day sun. This year I also used Microlife. Maybe I should put some liquid fertilizer on it, like Miracle Gro or other liquid rose food? Any suggestions for jump starting this rose?

Many many thanks! This is very reassuring. GC does get rave reviews everywhere. He's definitely worth the wait till he leaps.

Strawberryhill - My GC is in partial shade & has been kept moist since I put him in the ground. Except for when it rained, I watered every 2-3 days in the past couple of months (winter is quite warm & dry in Israel, though this year was relatively rainy). I just LOVE watering so it was real fun.

Jeri - after reading your post I contacted the nursery. They said all their bare roots are budded to what they described as wild rose stock. They wouldn't specify which & I didn't want to press them. On their website they describe GC as a climber of up to 3 metres (which is why he got to be in the company of the Edens).

What a merry riotous hedge! So lovely.

What happened yesterday was I asked the nursery whether GC was budded or own root. Reply was: All our bare roots are budded to wild rose stock. I asked back whether it was budded to Rosa Canina. Reply was: No, it's not Canina.

I didn't press further because I figure when a person comes out with a laconic "no" without volunteering more details it means he's simply not willing to offer more details. Perhaps it's a trade secret?

Anyway, it's not that crucial to me. GC and the two Edens form quite a large triangle (wider than 90 degrees - perhaps 110). Each of the Edens is at a 1.5 metre distance from the GC, which I hope gives all three of them enough room to gambol as they please.

Hmm, mine has been in the ground about a year and a half. Pretty thing, though it actually got a bit of BS last year, something I do not see very often. I am assuming it will grow out of it. In fact I am counting on it!

I want to see it grow, but I have not placed it to be a climber. and don't really have that in mind.

Rosefolly

WinterCat, sounds like the same story I get when I've asked the same question at my local nurseries. Do they all learn this at nursery school??

Mine was slow to start, then the 2nd year took off. It would bloom, then get blackspot, which would leave after a while. It's been there about 3 years, and this year the flowers are huge and gorgeous. I didn't prune this year, don't know if that was the difference; maybe our drought last summer? :) As long as I deadhead and give plenty of water it will try to bloom somewhat during our summer, where it gets plenty of our west Texas sun!

I think Golden Celebration's growth rate might be determined by soil? I have several of the plant, and they're slow to take off in my heavy clay soil. They do nicely, but slow. I have a friend who has an own-root Golden Celebration that is HUGE. After pruning this winter, it was probably 6 x 6? but I am guessing. Point is, it's in a contained bed that is possibly filled with very good topsoil and mulch on a hillside. I wonder if a rich loamy soil that the roots can go very deep (plus lots of water) is what makes the difference. I don't know - just thought I'd share. My friend's Golden Celebration is my dream.

For us at the coast, G.C. began to be really spectacular when we quit pruning it. In our conditions, it did not tolerate having canes shortened. They inevitably died-back.

Left alone, and deadheaded lightly as needed, it succeeds wonderfully for us.

Jeri

Thanks Jeri, for the above info. I will move my Golden Celebration - it's too close to the walkway and I kept chopping it (bad idea!). I'll move it to a sunnier place where I won't be tempted to prune it down.