Hello,

This is my first post here, so please forgive me if I am a total rose newbie.

About 2 years after I lost my house in a divorce and moved into an apartment with only a small shady patio, I am finally buying another house. At the top of my to-do list, of course, is planting roses!

This house has a nice well-drained bed with a bit of afternoon shade that I thought would be good for growing some English roses in. However all I grew at my last house were hybrid teas which did very well and a single floribunda which didn't do so great. Knowing that I am not an expert rose grower, would it make sense for me to order some bare root David Austin roses now and plant them once our house purchase actually closes (scheduled for the end of March)? Or would I have to plant them as soon as I get them, and by then it would be too late?

I was considering just sticking with container-grown hybrid teas from the local nursery and then moving on to English roses next year, but I'm excited and impatient to finally get a real garden again, and I've read that English roses take a while to establish themselves.

Thanks in advance!