New Dawn is pretty foolproof - even I can do it! Seriously, they're my first "real" (ie not Knockout) roses, and they did GREAT in their first year last year. I planted them the previous autumn. I'm really excited to see how they'll do this year now they're well-established (and just hoping the supercold winter we had hasn't affected them!). They get some blackspot, but seem to laugh it off and keep right on growing and blooming....

My Autumn Sunset blooms almost continuously all summer. Even the one year old rooted cuttings I have in pots bloom repeatedly. I just keep the spent blooms cut off. Westerland does not bloom so well for me. It gives me a couple of flowers in spring but blooms rather sparsely after that, although a one year potted rooted cutting of it does bloom better. It should be against the law to sell tree roses in zone 5. Unless you pot and overwinter as Bustopher says, tree roses in zone 5 end up as expensive annuals. The only exception is Polar Joy. It's all one plant, no grafts, but it suckers freely. Well rooted suckers can be grown to be more tree roses, but they need lots of care once severed from the main plant until they get rooted well. All other tree roses have the top graft which is prone to dying during our cold winters. It sets way up in the freezingg cold wind and ice. I've tried every method to overwinter them, to no avail. If they do survive, they go into a slow death spiral. Save your money and put it into hardy shrub varieties. They can be just as attractive and require little or no winter protection.

I have both. There are only slight differences between mine. Westerland seems to be more vigorous in that it throws bigger canes and wants to take over more real estate. However, there is no difference in the vigor of blooms--both flower repeatedly in huge clusters. Autumn Sunset's colors are yellow with tinge of peach. Westerland is more orange and bright. Westerland is more attention-getting and Autumn Sunset blends in with other roses' colors better. So I guess it depends on where your rose is going to be located. If you have a lot of room 10' x 10' and want a rich bright color, then pick Westerland. If you don't have as much room and you need a softer color next to other roses, then choose Autumn Sunset. I think they both have a good fragrance.

I just planted a Westerland Apricot climbing rose this spring. It gets about 2 hrs dappled sunlight and 4 hrs of late afternoon sun. The buds are quite orange and then open to a pinkish color mixed with yellow centers--it's a slightly darker version of my Joseph's Coat with the same conditions. I'm vey pleased with it. I'd post a picture but have not figured out how to do that with my camera.