I'm in a completely different climate/growing region from you, but since no one else has yet responded, I'll throw my "1-cent's worth" into the thread. I've not grown Firefighter, only Papa Meilland. Mine is just starting its third year. The bush is uneven; it is not a rose for landscaping. That's for sure. It will send out very long canes and always produces one-to-a-stem roses. They are smaller and less shapely during our hottest summer months here, but that may not concern you in the slightest. During spring and fall, the blooms are exceptional as a cut flower. Left on the bush they don't last nearly as long,but when I cut them and keep in in a vase in a climate-controlled interior, they look beautiful for a long time. The fragrance is powerful. Classic but also sweet. I've smelled a few other roses virtually as fragrant (only a few) but none that has surpassed it in fragrance. The bloom starts out deep red, has some darker shadings as it opens more; once fully open it will "blue," but not in the dull, faded sort of way many crimson roses do. It actually turns deep purple for me. Once again, that is different cut than when left on the bush. On the bush it just withers before it would get to that purple stage. So far, the rose is a little under par for how much it produces, but my plant is also not very old yet. I'm told it gets better with maturity. So for what it's worth, my grade for it as a cut flower is A-, exceptionally beautiful and fragrant, but not always consistent depending on environment. As a garden plant I have to give it a C or C-. If you don't have it already, you might also consider Oklahoma, also offered by Northland. A duskier red, but still very dark and wonderful fragrance, plus, a better garden grower in my opinion. Pesonally, I'm still hoping to eventually get Royal William, a quite attractive, true red rose from Northland. But it is not nearly as fragrant as the others. Others will have to speak to Firefighter. I only have read about it. Mike

Yeshwant91, you might want to pay closest attention to testimonials from other rose growers near you/in your region. But here's my 2 cents' worth, anyway. If you are seeking a tall fragrant red, as you say, Mr. Lincoln fits the bill--much taller than Papa Meilland by most accounts. I have not grown PM yet, mine (virus indexed) is due to arrive from Roses Unlimited next week, as is Chrysler Imperial. I HAVE grown Mr. Lincoln, both in cool western Washington State, and in hot and humid Mobile Alabama. Both places this rose grew very tall. In Mobile it was easily 8 feet tall, too tall for my preference. In Washington it had a rich deep red color, did not "blue" nor "blow" so quickly as in Mobile, and the blooms were terrific. It also was respectably productive. It would be my pick for fragrant red in a cool summer climate (along with the much smaller Deep Secret!), but I found Mr. L's quality a little disappointing in the Gulf South. Others on the Gulf Coast I know disagree with me, though. I'm excited about Papa Meilland, largely because of ceterum's long-standing rave reviews of him. But many reviews say his form and fragrance are unsurpassed. (yea!) Chrysler Imperial is a much lighter red. I had a cheap (almost certainly) virused plant of it from Walmart a couple years back. Hey, for $4 I thought I'd try it as a disposable. The plant was runty but the blooms, when they came, were wonderful. I'm quite excited to get a healthy specimen (knock on wood) from Roses Unlimited. Healthy CIs are known to be one of the more prolific bloomers, as well as having the same long cutting stems as Papa M. and Mr. Lincoln, and similar Damask fragrance too. If you haven't already done so, check out the photos and descriptions and comments on both roses at helpmefind.com/roses. Raptorfan, I have grown Ingrid Bergman, but only for a year and a half. As rich a blood red color as they come, but the bloom form is variable, and I detect not even a slight fragrance. Perhaps bloom form is better with a mature bush? IB gets quite variable reviews on fragrance. Veteran's Honor is definitely more fragrant, and consistently excellent form, though the color is not quite so rich. Both are impressively prolific bloomers.

Shifferle, please excuse the belated response, but I just saw this thread while looking for references to Red Masterpiece, a rose I just ordered today own-root from Heirloom. My climate is completely different from yours, but here's my 2 cents' worth anyway. I have Papa M on its own roots. Mine is lanky, kind of tall, not at all a landscape bush, and the blooms blow very quickly on the bush. Also not the most prolific (mine is just 2 years old) but not horribly stingy either. Produces in flushes every 5-6 weeks, but just a couple or few at a time. If I manage to notice and cut the buds at just the right stage, they will complete the bloom cycle in a vase, and as cut flowers they are terrific! Mine have lasted a week and a half in my climate-controlled office. They start out rich deep red but transform into intense deep purple--not the ugly bluish faded red but dark purple. The scent lasts nearly the entire life of the cut flower. Beautiful form, too! BUT...seeing as you are concerned with spraying--which this one needs, I'll second the above comment about Deep Secret. This rose has considerably smaller blooms, and they don't last quite as long for me cut. But the fragrance is equally fantastic, and the bush is far hardier than Papa M. (a lot thornier too, but nobody's perfect, lol). The color is wonderful intense red in the center with black shadings on outer petals. The centers are not pinpoint exhibition, but the half-open blooms look wonderful. I'm about to replace Deep Secret with that Red Masterpiece I mentioned, because the heat here is too much for the plant--it looks dried out much of the time compared to the other roses; might be a bit susceptible to chemical burn, too, and I spray! But in your climate it should do great--at least give you quality spring and fall blooms and make it through the winter well. I've never seen disease on mine. Best wishes, whatever you choose. Mike

Brighid, I know this post is ancient by now and that you've probably ordered already and moved on, but I loves red roses, too, and so have to chime in. (WARNING: I'm on holiday break, so I expect to ramble here) Regarding Papa Meilland, it is certainly variable in its performance, depending on where you are growing it. But the fragrance is on par with the very best rose fragrances you'll encounter. And at its best, the blooms are also terrific. For me on the Gulf Coast, it has been disappointing in the garden, primarily because its blooms don't last at all on the bush and have inconsisten form, and because it is a quite gangly grower, which in the compact garden dimensions I work with is not ideal. But if you've got a space where the bush is not prominently displayed, perhaps behind other roses, its definitely worth trying as a source for cut flowers. As unappealing as mine has been in the garden--we're hot and humid here--the cut flowers last quite respectably long in a vase in my air conditioned office. And the color is wonderful, starting out a deep red and aging to a deeper purple-red, but an intriguing almost blackberry color, not the ugly bluing-magenta mess that some crimson roses suffer from. Despite its reputation for disease, Mine from Heirloom has had no particular problems. Powdery Mildew is hardly a problem here, but blackspot is, if anything, even worse here than in the Pacific Northwest --yes, I know, hard to believe. I spray preventively all my roses, and Papa M. has stayed clean for me. I've never grown Janice K., so can't comment. But Ingrid was just so-so for me. Again, climate probably matters a lot. Mine had intensely red blooms, very lovely, but never had the impeccable exhibition form that others rave about. And no scent at all, but maybe that's my nose's deficiency. My wife tells me that even roses like Olympiad and Vino Rosso are very fragrant to her. Go figure! Anyway, you're growing conditions are quite different, so I'm glad you've ordered it. I really like S&W as a nursery source, btw. I did not notice you mention what other reds you have. I just feel compelled to make a few plugs. I grew up growing roses as a kid in the Puget Sound, WA area --Olympia specifically. This was in the late 70s to mid-80s. Mr. Lincoln was hands-down my best red then. You Must get it if you haven't and if you don't mind a tall 7ft+ bush. Intensely fragrant, big fat, rich red blooms. Wonderful! Another one to grow for sure in your climate is Deep Secret. Its fragrance is on par with Papa M. and Mr. L., a much shorter bush, only about 3ft tall, but very bushy and nicely shaped. Blooms only measure up to 4 inches, but are nevertheless very pretty; one of the deeper reds, nearly black outer petals with intensely red centers. It starts with decent exhibition form then opens out into an old-fashioned quartered look. Anyway, mine suffers through our summers here but in early spring and mid- and late-fall it is spectacular. I know it will like your climate. Heirloom sells it. got mine from Just Joey's, which I think no longer operates? Veteran's Honor is superb, I believe wherever it is grown. Consistently superior form, big blooms on thick stems. A very robust, spreading grower, and even has a very pleasant raspberry fragrance. True red, if not the most intense color. Opening Night thrives in modest tempts, too, and its color rivals Ingrid in intensity. Its the offspring of Ingrid B and Olympiad. Unfortunately its got virtually no fragrance, like Olympiad. But its beautiful and healthy. I haven't (yet) grown Pride of England, which you can find from Heirloom Roses, their "English Legend" section, a beautiful rose that reportedly loves that climate. My most beautiful red has to be Vino Rosso, aka Vino Rossi, which I've only had a year so expect to get even better. It's from Steve at Wisconsin Roses (an online source). He has great prices. You just have to email him to get on the list for this one. Rich, rich, wine red blend of shades, with stunning form, and blooms that last easily 2 weeks. It looks like a beautiful sculpture and holds its pinpoint exhibition form, seemingly forever. I forgive it is lack of scent (this is one my wife considers fragrant), : ) It has been a great bloomer. Steve says it takes its time getting established, then is a powerhouse prolific bloomer. Mine's done great even its first year. Now toward the end of that year I'm starting to see the blooms get bigger on thicker, longer, straight stems, wonderful for cutting. This is a winner. Red Intuition --also from Wisconsin Roses, has just ok form, but terrific prolific bloom performance, healthy, trouble-free. This is really a red-blend, a red-on-red striped rose; it is absolutely unique in coloring, but the overall effect is medium red. Blooms last a long time for me. No scent at all. Alec's Red --a Scottish rose, I think. Should love your climate. Really only starts out true red, then finishes deep deep pink. But the blooms are big, very full, and intensely, sweetly fragrant. Only average disease resistance; needs protection from blackspot. Others I've grown: Dame de coeur --just ok, but healthy and easy. I could not detect any scent, though others do Erotika --deep, rich red, quite variable form, which was frustrating to me, but terrific intense raspberry fragrance Black Magic --gorgeous, scentless, very tall but bushy, not gangly. Needs protection from blackspot for sure. Proud Land --a bland, shapeless mess for me, but that might have been just an aversion to the Gulf Coast. Chrysler Imperial --still have it, a consisten performer for me, very fragrant, parent of Papa M. and Mr. L. Average height, a lighter red than either of those. Its reputation is that it prefers warmer climates, so I don't necessarily recommend it to you. Certainly get Mr. Lincoln before Chrysler. Olympiad --a fine red rose, healthy, good production of blooms, true red that doesn't fade. But scentless, and not the richest of reds. I am not excited by this rose, but it is good and trouble-free. Someone mentioned Europeana above. That floribunda has classic ruffly floribunda form, not the newer pseudo-hybrid tea form of some. Terriful bright red color and very prolific, but mine was one of the worst blackspot magnets I've every grown! Watch out for that. Beloved, aka Cesar Chavez, deep deep, intense red, sparkles in the garden here. Slight fragrance, tall and bushy. I don't know how it will do in the Pacific Northwest. I'm sure I'll think of others after I hit "send" but that's enough rambling for now, especially since you probably finished ordering months ago. ; ) Mike