Pickering is the # 1 vendor for the Northeast.. From the multiflora graft, to thier product. The only complaint is they dont have full time customer service staff per se... Sometimes answers to inquiries might be slow to get back to you, They do have a few mixed up roses... I have two Great Maidens Blush now.. Seems like they had a mix up on some Albas a while back, I got a credit back on mine, but they dont seem to like to listen to these complaints at time =).. But otherwise, Pickering is my favorite source for roses. Silverkelt

I too have tried every which way. I even ordered in the spring and rec'd them mid-May, with the temps already creeping into the low 90's. Never lost a one, though a couple were touch and go. I agree with Olga, the very best scenario is fall planting. Gives them a chance to put on good roots in the winter for abundant spring top growth. Pickering roses are awesome. I know I in a very small minority, but my one venture with Horitco has been very successful as well. Great plants, prompt shipping and all true to variety. Plus, all that were planted last fall as bareroot are blooming now. Hortico has varieties that you can't get anywhere else.

I finally got around to sitting down and going through the site tonight. You can tell that they cut back on their variaties quite a bit from previous years. Last year I bought quite a few that they were discontinuing, and thankful that I did :) Also, as Beth mentioned, a good amount are already sold out. This year, I placed my order for these: Laguna (the main reason I ordered from them this year..wanted this one very badly after seing some pics of it) Gypsy Boy Tour de Makakoff Kazanlik R. Primula White Cap Yippee! Tammy

For those of you with ice dam issues, in addition to having excellent insulation and good air flow in an uninsulated space above the heated envelope (a combo of soffit vents, gable end vents and roof peak vents), DH ( a former builder/contractor) swears by adhesive-backed underlayment membranes (Bituthane is one brand). They go on at ambient temperature and stick (really stick!) to the roof base (plywood or whatever) and then the shingles go on over it - the stuff seals around the roofing nails. Even when we get ice issues over the ell (impossible to insulate it properly - it's 200 year-old construction) we haven't had a leak, and DH used it to solve numerous client's issues with leaks due to ice dams. I have also heard from a friend with a metal roof that they have had some issues, but it was a while ago and I don't know how they solved them. You might want to ask around on the home forums for folks' experience on retrofitting a house with a metal roof. I love water, but for me it doesn't matter if it's a river, a large lake (10 acres to Lake Superior) or the ocean - each has its charm. Bill, I think you need an Isabella Stewart Gardner type of roofed courtyard, but one with a lower roof on the south side for more sun, a larger space than your sun porch. Come to think of it, I wouldn't mind having one of those either, a spot to putter in the winter. I need to check out Defrost's unheated greenhouse.