And here are the Heirloom ones, and I must say they are bigger and healthier than I have come to expect from them.

Now, for my paranoia and inexperience--please tell me this really isn't RMV, but just an old leaf about to drop.

Right KS -- there is nothing about that leaf that would lead me to think it has rose mosaic.

They look really good! I was also pleased with my orders from both companies this year :)

I also got (most of) my RVR order today...as well as (most of) my Vintage Gardens order. There were a few additions to both orders which are coming a bit later (and Vintage held back five which were too small to ship). I'll share pics when I finish potting them up -- I still had 18 to go when it got too dark out to continue.

A few from Vintage Gardens had blooms attached:
Sophie's Perpetual (strong, sweet damask scent)
Nouveau Monde (smelled like fancy soap and face powder)
Monsieur Boncenne (strong, sweet damask scent)
Souvenir de la Malmaison (always makes me think of hyacinths)
Bermuda Spice (pepper and cedar?)
Sissinghurst Castle (sweet herbal)

Boy, it must be warm out there on the west coast. Both orders had a few bands that were VERY thirsty when I unpacked them. They all got a good soak in their new pots, and perked back up. I made sure to start repotting the drier bands first, then gave the ones I'm leaving for tomorrow a deep drink before I came inside for the night. I'll try finishing them in the morning before work.

:-)

~Christopher

Looks good, KS Greenman. I was pleased with my RVR orders too. Tell us their names :)

Christopher,
Great pictures and great selection. I'm sure you will like Bermuda Spice. It is very low care for me. In my opinion, you can not go wrong with any of the Bermuda found roses. Thank you very much Dr. Malcolm Manners for introducing them to me many years ago.
Regards,
Andrew

Well, from Heirloom I received The Impressionist, Queen Bee, Pretty Jessica, El Catala, Love Potion, Rosarian Gregg Lowery, Amazing Grace, and Cameo Perfume(which I will call Renaissance on my HMF list). From RVR Contance Spry, Queen Nefertiti(a substitute for Proud Titania, which I guess they ran out of), Lordly Oberon, The Yeoman, Souvenir de Claudius Pernet( a special order from my wish list), Catalonia(a rose I ordered last year and they held for me over winter), Moje Hammarberg(free rose), plus a free mystery rose.

KSGeenman, I have Queen Bee, and Queen Nefertiti and I like them, but they are still to new to say much about them.

OK, I didn't upload the pics I took to my photobucket account yet, so I'm being lazy and offering any of you on Facebook the opportunity to see them in my "NJ Garden" album. My Heirloom Roses order came two weeks ago, and that pic is the 37th in the album, followed by a shot of 'Souvenir de Victor Landeau' as it's leafing out this year (I got it as a band in April 2012), some up-close shots of the "Reine des Violettes" a-la Heirloom Roses, and a snapshot of the whole order potted up and individual shots of each. Then there's an "after" pic of one of the future Gallica beds, after I removed dead and "in the way" growth of the arborvitae, and finally the Vintage Gardens and Rogue Valley Roses order I received on Thursday.

I'm overly meticulous with potting them up, so I got through half in four hours on Thursday, working until it got too dark to see. Then this morning (Friday) I finished the other half in another four hours, just in time to get cleaned up and ready for work. If I posted them all on here, I think I'd end up freezing someone's computer.

One thing I have to say -- I notice that the medium Vintage uses for their bands is very "rocky" and seems both overly heavy for shipping weight, and prone to drying out en route. Some of their bands were wilting when I took them out, but perked back up after getting a long, slow drink. Rogue uses more of a peat-based medium, which seemed both lighter in weight and able to retain more moisture. Of all of the RVR bands, only 'Golden Buddha' seemed a bit wilty, but it also perked back up soon after being repotted and watered.

My potting mix this time was equal parts peat moss, Bovung composted cow manure, and shredded hardwood mulch. I like how this mix felt, a nice mix of light and fluffy with enough water-holding ability and a good mix of slow-release organic nutrients for growth.

I lined the bottom of each pot with newspaper to keep the mix from coming out of the holes but still allow water to drain out. I sprinkled Jobe's Organic Knock Out Rose food in layers as I added potting mix, using 1 cup for the 2-gallon pots and 1/2 cup for the 1-gallons. I think I prefer the 2-gallon pots, but did use the 1-gallons for the bands that were either much smaller, or for roses which themselves don't grow that big, and will be planted in the ground after I place the larger roses. I'll pot up the 1-gallons into 2-gallons later in the season.

I'll keep updating that album as I go along.

:-)

~Christopher

Here is a link that might be useful: NJ Garden Pics

Ain't it fun getting an order in? Your RVR order looks like mine a month or so back--there was an interesting mix of sizes, from large budding plants to a tiny Aimee Vibert.

Yeah, I've noticed that Vintage uses what looks like lava sand-coarse--in their mix. I've started adding it to my cutting media.

Have fun with those roses.

Lava sand!!!! Thanks Blue Girl ...I've been trying to figure out what they use in their mix!

Ha! I've been coveting the pumice that folks in CA & AZ can get so easily & exploring other possibilities. A sack of lava sand from a local nursery had the same red perforated granules that the Vintage bands had. I had to sift it to get the proper size.

Been experimenting with "Al's gritty mix" for this year's cuttings. The point of the mix, valued for cactus & many other plants, is that it eliminates perched water in the mix even for pots watered daily. You can spend the next YEAR reading all the posts about the mix, but basically, it's a coarse mix of granite grit (chick grower-sized grit), pine or fir fines, & pumice (or zeolite, Napa #8822 floor-dry, Turface or some other form of CALCINED clay). The particle size is important, the ideal ranging from 1/8"-1/4".

Anyho, I'm thinking I may need a bit more water retention, with some coco fiber or peat, as AGMix is just a bit too well-drained. Just fooling around, as usual.