So far my favorite is John Cabot, but that's also they only one I've had until I got Quadra a few weeks ago. John Cabot has a great spring flush, then very little for the rest of the year. It is very vigorous on its own roots for me and is now larger than its trellis so I had to cut it back a bit. I found John Cabot locally but I had to order Quadra from Palatine roses. Unfortunately, they've stopped shipping for the season.

Mine, too. John Cabot has made a nice short climber for me (to 6') and is fully hardy. The first flush is gorgeous.

Quadra just got moved back to a pot, it's 2 1/2 years old in my garden and still band sized. Very annoying.

William Baffin grows well, but the color is a little much. It's fluorescent, screaming pink. Same for it's seed sibiling Captain Sam Holland.

Hope For Humanity, while not technically a climber, is getting tall and I really like the color of the blooms. They are almost black in Spring.

Cheers,
Michelle

John Davis is a very nice pink Explorer climber. It has a great spring bloom, but then reblooms nicely throughout the summer also. Like William Baffin it is super hardy, but doesn't spread and sucker all over the place. (More of a gentleman than old Willie!).

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Very pretty, Karen! I have a tiny JD going, forgot about him entirely. :-) It's nice to see what he might become.

Cheers,
Michelle

I only have one and that one is William Baffin, so obviously, that's my fav. I got this one from Lowes a few years ago. I really like the color, but I'm a loud color kinda girl. It does put out a lot of suckers and mine only blooms once, but he puts on quite a show this time of year.
William Baffin
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Hope

Karen and Hope, You both have GORGEOUS roses there!! Thanks for posting them....nice to see bush shots!

Alexander MacKenzie is an unbelievably gorgeous Explorer that has raspberry/cherry red, hybrid tea shaped blooms. I don't hear many talk of it, but if you saw it in real life, you'd swoon. David at Pickering Roses recommended it to us several years ago. We have about 3-4 of them growing in our church garden, along with 3-4 John Cabots. If I had to choose between them, I'd go straight to Alexander!! But
of course, taste is so individual. Helpmefind.com has many beautiful and accurate photos of it.

Have fun deciding! :0) Phyl

Both John Cabot and Alex McKenzie would be great choices, I've seen both availible at local nurseries. I find J.Cabot large and sprawls and A. Mckenzie better behaved. Both have small rebloom.Might i suggest another Prairie Joy, its a small climber as well, pink extremly hardy and diease free, with excellent rebloom. Not an explorer but its a canadian rose. You can look it up on helpmefind.com
john Cabot
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Alex McKenzie, red (right) not a clear shot, its grown another 3 ft. since i took this pic. Prairie Joy pink on the left {{gwi:272204}}

No one has mentioned Henry Kelsey. It is red with yellow stamens. I have it on an arbour and another on a fence. I prefer the tall Explorer roses on a fence as it is the arching branches that result in more blooms.

Since William Baffin and Capt Samuel Holland received negative reviews for their bright colour, I would like to heartily recommend them FOR their colour. :) John Davis is too dull for me, but I have heard it is an excellent Explorer rose. Willy B will sucker if grown on its own root, but shouldn't if its grafted (R. rugosa heritage).

But my favourite is John Cabot. Great colour. Massive display of blooms. Mine sprawls along a fence. Its branches would be 8-10' tall if they grew straight up.

Hi....

Thanks so much everyone for the great replys. I have decided to go with an explorer (I think???). I visited and called about a dozen nurserys in the area, and the only explorer I found was a J&P William Baffin. I understand "own root" vs. grafted but am confused as to how you tell? I assume the J&P is "own root" which is desirable (sorry for my ignorance). This will be a B-day present for my wife, so I really did not want to go the mail order route in which case I found a good supply at Pickerings, but I would have to buy three. I do like the A. Mackenzie and would probably go with it if I had found it locally.

Thanks again,

Nick

If the rose is grafted, you will find a large swelling at the base, possibly below soil level in the pot. That tells you the top rose cutting was grafted to a different, usually more vigorous root stock. In your zone you want to plant that graft about 3" below soil level. Own-root roses won't have that 'ball' or swelling, and you can plant it at, or slightly below the level it was in the pot. William Baffin will get quite large - here's a picture of our Willie late last fall, after a heavy spring pruning. So be sure to put him where he can fit. We are always having to remove suckers around the base as he wants to become a 30 foot hedge!!!

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