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

Can't speak to Chrysler Imperial, but I have Oklahoma and a couple of Mister Lincolns - those three are sort of the vintage trifecta of Hybrid Tea Reds. Veterans Honor I planted new this year (felt like I needed more reds). So far, it appears to be the best red I've ever seen. The bush is already about 5 feet tall from a bare root in spring. Flowers are huge with perfect exhibition form and no blushing/bluing at all. Of course, the only minus is no scent. If it had that, IMHO, it might be the best red, ever, period. Crimson Glory is a rose I'll never be without. It may have the finest fragrance of any hybrid tea in existence. Flowers are good size, with absolutely velvet substance. However, the bush and flower stems do not meet modern exhibition standards. Stems are very short, weak, and the flowers knod over on a regular basis. The bush is more old-rose style - it's rambling and perhaps wider than tall, growing very much like a hedge. However, that fragrance is unbeatable, strong, and consistent.

I agree with Seil. Of the two MISTER LINCOLN is the "truer" red. The petals remind me of crushed red velvet. As a rule all the classic fragrant reds will "blue" (i.e. take on purple tones) as the blooms age. For ML this usually happens when the bloom is fully open. I actually don't mind the transformation as the burgundy petals contrast beautifully with the golden stamens in the center. As for fragrance, to my sniffer ML has one of the best, if not THE best, Damask scents. It isn't just strongely scented, it is INTENSELY fragrant at all stages of the bloom development. Mister Lincoln was my father's favorite rose and he grew it for years until his death. Whenever I smell a red rose it is ML that I'm comparing it to. One word of advice. Mister Lincoln is VERY vigorous cultivar. You'll need to prune it down hard after it booms to keep it in bounds and to encourage repeat bloom.

tbult, We have 3 Veteran's Honors, but no Chrysler Imperial. Your picture was kind of small for me to see, and I know that reds are hard to photograph. Our VHs are a true bright red, no blue tones whatsoever. They have a definite raspberry koolaid type of smell for us. Don't know if this helps...you could go to helpmefind.com and see if any of the pictures look familiar. Hope this helps. Phyl