They lack information for a variety of reasons. Perhaps they are too new or simply haven't been purchased by enough people willing to share their comments on them. Usually, if the rose is great, or a real piece of %*&T)*&, people are often willing to share the information. Unfortunately, many more put it here and not there, which makes it quite difficult to access. The information gets lost in the crush of posts and the search feature doesn't do a very good job of finding precisely what you're looking for. Kim

Mlle. Melanie

I've tried some of Heirloom's roses but not the ones you have listed. My favorite to date is Braveheart. She's a little bit slow to take off on her own roots, as are most of the Austins in my garden. She's been relatively disease-free (some blackspot), and her flowers are lovely. Rebloom is good.

Carol

Also, Melanie -- Their roses have been bred in the Pacific Northwest -- so whether or not they are successful THERE doesn't really tell you whether they will be successful where you are located.

It's my thought that you might also look into the "Pioneer" roses that Michael Shoup has bred, at the Antique Rose Emporium. Since they come from the Brenham (S.E. TX) area, they might have a better track record for your conditions.

Jeri (Coastal SoCalif, Ventura Co.)

Thanks all for the info.

Kim, it is too sad and true that much of the internet is a best and worst of any given topic. I guess it can be a good thing to slide under the radar.

Carol, the pic of 'Braveheart' on their website doesn't do it justice at all! Thanks for sharing your experience with it.

Jeri, I'm not really shopping, more like internet window shopping. I don't have much room in my yard, but I like salivating and dreaming about what COULD be. I'll definitely go check out the Pioneer roses, and thanks for the advice!

I like reading about everyone's differing experiences with the same roses, and I just happened to notice that these don't show up often.

Jeri's suggestion is spot on. The Antique Rose Emporium would be my first place to drool if I were in LA. Great roses! I've had some shipped to PDX even though the plants were available at nurseries closer to PDX.

Carol

I have some of the older ones. Louise Clements is one of my favorite roses. It's not very vigorous but so pretty. Magnificent Perfume is beautiful, though it doesn't live up to its' name. I have two Clements ramblers, Cherries Jubilee and The Kings Rubies. They are remarkable climbers, though disease prone.

We have two. Braveheart is a beautiful velvet red that doesn't fade. It is a favorite for shape and color, but has little fragrance. Laura is a pink blend that lasts well in the vase.

I have three Louise Clements. The shrubs are not vigorous and I pamper them because of it, but the bloom colors are really pretty. They are bs prone, also, but I am hoping they will grow out of it sometime in the next few years.

I am trying some of the newer Heirloom roses this year. Mine are just potted up in gallon pots, but one really impressed me with color and vigor - Douglas Gandy. Cant say how it will do later on....but I just love the color. Just planted a Louise Clements from Roses Unlimited - its doing well, love the color.

I live about 3 hours from the Antique Rose Emporium and am a big fan of the Pioneer roses - I have quite a few of them - havent found one yet that I didnt like and wasnt hardy. Their gardens are amazing - like being in heaven to walk around and look at all the blooming things, not just roses, then sit on the hill with the breeze blowing and have a picnic and something cool to drink then go walk the gardens again. I never get enough of it.
Judith

I planted ''Louise Clements' at my last residence. She grew out of her proneness to blackspottiness and eventually developed into a nice, compact modest-sized shrub. Say 3 feet? I also planted her at a client's garden, and she was a consistently solid rose at both sites. Mature plant: still a touch of late season blackspot, as I recall, but nothing hideous. Her flowers were bright and soft, like a sunset. Looked great with blues and lavender-purple range!

Carol

Another Braveheart admirer here--in fact, I may have been the first poster on this forum to post pics of her here and I chided the forum for having ignored her. She is one of my favorites in my garden--gorgeous red that doesn't purple or fade. Her disease-resistance could be better, but it is not bad--it's "good"--just not "very good."

At one time I had Clements Morning Has Broken. I remember my neighbor was quite taken with the yellow of the blooms and always commented on it when it bloomed. Unfortunately, when major work was being done on the garage, the workmen tromped all over her. That combined with a long summer drought did her in. Not sure why I never replaced her--I liked her and she had very good disease-resistance.

Kate

Melanie, I'm kind of close to your zone. I'm assuming your main disease issues are probably blackspot and powdery mildew like mine, due to our high humidity. Out of the roses listed on their site, here are the ones I grow and comments on how they are doing for me...

Black Ice: very slow ownroot, slow repeat, blooms last close to a week when it does bloom however, never has any leaves (but in its defense, the area where I have it planted only gets morning sun)

Braveheart: I know many people love this rose, but its been highly susseptible to blackspot for me

Antique Artistry: only had it for two years, but is also bs prone.

Pink Morning: I really love this one! Nice and healthy and the blooms are just the prettiest form and color

Star of the Nile: Another nice rose. Vigorous own root. Very pretty color, but blooms do blow fast...still worth growing

Christmas Snow: I actually just got this one this spring, but its already 5 feet tall & healthy!

Hope this helps a little :)

Tammy