Denise, I did order 3 roses from Chamblees in 2011, Duchesse de Brabant, Mrs. B. R. Cant, and Crepuscule, and then last year I ordered 3 more from them--Pat Austin, SDLM, and Mrs. Dudley Cross. This coming fall I am thinking about ordering Maggie, and I might need to find 2 others to complete the order :) I was happy with Chamblees plants, although a couple plants were on the smaller side. But they did replace a small rose that arrived split at the soil surface. I planted the broken one, which is slowly catching up, as well as the replacement, so I have two Crepuscule plants. Rosefolly, my bigger Crepuscule that I planted next to an arbor needs some help. It doesn't seem to have grown much in the last year and is showing signs of what I think is an iron deficiency, green veins in pale leaves. Our calcareous soils make it difficult for plants to get the iron they need. It didn't help that a huge blue sky vine was taking over the arbor as well. Also, the plant is in the hot afternoon sun and I'm not sure that is the best location. The second, smaller Crepuscule is planted where it gets more shade and I'll be interested to see how it looks this fall. I am thinking about trying green sand for the iron problem, after reading about it this spring on one of the GW forums. As we are snow birds, I didn't have time to do any serious amendments this spring before we left for the north. I did fertilize with a fertlizer for acid loving plants and mulched. I will read more about green sand and perhaps try it in the fall. For now, my Florida roses are on their own (sorry to leave them--some were getting ready for a nice flush when we had to leave). I am hoping our area has a nice, rainy summer! Some photos--not many full bush photos--too much other greenery nearby makes them hard to photograph. Mrs. Dudley Cross has been slow to take off and has had just a couple of flowers on her thus far and they were not that nice. I'm hoping she'll improve with age. Marcia Duchesse de Brabant Crepuscule in 2012 Crepuscule bud in April 2013--you can see the darker veins in the lighter green leaves I love Pat Austen's color! Too bad her blooms droop so SDLM was a tiny plant when I received it last spring, so I took it back to PA with me and nursed it in a pot all summer. She was planted in the ground in November 2012. A helpful critter on one of her buds Mrs. B. R. Cant is definitely the plant that took off and grew larger than any of the others that I planted from Chamblees. Before we left Florida, we put a small fence (not in this photo) in front of her so the canes wouldn't droop on the ground and be run over by the lawn mower.

Old Blush reached 5 to 6 feet in my zone 10 garden but probably didn't get all the water it should have. Franziska stayed around 4 feet, balled and mildewed and sulked, but I loved the blooms when they were normal. I hope she works out for you. Ingrid

Sheri, the Teas probably don't need any pruning at all for a few years. You WANT them to start building up that twiggy framework Ann was describing elsewhere. Abe Darby isn't an Old Garden Rose. It's modern rose, with an "old-fashioned" bloom form. It was bred from the modern Large-Flowered Climber,'Aloha', and a modern Floribunda, 'Yellow Cushion.' So you would treat it as the modern rose it is. In my climate, it grows as a small climber. I don't do much pruning on a Climber for the first few years. Jeri

You have to be more specific than just "OGR" to find the ones which will do well in Florida. Teas, Chinas, Noisettes, and Tea-Noisettes are just four types of OGRs. 'Louise Odier' is a Bourbon, and while an OGR, probably isn't suitable for Florida. 'The Fairy' is a Polyantha, and with that Multiflora background probably isn't suited to alkaline soils found in much of Florida. Meanwhile, four you mentioned as doing well -- 'Duchesse de Brabant', 'Duquesa', 'Mrs. B. R. Cant', and "Spice" -- are Teas, and Teas thrive in areas with little or no Winter. I have a bunch of Chinas and Teas here in NJ, and they are rarely without bloom through the growing season, but get hit hard by Winters here. Check out Rose Petals Nursery or Angel Gardens -- two Florida rose nurseries -- and search under the Teas, Chinas, Noisettes, and Tea-Noisettes. These types do very well in warm climates, usually blooming all year. Other types of OGRs -- such as Bourbons, Hybrid Perpetuals, Portlands, or the once-blooming types -- likely won't do well for you, though there may be random exceptions. :-) ~Christopher