Couldn't say for sure, but I don't remember my Will2000 ever blooming in a kind of round ball shape. Mine kinda looks like someone took a sharp knife and sliced it off flat on top--like this pic which brings out too much of the pink shades, unfortunately. The colors in the center are more accurate. Notice also the center has somewhat what is called the "quartered" look. I seem to remember most of Will2000's blooms being that way. I might add that while my Will2000 definitely likes to sprawl--and it isn't "somewhat sprawling" but rather "definitely sprawling"--I don't remember it ever showing even a momentary interest in growing upward like a climber. Don't know if this will help or not, but I remember a conversation back when there were lots of discussions about which Shakespeare is best in which someone maintained that the blooms on the original Shakespeare didn't always fully form, giving them a kind of bean-shape as a result. Presumably that was one of the reasons why Austin felt the need to replace it with a "better" variety--although I remember at least one poster insisting the older Shakespeare was decidedly better than its newer replacement. I can't vouch for any of those views--except that I remember several posters expressing those views. Hope that helps. I think you have the older Shakespeare--which now makes it a "collector's item" since it is no longer available. Kate

That plant is very young and it's been a very stressful summer. I'd get it planted and give it a couple of years before I'd make any kind of decision about it. There are roses that out grow their tendency to get diseased but they need time to do that.

Marlorena - James L Austin looks wonderful! I have wondered if he is the “replacement“ for WS2000. I hope to grow both. Kate - Such beautiful blooms! I loved the strong quartering and rich color. I hesitated purchasing WS2000 in the past d/t concern over being significantly prone to disease but hopefully it will do okay here. I lost Darcey Bussell this past winter and she had an angular/sometimes horizontal growth habit at times as well and was fairly prone to BS but I still hope to grow her again in the future. I decided to try The Squire instead this year.

Thanks everyone. I'm glad I'm not the only one with a slow WS2K :) erasmus, I just planted my Rouge Royale from a paper pot to the ground and look forward to its performance. I have learned that it's best to cut the blooms of RR and display them in a vase. The temperature of a room gives the blooms the best environment to open all those petals. Vaporvac, you are very sweet. I know many people don't like DA business practice but put that aside, their roses are so graceful in photos. Imaging without accessing to DA roses, my garden will look really sad. I know there're so many petal-packed old garden roses that look even better than DA roses but many of them are once-blooming and for small gardens that means we just look at their leaves for the rest of the year. As a rose grower, I like to have access to all the roses around the world because beauty should be shared, don't you think? Helen