Greta, I had a very similar problem. It was my first order from Vintage, and my first attempt at teas. Most of my 100+ (maybe 200? I'm afraid to count!)roses are from bands. I generally get them, give them a couple of days of babying in the pot to get over shipping and acclimate a little bit, and then stick them directly in the ground. They've all survived and almost all have flourished until now (some succumbed to other problems, but I've had a very high success rate this way.) Anyway, the stuff from Vintage got here, and of course we had some really nasty cold weather at the same time, so they didn't get put in the ground immediately. Now Lady Hillingdon is almost dead (and may be gone already), and Duchesse de Brabant and Mme Joseph Schwartz are really struggling. Mme Berard is creeping along, but I think she'll be ok. However, Clementina C and G. Nabonnand are doing really well, as are all the other non-teas I got at the same time. It was the bigger bands that seem to be struggling. In my case, I don't think it was the fact that they didn't get in the ground right away; I think it was the screwy weather. The larger bands that are struggling were completely stripped of leaves for mailing. When I got them in the ground, we had a couple of weeks of overcast, misty weather--virtually no direct sun. They were leafing out just fine, then we had a couple of really bright, warm days and those little red new leaves sizzled away to nothing--I think they sunburned since they'd never seen direct sun before. ARRGGHH! The teas that had leaves when I got them got sunburned a little, but weren't hurt as badly and have done just fine. Some teas that I got later that spent a little while in their pots have also done well--it's just those poor guys who got the big weather changes. I think DdB is going to make it, I have high hopes for MmeJS, but I think Lady Hillingdon is toast. Maybe I can give her another chance this fall when it starts to rain again. So don't give up yet--we can always blame the weather!

After looking at a few climbing Austins, I'd guess it is Austin's Othello or Falstaff. I'd lean more to Othello as I have seen Othello in person before and it tends to have the long octopus arms growth pattern of your 1st rose. A guy in my neighborhood grows an Othello about that size and I would have to check and confirm the looks of it. Othello does have pretty vicious thorns on it though. Does it have any of the metal named tags around the base? Many of those Austins tend to retain those named tags and they are just harder to see if they are buried near the base.

So pleased for you Mauvegirl. Such beautiful roses! I have been eagerly checking my mailbox since Thanksgiving for my DA catalog. Hopefully, mine will come along soon. I had so many gardening plans for Dark December. My lawn removal project is 75% completed. But this darned flu keeps getting me. I have bulbs to plant and now that I know that I can plant potted roses almost year round in this part of Texas..... I have six more to get in the ground. I did not want 2014 tasks to run into 2015...but its sure looking that way.

Wow, that is such a gorgeous pic of Malibu. I can't wait to see mine blooms that big and full. THis will be its second growing season so hopefully it will do better. Beth, you are right! I bought AP from Springhill many years ago. Although the blooms are on the small side, the form is just perfect. How would you describe the color? I think it is a bit more orange than apricot.