You would hope so, mzstitch, but this is a chronic situation, complained about for years, across the country. It's also identical to what I have observed from lower priced, mass producers of nursery stock here in this area for the past thirty-plus years. When stock is produced at a price point, to be sold in mass at a cheap price, care in identification is one of the first things to go. I've posted about this a number of times, in many other threads before. There have been questions about whether a rose picked up at a big box store really was Fragrant Cloud or not, as it had no scent. Usually, they're not as Fragrant Cloud isn't as easily produced as Gypsy is and Gypsy doesn't smell compared to Fragrant Cloud. These producers are under tremendous pressure to pump out a reliable product. Those roses which pose production issues are frequently replaced with similar varieties which are easier to produce. For a nursery such as Week's, for a rose to be "commercial", it must result in a minimum of 60% Grade 1 plants using whatever the preferred method of production is. This was stated by Tom Carruth who used to be the breeder for Week's. For a mass producer of lower priced stock, this percentage must be higher as they don't have the "luxury" of selling their best plants for higher prices to mail order customers or higher end nurseries. Their product is available to mass merchants, in bulk, at mass quantity discounts. It must be something easily produced in quantity, easily pushed in to bud and bloom in whatever size container required for the price by the retailer, and provided at as low a cost as possible to keep the retail price "cheap". In those "selections", you often find Paradise substituted for Sterling Silver; Gypsy instead of Fragrant Cloud; a number of red HTs all labeled Mr. Lincoln; Queen Elizabeth as QE and several other pink HTs; an so forth. Whatever is easiest and cheapest to grow to the price point is labeled as the more commercial name. Care in identification is often non existent. Yes, you can find some identified correctly, but as this (and many other) thread demonstrates, mis identification is common and there is usually no one available to educate you any differently. Kim

It really isn't fair, but I much prefer the Love & Peace to the Chicago Peace bush in my garden anyway. What makes it unfair?? Well, I bought the Love and Peace from a very reputable on-line vendor and got a good growing and superior blooming specimen that I really do like. It was hit pretty hard by the Easter Freeze this past Spring so this hasn't been a good year for it even. As for the Chicago Peace, I bought the poor thing as a bodybag rose on sale for $2.49 at K-Mart and it has really struggled along the three years I have had it in the ground in my garden. I will say that this past summer and now into early Fall it has really made good progress establishing itself. It is growing with much more vigor and is actually putting out some very attractive blooms. I still may end up SP'ing her next spring though I certainly hope not. We will just have to wait and see how things work out. John

Thanks Judy, when it gets hot here the stripes start showing up on a lot of the blooms. This rose always gives a variety of colors, it was top of the list I made when I decided to get large roses to try out:) Hi there Jean:) I have to tell you, this was a bagged rose Jan '07 and it does wonderful. Starting the season it's already almost as large as it ended last year at. This one whether I fertilize regularly or not, always looks pretty good. Unless the budworms attack it again, that's my biggest predator. you may have deer wiping out your buds and blooms I've got them. Becky, thank you again, it's supposed to turn from the 60's all the way to 87 by the weekend, I figure most of the buds on the other roses will pop by then. My minis started the year off first in Mar.

I too am crazy about the 2nd photo of Chicago Peace, Kathy! and ditto on it being an HMF stunner. I just love orange/apricot combinations. That's why I got Folklore! and the next one I'm hoping for is Royal Dane for 2012...