You're welcome! It's not odd that cooler zones will report more fragrance from many than warmer areas. Those in the cooler places are probably smelling them when the oils and alcohols are most volatile and smell the most. We in the warmer areas often miss out because they evaporate faster as the heat increases. Also, as aridity increases, the scents burn out faster. The various components of each rose's fragrance evaporate at different rates, so one may smell very Damask at first, quickly morphing into orris or citrus, finishing a completely different scent before losing any detectable trace for the day. Any user can access the Advanced Search, but Premium Membership permits you to specify multiple traits and types, where basic membership only provides Advanced Search using one criteria. Kim

Thanks Luanne, for the pictures of what I assume is Lady Hillingdon. Just what I wanted. Lux, that is a great idea about letting tea roses get big in pots prior to planting them in partial shad! I have a Niles Cochet in a large pot, and that is also where Mrs. Dudley Cross is going. Maybe after they get big I will be able to put them in the ground somewhere using your theory. Meanwhile, I have planted my 8 " tall Lady Hillingdon in partial shade between my thriving Safrano and Mme Joseph Schwartz. There is actually more sun available to LH when she gets bigger - I will feed her extra per your suggestion, and talk to her and encourage her - I have had a lot of success with teas and tea noisettes in partial shade in my garden. They also get cages at first so the deer don't carry them off! Sandy - re "I wouldn't plant roses in any less than 6 to 8 hours of direct sun". I know that that is the conventional wisdom, but my (and evidently Lux's) experience with tea roses is that they can do well in a LOT less sun. I do appreciate your responding with your experience. Since we are both in heat zone 9, all I can think of for the difference may be that our summers here are long (no rain whatsoever from May to Nov), very DRY (no humidity to speak of), as well as very HOT (90 - 100 degrees is not unusual for weeks at a time). I know I appreciate the shade of our large trees when it is so hot & dry - maybe the tea roses do too! Jackie

There was some kind of problem with the inventory counter, and they didn't have Roxy in 5 gal after all or any size. I got two Alberic Barbier instead which I had picked out the night before without even thinking I wasn't going to get Roxy. Of course, I'm disappointed, but she said they do have the bush and might propagate some over the summer. I sure hope they will come through on that as the other place had no photo, and not all I've seen on the web look the same at all. Even RVR's isn't an exact clone of the one posted seen in France last year, but is beautiful and has the chestnut burrs. I asked them to put me on a waiting list, and would be happy to have bands in the fall. I can choose whether to plant outside enough B4 a hard freeze or overwinter in my sunroom which has worked well on my other roses. Then harden off in the spring, get a good start to have a full growing season in the ground. I'm gabbing on another thread about some of this, but I posted a photo of my plants that arrived today from RVR. I'm happy with them, well packed, and look like they're in very good condition, good enough for me anyway. I'm waiting for advice, and it's getting hot to plant. Even recycled the boxes already because they were just the right size for a weedy area which I'll have to very very very carefully deal with later with Roundup, am waiting for a row of tulips to die back completely first. So I would suggest you contact them again and ask to be put on the waiting list. You'd think a lot of people would want that one. I now want to have an extra for insurance, if possible. Plus that one I'd love to give as a gift and have been waiting for something special to put on my one cat's grave. That would be perfect. Others would do, yes, but Roxy is special to me now and so was my cat. Here is a link that might be useful: My two bands of Alberic Barbier and one Bleu Magenta

Hi, Ingrid - I've been looking at the cemetery roses, and my own, with thoughts of what I could recommend to you as a central specimen plant. Susan Louise comes to mind. It can grow a bit awkwardly, tall and angular. Ours in the cemetery is a bit lopsided, but beautiful nonetheless. It's a repeat blooming shrub form of Belle Portugaise, with huge, barely-double flowers that nod downward. The flowers end up looking like crumpled hankies thrown all over the bush, a trait that I find endearing. It really shows its R. gigantea ancestry, but its repeat bloom, exquisitely pointed buds, and gorgeous flowers all make it a nice garden plant. I assume it would do well in your heat, since it's fine for us. I was a little surprised to hear about your Mons. Tillier, since ours does so well, but in the cemetery there is some afternoon shade. That probably makes the difference. Mrs. B. R. Cant does well for us, but it is indeed a wider-than-tall rose. Duchesse de Brabant is a classic survivor throughout the foothills, and blooms throughout the summer (yes, the edges do crisp a bit). I keep wondering about Dainty Bess as a possibility, which is not really an antique rose, but can't be beat for its red stamens and beautiful single flowers. Spray Cecile Brunner would look great as a free-standing tall shrub - it repeats very, very well. Our New Orleans Cemetery Rose is proving to be quite large and simply gorgeous, with lilac-pink flowers and silvery reverse. The blooms aren't huge, but the flower clusters are. It may be Pierre de St. Cyr. We hope to have quite a bit of it propagated for next year's open garden. Anita