Yorkrose, I wish it was as easy to import from other countries as is from Canada. I frequently buy from Pickering and once from Hortico, as easy as from the US vendors. But I guess since the sale is within the same continent, not so much red tape. Greybird, you have hit the nail on the head. The point of the more stringent international quarantines, including the requirement that you be able to grow the roses in relative isolation for a few years after receiving them, is that believe it or not on other continents roses are subject to diseases not known to be present in the USA. Since roses are notoriously disease-prone to begin with, and since many other plants in the rose family are commercially significant in a far more major way than roses are (you wouldn't believe the number of fruits we eat in the USA that are rose family species), and since many of those other plants are equally disease-prone, and since virus diseases are among the most difficult of those diseases to deal with, and since virus diseases often jump freely from one rose family species to another rose family species, and since virus diseases sometimes show no symptoms at all until the rose has been growing for a few years, and since virus diseases are often easily transported from one plant to another by sap-feeding insects like aphids, leafhoppers, and thrips, it really is justifiable to make sure that the roses you import from another continent aren't sick with some alien disease not immediately apparent. This comment? - "Posted by patriciae Z7PNW (My Page) on Thu, Jan 21, 10 at 13:59" Take that to heart - deeply to heart - all of it. It's perfect.

Have you tried "April in Paris"? It is supposed to be one of the most fragrant. I've only grown maybe half dozen named varieties-all selected for strong fragrance-and to my nose I didn't necessarily notice this one being "most" fragrant, but it is definitely up there. Here is a link that might be useful: April in Paris

I subscribe to FDA notices regarding drugs....as well as governmental notices regarding food stuffs. Neither are fail safe systems but I can tell you from the number of notices that come to my mailbox that our government is trying. I received a notice this morning reporting a warning about an unsafe drug from India. I get regular [often daily] notices of updated manufacturer/label drug information....OTC as well as prescriptive. And I'm always the first to know about a food product being pulled from shelves. It's not a perfect system but reading all the government internal reports and seeing almost first hand how hard they trying to get control of this issue gives me a more trusting attitude these days. I started this process when my late husband was so ill...and when I saw what hospitals do...and don't do when they should do. To say that I was shocked is putting it mildly. Now...eight years later...much has improved...including hospital protocol. It takes our input to move this process along. We...John Q public...cannot sit back and criticize without actually sticking our two cents in with our representatives. Report...report...report when you see something wrong at a health care facility....when you have a bad reaction to a drug...when you experience a less than acceptable attitude from a clinician or any medico. The squeaky wheel...in this particular field...does get attention and it's not measured by the size of your complaint. I read so many posts here of people who are dissatisfied with a product or a doctor. Don't just post about it here...go to your representatives...local or federal...and make a stink. A BIG one...until you get a reply. Without your input...these representatives can't do the best job for you. You voted them in. Now use them. Do the same with medical boards and manufacturers. [dragging soap box back to its corner]

Why don't you ask the bride? Every culture/country would have different customs. At least you can google "Weddings in ____ country" and get some info.