From what I can tell Duquesa is not a tea for the front of a bed. Mine has only actually been planted for one summer and it does none of that first year tea slow motion growth while it puts out more roots. The growth is strong right from the start and the bush is certainly a balanced looking grower with no canes growing off in odd directions. The leaves are much more like Mons. Tillier rather than the Duchess being darker in color but more slender. The blooms are very much like Duchess de Brabant but with more petals and they darken in the sun to a coppery pink. The scent is quite nice, not quite the same tea scent as Mons. Tillier. Perhaps a little more of a fruity note to it. I posted pictures on my Facebook page. Lance

My Paul Barden roses are all pretty young--less than 2 years old, so things will probably change as the plants mature. This has been my experience with them: Golden Buddha: a bloom machine, but check the photos on HelpMeFind. If you're expecting a yellow rose like the pictures at RVR, you might be disappointed. The color is described as varying with temperature--I've only seen apricoty-orange blooms on mine so far. Very pretty blooms cover the bush in flushes most of the summer--some balling in the fall. Had some pretty severe dieback this winter--1/2 to 2/3 of the canes died completely. Pretty healthy otherwise--I don't spray, and it was very clean until the rains started in the fall, when there was a minor amount of blackspot. Again, all these comments refer to young roses and things might change as they mature. Oshun: Didn't survive a spring freeze. Had a bloom on the band when I received it, and it smelled great--color was much paler than expected--maybe because it was just a young rose. When I pulled it up after it died, it had next to nothing in the way of roots--it might not be the fault of the rose, I might have gotten an inferior specimen. Jeri Jennings: A great rose so far. It's grown like a weed and has a very pretty arching form. Flower color has been variable from pale yellow/almost white to intense yellow to almost pink. Lots of blooms for a young plant. A little mildew late in the season--I'm hoping she'll grow out of it. Probably my second-favorite Barden rose so far after Marianne. Marianne: Very vigorous. Several blooms the first year. Color was variable, from cream-colored to the wonderful peaches and yellows shown in the best photos of this rose. No disease problem at all. May be my favorite of my Paul Barden roses. Fara Shimbo: A little slow getting started, and hasn't bloomed yet, but it looks like it's starting to get established. I have high hopes for this rose this year. A little powdery mildew--something it might grow out of--otherwise no problems. Carol's Favorite: Too new to tell. Planted last fall, looks like it got through the winter just fine. Mel Hulse: To new to tell. Planted last fall, looks like it's about to bust out in leaves any minute now. Just got bands of "Crested Damask" and "Dragon's Blood", and they look like healthy little plants.

LOL. I appreciate Jaxondel's initial reaction to Falling in Love. I too was kind of creeped-out when I opened a shipment from Edmunds' & saw it for the first time! It remained dormant in my garden a bit longer than other bareroots . . . just stood there looking ominous, threatening. I privately changed its name to Darth Vader because that's the glowering image it seemed to provoke everytime I saw it. I hope Maryl is right about this rose getting better over time. Compared with other bareroots I planted last year, Falling in Love was bloom-stingy. Otherwise, I'm pleased with it.

I have a young plant of Hoag House Cream. It had trouble getting established in my garden - I had to dig it out and put it back into a pot. It has been very slow to get going - but we have had a very cold summer, so perhaps it won't apply to you. The fragrance is amazing! It gave me only two blooms though so far - creamy fleshy color, doesn't quite look like the HMF pictures but my plant has had trouble growing. Sorry, not much help, but I will definitely keep it for awhile. Very full blooms, lots of petals, didn't ball. No mildew, don't know about blackspot. Masha