Ownroot nurseries like ARE, RU, Rogue Valley, Heirloom, et al. continuously propagate and restock. The widest selection of varieties from those vendors is generally available in the spring. In my experience, Green Mantle, another very reputable source, propagates only on order; consequently, there's usually a lengthy wait before shipment. It's anybody's guess what business plan either Angel Gardens or Rose Petals Nursery has in place. Their collections appear to be quite extensive but, in checking their websites periodically during the past few years, I've found that the vast majority of their varieties are ALWAYS out of stock regardless of the season. This post was edited by jaxondel on Wed, Dec 4, 13 at 12:51

I too am always looking for good east coast rose suppliers to save on shipping. I have had good luck with Roses Unlimited. Burlington Rose Nursery is in California but their shipping is not too bad. I was excited to hear about Long Ago Roses but their web site is not very informative. It seems like the way to see what they offer is call or to download two lists which are in a format that I can't open. Their prices are amazing though! Unfortunately I already have most of the cold hardy varieties I want that are offered by east coast vendors. I keep going back to Vintage for the harder-to-find things. Sometimes I try to coordinate with friends so we can buy different varieties and eventually share them.

Unfortunately, I missed the opening bud. I had a Cecile Brunner YEARS ago, and I remember the flowers being much smaller and less lush than this flower.

I’m in the same area as Sultry, so fewer nematodes, and heavily amended soil. I add a lot of OM, as my only real defense of the nematode attacks. More OM means more predatory organisms to reduce the number of root knot nematodes. I don’t think the own-root roses can “fight off“ the nematodes. My understanding is that some varieties have more mass to their root systems, and can afford a little nematode nibble here and there. Others don’t have as many roots, so nematode attacks hit them harder. It also builds over years, so some will start off ok, but over time, without intervention, the nematode infestation will overcome the plant, and it dies. The benefit of Fort, is the root mass. It makes so many roots, that it can handle a bit of loss to the nematodes. My own-root Lady of Shalot is doing very well, as is my Abe. I also have an Abe on Fort, and don’t see much difference at this point, except that the Fort needs more water. Both of these are young plants, only 2-4 years old, so we‘ll just have to see how they do long term. I do recall a post some time ago about the breeding of Austins being a factor; some have better background to do well here than others. If he calls it a musk or tea, I’m more inclined to think it will do well here. Gallica or damask, not so much. It‘s all one big experiment, really! I’m amazed at what will actually grow in my little microclimate...I’ve not shared any of these lists with any of my plants, and have no intention of doing so. :-)