Here is the deal--There are very few places that grow all of their stock from beginning to end, or are involved with the plant from beginning to end. Maybe you won't care about this and it is no different than buying from a local nursery, but when you mail order from a specialty company there is an implied "expertise" that comes with the purchase. This is not usually the case these days with maples. Greer, Wildwood, Forest Farm, Eastwood, and a number of other e-tailers and mail order nurseries buy or broker plants from numberous different sellers each year. Tons of liners from my friend in Eugene, Oregon go to Easwood on the east coast and Wildwood in northern California. They do some of the their own and bring in others. Even Mountain Maples outsources for some varieties to meet customer demand. Greer may only get a few maples from each wholesaler and while Forest Farms does do some of the liners or tubes they do not do all. The problem in all of this is that the quality is always different, the sizes are always changing and you can't count on anything. The people selling the plants are inbetween the grower and the buyer and don't like to have to stand up for their product. I don't doubt that David has had it out with Forest Farms. I have been there and you are risking quality buying a 5 gallon plant that they will refuse to remove the soil on and over charge you for shipping. I don't talk to Wildwood anymore and I have to shop in person at Greer because we can't talk by email anymore after a bad year of dead plants. I have to see their plants in person as so many lack quality control in ever sense. I might as well add World Plants that is also a borderline seller believing that because they sell so many plants at such small sizes and at such reasonable prices that they don't have to stand behind their product. If it dies it dies and it is the buyers fault. Don't get me wrong I have some more rare varieties from them, but there has to be some happy medium. I have talked to Della before and she is nice but it is too far to ship her plants to Oregon and it doesn't makes sense as there are enough maples here. But, I think people like her are where maples are at. She only brokers larger plants, sends photos, does her own quality control, and the key, CARES ABOUT THE PLANT. There are others like her and those are the people you need to find. The big online sellers don't care about the plant and when it dies, they don't care about you. The exception, Mountain Maples, they have great customer service but you pay up front for it by paying almost double the going rate for plants. So, when and if you plant perishishes, then can afford to replace it. Don't be fooled, maples bought anywhere today die more frequently than people will admit and the whole industry is bitter that they are having to deal with the mess. Think twice before buying your 5 gallon maple at that price as it could be dead the same spring. Is Forest Farms really where you want to spend your money? Will the include the shipping charges in the refund when your tree dies? If they replace it will you have to pay shipping again? Robert at Mendocino Maples was doing good business a year or so ago. I don't know how his plants were last year, but you might talk to him. He does bring in a few plants from an outside grower so you want to ask for one of his own grafts on his rootstock. I think he will take good care of you. I don't mean to be negative about all of this, but you have to know that when it comes down to it, you are responsible if you make the choice to buy the plant without seeing it. Get a photo and find a seller who is preferably the grower who will take care of you. Good Luck!

I know what you mean about only finding ancient HTs in the stores. I don't even see Austins in the good nurseries around here like I used to. Your rose photos are great. I love Lagerfeld and Good As Gold best.

Glad to hear everyone else is as excited about Ludwig's as I am. I live in Phoenix & it is my new favorite place! I'm in every week buying new roses now... I've gotten 12 from them already; South Africa, Mama Africa, Papi Delbard, Arctic Ice, Garden & Home, Pretty Lady, Red Intuition, Spiced Coffee, Anne Lorentz, Rosita Missoni, Fragrant Cloud & Kardinal Kolorscape. Loving everything so far! There are a ton of others I have my eye on. The staff is so friendly & Ludwig's daughter Anja is incredibly helpful! They've been planting all the roses in a garden around the nursery & it's great to see them growing & blooming so beautifully!

For anyone who is thinking of Calm Composure, especially in the current feeding frenzy with Ludwigs and Anja (I'm one of you!)... here's some helpful info I found on Calm Composure DELludpink. Hope it helps you out! (I also provided this info to HMF and requested it to be researched & added). :) http://www.ludwigsroses.co.za/flower/brumilda-van-rensburg/ Under the Ludwigs category of Antico Moderna: Brümilda van Rensburg DELludpink " Bearing beautiful, huge, long stemmed flowers in abundance, with fragrance and an unblemished longevity on bush or in the vase. The blooms’ colour is a delicate pink on the outside petals blending pleasantly with the distinct rose pink of the inside petals that deepens towards the centre. Modern urn shaped pointed buds keep on expanding as the inner petals unfold displaying an admiringly quartered bloom. The bush has an extraordinary willingness to re-sprout from the base and the older wood, each stem just carrying one big bloom, providing colour and class. The neat upright growth habit easily reaches 2m. The disease resistant leaves decorate this ornamental rose from base to tip for most of the year. A true eco-chicTM rose. The rose was named, the year 2009, in honor of the well known South African actress and public speaker 'Brümilda van Rensburg' " Eco-chic (Ludwigs ladybug icon): Genetic disease resistance. Performs without needing to be sprayed. Expected to grow above head height. Quartered rosette. Moderate fragrance. Free flowering. Good for cut flowers. Classic exhibition (for those competing) with equal symmetry.