If you look at the description of the rose in Edmunds catalog you will note that they mention the nodding blooms. It's just the nature of this rose to have large blooms and weak stems. Some might find a certain charm in that.....Lovely picture Mossy......Maryl Here is a link that might be useful: Edmunds-Grande Dame description

The very first Grandiflora, Queen Elizabeth, was a cross between a hybrid tea and a floribunda. That's why the ARS considers them a different class from hybrid teas, which are crosses between two hybrid teas or a tea rose and a hybrid perpetual. The floribunda make up of a grandiflora in the vast majority of cases gives it more hardiness than most hybrid teas and more frequent bloom power - most grandifloras will bloom almost as much as floribundas and much more than hybrid teas. They also tend to have flowers on single stems but due to their floribunda make up, they experience cluster flowering more often than hybrid teas and also their stems are typically not as thick. All the above is by "pure" classification. Many breeders don't strictly abide by the pure principle in classifying their roses but most try to.

Witchygirrl, I used to be an own root only proponent. I have now moderated that view. Some roses do grown better grafted (bigger, hardier, more flowers, and better disease and insect resistance), than when grown on their own roots, especially if growing under harsher conditions like a cold climate presents. The extra puch given a rose by a more vigorous root system can sometimes make the difference between some roses succeeding or failing. The many posts on PJP in the Roses Forum Archives seem to support the view that in a colder climate it can limp along when grown own root. For that reason I passed on buying it own root, which own root PJP were easier to find, until I was able to get it grafted. I did not want to get it own root, try it out, and find out it is indeed wimpy on its own roots in a colder climate as so many folks asserted. I planted my PJP deeply, with its bud union 4" below the soil surface, and it is doing everything positive, letting me know I made the right decision. It is heavily winterized to help ensure it continues its excellent performance. PJP will get black spot badly for me. Black spot pressure is very severe here. I spray diligently in order to keep its foliage pristine. Moses

Thank you Dianela and haku! Dianela, I have several Hybrid Teas other than Kordes that are very healthy, of course I have a bunch of Hybrid ‘Teas! Memorial Day, Moonstone, Tiffany and Firefighter are some I can think of right now, but I have others too. Haku, when my Grande Dame was young it had floppy stems, but it seems to be getting sturdier as the bush matures, I agree about the fragrance