They're medium sized, but definitely larger than 2.75 inches/7 cm. When they're fully open they're between 3 and 3.5 inches, or 8-9 cm in diameter. In their tightly petaled formality they're exquisitly beautiful. The scent is delicious fruity raspberry. The rose was first named Alnwick Castle, but DA changed its name to The Alnwick Rose very quickly ... Andrea

I love Carding Mill because I feel have several rose bushes in one.. It often opens dark orange and then turns pink but in the heat it'll skip the dark orange and open a ligh apricot and then go almost pinkish white. I planted one at my daughter's in TX and hers opens a clear light yellow and then turns pink. The flowers last for many days. The fragrance is good and it is pretty generous with blooms. My Alnwick is less forthcoming with blooms but when they bloom they are breathtaking: Carding Mill: The Alnwick Rose Even as it was losing petals I found it charming: I bought both grafted and they bloomed at once. Anne :)

That's a fun comparison: Earth Angel vs. Alnwick Castle. I have both of them also, growing across the path from each other. The similarities: They both can have cupped flowers, they both have good fragrance, and they are both upright growers that don't get much disease. The differences, whether good or bad are up to you: Flowers first. Earth Angel has mostly white flowers with a pale pink center. They are extremely susceptible to thrips damage. They remain cupped in the heat. In my garden they grow in tight clusters. They require deadheading. Alnwick Castle has pastel pink flowers solid color all the way through that are non-fading. They don't show thrips damage. They open up in the heat, showing a frilly center. They grow in looser clusters. They drop their petals when the flowers fade. AC's flowers tend to nod slightly with first flush. EA's flowers are upright. Flower size is about the same in each, about 2-1/2" in my garden. EA's flowers last 4-5 days on the bush, AC's flowers last 2-3 days. They both grow and bloom in the heat. Taken today after a month or more of temps in the 90's and humidity ranging from the single digits to 30's. Earth Angel today: Thrips! I think my Earth Angel looks best like this (first flush): Alnwick Castle today: It can open up in the heat and become more coral: I think it looks best like this (first flush): Fragrance: Earth Angel's first blooms for me smelled like a wet dog, but now has very sweetly scented flowers. It's a clean fragrance now. Alnwick Castle smells like rasberry sorbet, and at times there is a woody element to it, like cedar. There are more mid-tones and low tones in comparison to Earth Angel's mostly high notes. Both are fragrant most of the day. AC's fragrance seems stronger to me and wafts. EA's fragrance doesn't waft for me. Plant habit: both are upright growers. Thorns on both are moderate. Thorns on EA are smaller. Vigor: EA required quite a bit of pampering in my garden to get it to grow, but most people say EA is extremely vigorous. AC is quite vigorous in my garden without pampering. Productivity: EA is too young for me to say, others have described it as prolific. AC is not what you would call a prolific bloomer, but also not particularly stingy. Personally, I would replace AC if I lost it. I'm not so sure about EA.

Rosylady… I just read that link, thank you, and I know you get it too... but can I be forgiven for wondering if the writer is perhaps in some way connected with any firm that produces this? because it sort of read that way to me, like an advertisement.. in fact I notice he used a photo from 'Mycorrhizal Applications' which supply the product... but I don't doubt what is said there, I'm just a suspicious type... They always show a picture of two plants, one with a great root system, MF treated and one without which looks poor... so I did my own experiment with this too.. I had 3 'Charles Rennie Mackintosh' roses, grafted bare roots, I planted the 3 together, 1 with MF only, the other two without MF but with my own mix of soil amendment... proprietary potting mix, plus composted manure, and small amount of organic fertilizer... It says on the MF packet that after just 4 weeks the root system starts to develop secondary feeder roots, or words to that effect, so what I did was, I gave it 6 weeks and dug up 2 of the 3 roses,... the one with soil amendment had masses of little white roots forming in the potting mix surrounding the roots, like you see in a potted rose... the one with MF only.... zilch...nada... it was exactly the same as when I planted it, still with white specs residue from the MF... It was this that turned me off the product... and I was not prepared to purchase any more then on.. I also say to people over here, think about the past how many roses and other shrubs have been planted all down the centuries, all the roses in this country, no one ever grabbed a packet of MF along the way... yet in the last 10 years apparently it's now a ''must have'' …. …. they ain't foolin' me no more... agree about the Oak trees too, lots of good MF can be had from Oak tree mulch so I understand.. Here are my 2 'CR Mackintosh' roses that I kept, neither had MF, I removed the 3rd which did as it wasn't doing well, and both of these bloomed all summer during a very hot season for us... this photo from October 15.. and bedraggled with rain..