Try Countryside. She has very nice roses, her prices are good and she's a lot closer. And she needs support, too. I'm all the way east and I use Vintage for what no one closer has (which is a lot) and also when they have heart-rending sales of roses that need to be saved. And tho they are packed like sardines, every rose I've ever bought from them has arrived in excellent condition. I bought only 8 from VG's spring sale because Sherando is going out of business and I told Randy I'd take what's left at the end, which will probably be species, ramblers and one-time bloomers. He is just south of Charlottesville and he might be worth a drive to you, redsox.

Just thought I'd stop in and report what I've been up to. After years of reading this forum I know better than to say anything against any vendor and it's a pity. The quality might improve. Of course, growing rare roses is a specialty which has to be supported by the rose community and some errors probably need to be overlooked. Growing own root roses is tricky, not only getting them to root, but getting them there alive in the mail. Nursery X sent me roses which stood there and did nothing, until I said, "Ah, ha. They are missing the chemicals they used to receive in their old home town." Now, all the advice here is to not fertilize bands and especially after transplanting. I got out the Schultz plant food which did nothing for about two weeks. Now, they are beginning to pop. Rule No. One: Plants can only grow roots down to 50 degrees. Or is it 40? Does anybody know? I planted my little bands in August last year at a hundred degrees. They'd shown little growth in their pots all summer, but seemed to be relieved at being released from their bonds. Everybody made it, even Madame Isaac Perriere, which I had little hope for. She is a tiny little twig, now, but alive. Rule No. Two: Pot up your babies and babysit them all summer. But how's a thing going to get any roots in a little pot? Especially when roses experts tell you to dig a hole 2 feet wide and 2 feet deep, and mix one third soil, one third peat moss, and one third horse manure to fill the hole? Does this sound like maybe the rose needs a fair amount of room? This year my roses are going straight in. I can see no possible improvement in the survival rate by waiting around fooling with pots. My son did give me one idea, It takes half a day, sometimes, to pound out a rose hole with one foot of available clay topsoil and sandstone underneath. He said, "Why don't you plant the rose in a cardboard box, set it close to its final home, and slide it in, box and all, when you finally get the hole dug?" I'm going to try it. Nursery Y sent me some roses covered with aphids. Two of the roses were so tiny that they turned gray within a week. The nursery replaced them, but not without some self righteous instructions about waiting until my last frost date. I got my roses when they decided it was time. There was a blizzard that day, but oh, well. Now, I want my roses before it gets hot and they turn to spinach in the mail. Nursery Y also believes that growing roses inside is certain death, and if I was trying to grow them in my super-insulated home, they'd be correct. But they're out there in my unheated greenhouse. Growing. Nursery Z and many of their friends mail off powdery mildew. I had never seen it. It infested half my roses in the yard. Took me awhile to figure out what it was. I get out the fungicide now as soon as they come out of the box. And I isolate the roses 7 miles away, in town, INSIDE A BUILDING for two weeks. I killed two roses in pots in my unheated greenhouse this spring. They lived all winter, then budded out too soon and froze. My success rate on overwintering roses in pots is zip. I really believe in own root roses. I have three grafted roses failing this year. They are about 12 years old. Two have made suckers. Their cold-hardiness is less and cane loss more profound. They don't grow any bigger and isn't growing something the point? Yes, it is and that is why I'm going outside right now.

Hmm. I was just thinking today about fall planting. This is something I have never done. I order many roses from Chamblees, and I want them delivered during my spring break (school teacher). That is around the middle of March in Tulsa. If it gets cold and I have not planted them, I put them in the corner of my porch, and cover them with a sheet. I remove the sheet during the day. If I plant them, and it gets cold, I put a sheet over them to protect the new buds and foliage, but don't worry about the plant dying if it is in the ground. Chamblees is good about answering questions, and can tell you when the recommended time is to send the roses. I have real problems with the roses that I plant by May. It begins to get very hot here in May, and I don't think they do well. Cweathersby, do you do anything to protect your roses through December, January and Feb., other than to water them? Sammy

Chamblees has always been one of my favorite nurseries. I just got my 2nd order 2 Julia Childs and 3 Coral Drift. These must be popular and they probably ran out of the gallon size. I'm only letting you know since own roots are new to you. Wouldn't want you to fall over from shock incase this happens. I'm very use to bands and it doesn't scare me anymore to plant them. So when I tipped the pot over to remove the rose all of the soil fell off. Basically they were newly potted up bands. It was just that the roots had not had a chance to grow into the surrounding soil yet. They are all planted now and I'm sure the little roses well be fine as long as I don't let them run out of water. It was an unexpected shock thou. Had I known this I probably would have kept them potted a bit longer. I don't think these were meant to be shipped yet and there was a mix up. If you should start to plant and you fell that soil start to give way, Slide it back in and let it grow for a bit, Every other Rose I've ever received has been excellent and fully rooted