Thanks so much , Judith! I am going to arrange some friends to go with me this weekend, they will be very excited! Do you know the status of Chamblees? Any opportunity to buy from them?

For anyone else considering the trip, these are enormous, well cared for plants at dirt cheap prices! Last year, Certified own introductions - Lavender Crush(!), Peach Swirl, Shirley’s Bouquet - as well as a number of Kordes, were very well represented.

My Lavender Crush and Peach Swirl that I purchased from them last summer have become beauties!

I wish I had something local like that! Lucky for you guys in the area. Hope you get lots of beauties!

I am going on to Apple maps when I hit submit to get information so I can make the case for a weekend road trip!

Thank you for the notice! I was on their website last week, and I guess this opportunity was missed...

Ben, sadly the old Chamblees is no more. Dont know if their property has been sold, we should have driven by as Certified is just down the road from them but no time. The new Chamblees is apparently in business, but its 15 miles down I-20 and we didnt have the time for that, plus we loaded the truck with the Certified roses. Shirley's Bouquet is a gorgeous white. I bought it as an un-named rose from the flea market in Nacogdoches a month ago for $10 [this, and Canton, are great sources for beautiful roses for el cheapo prices!] My friend got Dancing in the Dark - didnt see Peach Swirl which I would like to get but they said they will be open several more weeks. You might want to call them today or Friday to make sure they will be open Saturday - dont know if they are or not. It is worth the drive for sure!!

Judith

Green with envy and cheering y’all on!! How exciting!!! Good luck Ben and Lynn !! Can’t wait to hear what you get. Judith you made off like a bandit !

I called Certified:

July 4th - OPEN

July 5th - Friday - CLOSED

July 6th - OPEN

July 7th - OPEN

Judith,

I was aware Chamblees had changed hands and moved. On their website, it says they’re closed July 4th. I assume that means they’re open on other days, and will sell retail...I sure hope so.

Chamblees will be selling retail but prices are raised, not the good prices the old Chamblees had, but they said they plan to expand their selection, so if they have something I want, will be worth the drive to go get it. I would like to see their nursery so hoping to get there some time this summer. Please let us know what you get at Certified if you go. If you have never been, you will be in rose heaven! The roses are in big pots, not 1 gallons, and have huge stems and lots of blooms. I am ready to go back! Oh, and take cash.........its "cash and carry". I got 7 huge roses for $49! Happy 4th!

Judith

Lilyfinch, I feel the same. Ben, Lynn and anyone who live near their place, you're so lucky! The only rose sale for those who live in my area is Regan Nursery's Labor Day 50% off sale in Sep. Helen

Lol, I told my friend about Certified Roses Flatbed Sale, she was so excited and said she could be ready at 5am if need be. I told her no one would be there at that hour to sell her any roses!

So,

The one day for sure that they will be selling roses is tomorrow, the 4th of July. The woman in the office for Certified, transferred me to Gary, who is in charge of labor for manning the flatbeds outside. He said those crews are not planning on being there this weekend (the people in the office may be)... still awaiting absolute confirmation

So jealous! I would love to get Lav Crush and Peach Swirl that cheap! I saw Miranda Lambert on sale for 5.oo for 3 gal at a nearby walmart and didnt get them...I didnt know how pretty she was, cause they werent blooming. Man I'm dumb lol.

Sultry,

If it’s any consolation I’ve always found Miranda Lamber to be big ,coarse and non-fragrant. Once I walked into a Home Depot and all they had were pallets of Double Knockout and Miranda Lambert...my two least favorite roses. I thought I’d entered my own personal rose shopping nightmare!

Ha Ben that is so funny!! Miranda seems to be the only rose I see at Home Depot now besides iceberg. Every time I see it I think I may as well buy it since it’s so happy here but I don’t. No fragrance!! So soulless. Sad that’s all that’s here too!

I’ve repotted everyone to a 5 gal pot. Here $5 Broadway sits in a $50 Monrovia pot , formerly housing some fancy plant that probaby kicked the bucket.

That is wonderful Ben !!! They look great

Ben, was glad to see you identified the Medallion - I think there were only 2 of these, they were in bud, saw no blooms but they looked light apricot and I couldnt resist. Mine is now in full bloom, huge gorgeous apricot blooms that are Medallion - so glad I got this one and glad you identified! Now, the only no name one I have is a red white floribunda looking seedling - that is what I was told it was. We are already looking forward to going back! Hoping they have some different varieties......

Hi Judith

Yes, that’s Medallion, some varieties I have grown for many years and can identify them right away. My friend says it’s the favorite of the roses she got, I have to agree, those Medallions were super impressive. We were lucky we came when we did, a group came after us and picked many of the same varieties.

Does your red/white look like my pic above? I was guessing Maurice Utrillo, they had some of the other painter series roses next to it that were properly labeled, but I liked the red/white (unlabled) one best.

Please post what you find if you do indeed go back. We might make a 2nd trip as well!

I will get a photo of it this afternoon. It doesnt look like yours - Junior, the guy who was in charge of sales that day, said it was a "seedling" - maybe one Certified was thinking of introducing but didnt/hasnt. It looks like a small Double Delight - right now, the blooms have faded into a reddish looking color. When it first opened, it was a beautiful lipstick red/white. Bloom size almost looked like a big miniflora and it is covered in blooms. Going outside now, so will get a photo posted soon. Have not seen anything like this one - I am pretty good at identifying most of the time. Junior told me that my Medallion was Oldtimer, but I knew it wasnt that.......wasnt dark enough. It didnt come into full bloom until just a few days ago and all I had to go on was a pale apricot bud. Glad we went when we did - at those prices and with the quality of roses, they will go fast! Think I may call next week and see what they have. Last year, they said they would open back up in September but they never did, so its hard to predict when they will open and how long they will stay open. They had only one Shirley's Bouquet - I bought that one as an unknown at the Nacogdoches Flea Market a few weeks ago for $10 - it is a gorgeous white - if you dont have it, get it! Blooms are the most beautiful white and stay on the bush a long time. My friend got the one Certified had. Since it was named for Shirley Staples, their president, am sure they will have more. Did they happen to say to you how long they would be doing this sale?

The pics I’ve seen of Shirley’s Bouquet look very nice, lucky you!

I had forgotten to ask how long they’d stay open. When I spoke to Junior over the phone about 4th of July weekend it seems the sale hours are very informal (today we’ll open depending on traffic until 4 or 5, tomorrow I want the day off...lol).

Ben, this photo isnt great, but this unknown rose is fading. When new, it looked like a mini Double Delight. When it reblooms, I will get more photos. With it being a "seedling", it may be one that Certified will introduce later and it just got stuck in the sale rose flatbed bunch. Or it may be one they dont plan to introduce. Either way, when first opened, it was lovely.

Judith

How fun to get an otherwise unavailable variety, it looks great!

I love Medallion. I have two of fortuniana and couple own root and 1 on Dr. Huey.... It is my favorite rose.... I just LOVE those HUGE blooms.... and the bush puts out so many blooms at one time I can get a huge bouquet