I planted Kiss Me Kate this spring. It has not taken off compared to some others. But in all fairness it is not in an ideal spot. She was an impulse purchase, so I just shoved her in empty spot, morning shade to afternoon sun. I plan on moving her next spring. She did produce a couple of blooms though. Just nothing remarkable. But she is very disease resistant, no black spot showing.

Lily: Thanks! I hope these work out. I got them because of the praise for their fragrance. But fragrance is moot if there are no flowers! Thanks for reminding me that grafted roses get a head start in the garden. Forgot about that. These are my very first grafted, bare root roses! Did you like the fragrance from Pearly Gates?

Thanks HalloBlondie!

Of the two I have Kiss Me Kate, purchased from Jackson and Perkins.

INCREDIBLY slow. And I have pretty low expectations in that I don’t even need blooms the first year. Just plant growth.

Nothing. What is there is perfectly healthy green foliage. I will keep it for three or four years cause there are so many other things to work on in the yard but just know you’re gonna need to be patient.

Fingers crossed when it takes off it will be worth it for all of us.

Pearly Gates is on my wish list...

I got Kiss Me Kate from Palatine last year. It’s 5+ ft tall, growing as a shrub where I have it planted. Pretty good repeat, I almost bought another one but I think I can get it grafted locally, so went with another Zaide instead. I don’t have Pearly Gates but it’s lovely!

Wow!! I think I need Pearly Gates as well. I wonder how big it would get here? Also curious about the fragrance..

~Sjn

I recall Pearly Gates from a Houston garden tour years and years ago - sprawled across a long fence with huge, gorgeous pale pink blooms. I finally got around to getting one in early summer when Roses Unlimited had their sale. Its potted and growing well and I cant wait to see if the blooms are as lovely as I remembered. For me to remember a rose all those years ago, it had to be really special.

I have a very small Kiss Me Kate ordered as a band. Mine is doing fine but not making any great growth strides. I have a friend with gorgeous roses who bought a small one - his is now quite large and should be having its first flush this fall. He fertilizes weekly with a bit of triple 13 - and his roses look fabulous. May be this rose needs a boost of fertilizer frequently.......as Kim [roseseek] says, fertilize weekly, weakly. I am going to try it - just waiting for Kate to get a good root system going.

Judith

I lost 2 Kiss Me Kate to the tree cutters a couple Christmas ago in zone 6a by the Great Lakes. This year spring I planted 2 more own root in zone 5a in PA, they stay small, not much growth. I had a 5 gal Pearly Gates for about two year in zone 6a, the winter here is too cold for it. It should grow well in NYC. It’s much warmer there.

Thank you so much folks. I think I will be happy with these two climbers. Its so exciting to grow roses new to you!