Some commercial growers of European roses import budwood, not bare root roses. The danger of soil borne pests are thus greatly reduced. The growers also comply with import restrictions. If you read some of the rose books from the very early 1900s that are available on google books now, you'll see that the number of roses imported was tiny, compared to the massed production of today. The early American Rose Annuals have some numbers. Other importers keep the roses in strict quaranteen as must individuals who import. If a rose supplier were to buy bare root roses from other producers for immediate resale (which might explain why some roses are sent out in fall, others in spring) there is no way in heck that the rose supplier would know if the roses they are reselling are true to name or not. They would be dependent on the care taken by the original grower as well as tag loss/loosening in transport. I do know that for at least five years the Cressidas sold by Hortico weren't Cressidas but included at least two other roses.

Diane, The MagnaMax finish is made by ML Campbell, one of the premier finish companies, so it should be very high quality and work well for you. It is a regular lacquer, which still enjoys the reputation among cabinetmakers of being more durable than its less environmentally-damaging waterborne counterparts. (California has enacted low-VOC regulations to protect shopworkers primarily who are exposed to these solvents all the time, so it's true you won't get traditional lacquer finishes there. Kitchenaddict's refinishers might have used a less-than-optimal waterborne type before they were really perfected. But she is correct that lacquers are still in use by cabinet shops/companies in many other states.) The quality of traditional vs. newer waterborne finishes is one of those subjective and controversial things that cabinetmakers love to fight over, so I refer you to any woodworking web site discussion forum for more details. :-) But I think you can rest well assured that your MagnaMax will be a durable, lovely finish that enhances your wood and lasts for a very long time. For what it's worth I have a pre-cat lacquer on my cabinets, and they are 15 years old and removed and recycled from another house into mine with nary a scratch or peel. Everyone asks where I bought my new cabinets.

When you wrote that you were waiting on a slab marble bs, I did not envision one so small. What bloody took him weeks to finish? It's 8" tall. It's also gorgeous, as is the sink. Enjoy! I can't wait to see your reveal.

With regard to Thermofoil option: Yikes! I have yet to see a high quality option. The product is basically a sheet of plastic, printed to look either like wood or a high gloss lacquer. The MDF or particle board door is shaped and then a heater is applied to shape the sheet of plastic over the top and around the sides of the face. It is cooled and cut off along the back edge. Any cabinet next to an oven or dishwasher, will have issues. Period. Over time the sides tend to delaminate and you will get lifting and loose looking edges. Eventually they rip. Trying to match one, if something breaks a door is very difficult and expensive. If your cabinet line offers a free touch up kit- that is wonderful! Just imagine that when your counter top is being installed, they accidentally bump a door face. This is not a warning of an inferior finish- it is a thoughtful manufacturer.