I appreciated the post and explanation. It seems it would be very difficult to run a business like that, and we must remember that only these smaller ones, generally, grow and sell the more unusual roses we so crave. They seem to be family operations, and trying to juggle all of it would be really hard. RVR I didn't count the number offered, but it seems huge. Imagine trying to guess how many to propagate of which each season and the enormous amount of work in the field and possibly greenhouse, let alone the sales end of it! No complaints about RVR, and it would take a serious annoyance before I'd make a fuss publicly. But I don't think it is wrong to discuss it as long as it is just stating the facts and not intended to turn other customers whose experiences may be different away. They had what I wanted. No one else did except one I found out later in my other post going here about RVR. I have 2 Hettie and 2 Awakening I got from bands, Barden roses. They don't do well in my zone without a lot of extra fussing in the winter. BUT they seem resistant to blackspot and almost everything except Jap beetles, shiny leaves, no spraying, maybe kelp. I so wanted Marianne and Jeri but will pass now.

I have Julia's Rose - it is in a prime spot where I keep an eye on it, etc. but it is still, going into its 2nd year, a little bitty thing. Burling told me recently that it would be much better grafted and tho I will coddle this one along, think I will opt for a grafted one. I tried to get Cafe from RU this spring but they are out. I can highly recommend Spiced Coffee! Beautiful coloration and its a strong plant. I have Distant Thunder and have its relative, Coffee Country, coming in April. Distant Drums is a similar coloration but more in the mauve tones. Judith

@roseseek Kim, I actually bought my Kashmir at Home Depot, on clearance, three years ago this past summer. It drew me in by being the only one among the several (sad) varieties still there that was not only healthy, but SPOTLESS, and in full bloom and loaded with more buds! I couldn't understand why it hadn't already been snatched up. I decided it must have been due to the atrocious purple pot it was in, lol. Anyway, I regret not buying the other Ping Lim rose in the bunch, which was a yellow whose name escapes me right now. It was nearly in as good condition as K, but at the time only had a couple of faded blooms. I've kicked myself multiple times for not getting it. I haven't seen another of Ping's roses at HD since :( But if K is such a good performer HERE, I can't imagine what it would be like in California. It is unmatched in vigor, health and floriferousness by any other modern rose in my garden. And *you know* how picky I am, lol. John Edit: I should have the original tag somewhere. I'll see if the distributor/grower is listed. Edit#2: just as an aside, I just checked Ping's roses, and "High Voltage" rings a bell. I'm pretty sure that was the yellow I passed up.

Thanks, Sheila! You grow so many wonderful roses!! I adore my Nuits, too. I can see exactly why Paul bred Nuits and TS. My Nightmoss is several years older than Nuits and in a larger pot, but Nuits has been suckering pretty much since its infancy. Nuits is even sending stolons through the drainage holes of its upsized pot! Nightmoss, on the other hand hasn’t suckered at all. It’s just a tidy 5 gallon rose. My TS is in a bed of amended clay and is around 15 years old. It suckers in the vicinty of the mother plant, and every year, I slice some babies and make more roses. I got sidetracked when Nightmoss bloomed this year and missed my photo opportunity, darn it! Nm’s bloom coincides with the end of my daughter’s school year and the prep for summer school. I’ll see if I have some accessible shots from years past. Nm is a beauty! If you don’t grow this Barden rose yet, you should definitely consider it. It’s fantastically fragrant and so dark and beautiful! Thank you again for posting your enabling photos of Dakota Redwing! Mine has been offering lots of magnificent, intensely perfumed, red velvet blooms for such a small plant. I can hardly wait to move it out of my driveway nursery and into a decorative pot in the garden! After temps cool down from 113! 😱 Carol