I"m doing the test panel this year. They ran out of the bi-colored rose before they sent this far north so I'm getting a non-test surprise instead. I do have Jacelvet, Jacdrama, and Jacsammy and so far they seem to be waking up pretty uniformly, but barely waking up. I was a little disappointed since the one I was looking most forward to was the bi-color they're out of. Thanks for the heads up on "april in paris" it was a rose I had been contemplating on getting.

I enjoyed reading, but saw only mention of climate causing difference in disease-resistance. Actually a much more important problem is that there are so many different strains geographically, that BS resistance in one location can mean absolutely nothing in another. This is why the Vigorosa roses are reliably blackspot resistant--the breeding program includes testing with a variety of BS strains. It would be really helpful to organize this discussion by states, etc. Secondly, I am wondering how many have heard that organic gardening techniques actually do more for roses in resisting disease than spraying in many cases. In a truly organic bed (no chemical fertilizers or pest & disease sprays) the soil organisms that thrive and multiply tend to push out or decrease the populations of pest fungi & bacteria. I sure hope this works for me as I have just bought a new home and am in the process of preparing a large rose garden.

Jackson and Perkins, IMHO, is a model for what went wrong with the rose industry. I don't blame only them for this, but they were the "face" of roses for decades in this nation, and they were responsible for leadership (or a lack of it.) The public perception that "roses are hard to grow" (at least any rose aside from Knockouts) is a direct result of years of trading research and honest effort in for marketing and making a quick buck. There is no excuse for the endless parade of hybrid teas that fall victim to blackspot, the claims of "hardiness" from roses that are not at all hardy in cold climates, or even the lack of own-root roses or alternate root stocks. I can forgive a company for trying to introduce new products vs. just selling classic, unpatented rose varieties, but when the new roses have the same problems year after year for decades, that just points to a complete failure on the part of the company. People have put up with much more nonsense from rose sellers than they have with almost any other garden product: "hardy" roses that are not, "disease resistant roses" that fail to resist any real disease, and so on. Is it really any wonder that the Knockout roses have so effectively replaced all other roses? Why? Because they actually deliver what is promised, and most folks are so shocked by that concept - a rose that actually grows as advertised - that they will only buy that variety for fear of being lied to yet again. While Jackson and Perkins may have at one time been a boon to the industry, they ended up being a perfect example of what went wrong: marketing trumped quality, and we were all left with dead, black-spot covered roses as the result.

Far different zone and growing conditions than yours and all of my roses are own root as root stock does not do well for me. I had close to 350 rose bushes here. When I decided to go no spray it took two years to eliminate all take were not healthy. I was left with mostly Kordes, Ping Lim (Easy Elegance), Flower Carpet and a few misc. The midwest has the highest humidity index after the gulf states in the US. So good disease pressure here. However we don't have rust or downy mildew issues here. That I know of. I've had my kordes roses for ten plus years and many have been renamed.Ex.my Petticoat Fairy Tale is a gorgeous apricot orange pink blend. Size is 4' by 4' here starting with no cane in spring. Petticoat is now sold as a white rose. I only ordered the Kordes roses that have won an ADR that said none have ever had any disease at all. As a whole they grow much larger than their stated average size at least here in my yard. Buy Kordes adr roses you won't regret it. Ping Lim roses are sold own root. Don't know if you can get them on fortuniana stock if thats what you need.The best of the best is sunrise sunset (shrub type). Size here is 4' by 8'. All that I've tried are disease free but some have lacked in vigor. Other disease free roses in my yard are- Gartendirektor Otto Linne Kateryna Betty Prior Easy Does It Roserie de l'Hay Cape Diamond- don't prune it or will throw wild growth from every dormant bud on cane- ask if you wish to know more Flower Girl Home run White Out- thou I have heard some have problems mine has been perfect-own root don't now that it matters Pretty In Pink Sunshine Daydream Quietness