Kate, I don't know the other two--found Lime Sublime (pretty rose!) at HMF, but could not find Lemon Sprite there. From what HMF says (and doesn't say), I would guess the main difference is between Elina being a hybrid tea that grows more vertically and has big fat blooms 5-6 in. across, and Lime Sublime being a floribunda that is wider/rounder, has blooms about half the size of Elina but has lots of blooms, and reblooms very well. Can't say how well Elina re-blooms since I got mine less than a year ago. Even as a young plant, I don't remember it blooming more or less than other roses. I think on the score of re-blooming that Lime Sublime probably does better since HMF kinda brags on it. As for disease-resistance, I would guess Elina is better. It is fairly well known for good disease-resistance, and if really good disease-resistance were a trait of Lime Sublime, I would think they would be mentioning that as one of its strong points. HMF doesn't mention it--so I take that to mean it is just average at best. So, what does your garden need? Big fat blooms or much smaller but more plentiful blooms? I went for big fat blooms last year because I suddenly realized that was something decidedly lacking in my garden. Check and see if Lemon Sprite is a hybrid tea or floribunda. That at least will tell you something about its overall shape. If fragrance is important to you, you might check that on all three. If nothing else helps you decide, you might post another thread asking which one of the three is best and then watch posters duke it out for their favorite. LOL Kate

queenbee_1, I have only bought a very few roses in the time I've lived in my present location, but two were from RU, and they arrived in terrific condition, just the same as in the picture posted by jim1961. They were easy to plant and established themselves well.

To echo Jeri's comments, I don't think Sophie's Perpetual is a good fit for zone 6-ish. I put a free one from the Rogue Valley mystery roses into my virtual zone 6 pocket in my yard, and it sort of limped by after a very mild winter last year and totally disappeared this year. I think it's marginally hardy in zone 6, and better in zone 7.If it's in a container, you lose a virtual zone of winter protection and so you'd be a virtual zone 5 in a pot and not a good fit for Sophie's Perpetual. Pink Pet is the only China-type rose that survives well for me, but it's more of a Polyantha than a China in effect and it doesn't climb or get much beyond 3-4' for me. If you're looking for something from the RU sale that would climb well in zone 5, Awakening is rock solid hardy and has lovely pink flowers. It blooms just fine in part shade, and the only concern might be that it gets too big for even a half whiskey barrel. Mine was pretty thorny too. Among hybrid musks, only Lavender Lassie would be reasonably hardy in zone 5 and it would be a good fit for part shade. the mini climber Jeanne LaJoie survives fine in a typical zone 5 winter and is a much better fit for a pot. I think she'd do OK in part sun, though any rose blooms less in part sun. Antique 89 and Harlekin are both nicely hardy but they do die to the ground in my zone 5 and they only bloom sporadically in the year for me. Mine aren't particularly happy in part sun. Viking Queen survives fine in zone 5 but seems to die to the ground each year so you wouldn't necessarily get a ton of bloom. Veilchenblau would be an absolute trooper and climb or bush out huge in no time, and it's in dry shade under my oak tree. It's a once bloomer but gorgeous lush blooms for several weeks once established - here's mine in more or less full bloom with an admiring bunny that my daughter pointed out: Purple Splash and Stormy Weather both seem to survive OK in zone 5 and regrow from the ground reasonably well, so they'd be worth a try if you want the purple striped climbers. I haven't overwintered Quicksilver yet but the odds are good that it will be a good one for winter survival, being a Kordes. Paulspride is the only other rose listed as a climber on the RU sale that survives the winters well for me. Ghislaine Feligonde comes back reasonably well but it has tiny while flat blooms that aren't the attractive shapes others have, and I'm wondering if mine is the correct ID. Among the Austins, most of them are hardy but the ones that tend to be climbers on the RU sale list are the ones that survive the least for me - I can't keep Golden Celebration overwintered, nor Strawberry Hill or James Galway. Lady of Shalott is rock solid hardy as is Scepter'd Isle, Carding Mill and Heritage, but they get at most 5-6' tall by the end of spring since Austins rarely have surviving cane for me. Crown Princess Margareta is a climber and hardy, but I never get blooms from mine without surviving cane and it never has any. Rebecca in zone 5 has tons though and lovely blooms from hers. For other OGRs, Baronne Prevost and Mme. Isaac Periere are both fully hardy here, though BP would be better for a pot. She does Ok in part sun for me but would bloom more in sun. MIP prefers sun and doesn't bloom on new wood for me, so I don't get much bloom most years. Among shrubs, Alchymist is very hardy but a once bloomer. Autumn Sunset would survive fine in a pot and climbs well, but blooms very little in part shade for me. Belinda's Dream would survive fine and seems OK but not happy in part sun. Dames des Chenonceau is totally hardy and in my top 20-30 of roses I grow, and can be spectacular in part sun. As you move into part shade though, I'm not sure how well she'd do. Morden Sunrise is totally hardy and would be very pretty in this context, and White Meidiland would be a low-growing spreader in white and also very hardy. Among the RU sale roses, those are the ones I'd recommend for what you're asking. I'm all in favor of taking advantage of the RU sale!! Cynthia

I just saw an earlier post from me from last year about wanting d*** Clark and now I'm wanting d*** Clark gone Oh well , sometimes they work out and sometimes they don't. D*** Clark had one month of looking like double delight and now hes just back to looking good for 1 day and then just a dark bleh red Dont you just love how my phone thinks that Dick is a bad word Ha ha