Ball Gown looked interesting to me, I did not see this variety anywhere else and it’s a new Meilland Romantica.

Oh good heavens I better check it out. I am doomed to never be done

I saw Regan also carries those. Wonder if I should buy from Edmunds or Regan? Which one has better quality?

I think Regan is a bit better than Edmunds although the past couple of years neither has super impressed me.

I won’t order from Edmunds again and will only order from Regan what I can’t find anywhere else. Hopefully that will be Chantilly Cream, Raspberry Cupcake, Heavenly Scented and Lemontini

Ben, do you know anything more about Ball Gown? Edmund's didn't list the commercial name, and I couldn't find anything about it on Meilland's site. Thank you!

Thank you, OurSteelers. I am finalizing my list for Regan. Will place the order first thing tomorrow morning.

All I know is Edmunds hasn't been allowed to ship plants to Idaho in years. That tells me something. I'll check now to see if the ban has been lifted. Diane

I just checked and the ban has been lifted. Roses can't be shipped to Hawaii and Alaska, which isn't surprising. I noticed that Edmunds has Twilight Zone for those interested. I bought TZ yeas ago from Edmunds, the first year TZ was sold, and it was available nowhere else. It's been an excellent rose ever since. Diane

Top cream and raspberry cupcake are gone on Regan. Guess I have to order from Edmunds.

I saw a picture of raspberry cupcake on another site ( can't remember where) and it was absolutely stunning.

I may actually need that one.

OK. I placed my order of top cream and raspberry cupcake on Edmunds since those are out of stock on Regan. The good thing is Edmunds doesn't charge sale tax, but I have to pay for the shipping.

I highly recommend Pop Art -- bought it at my local nursery, and it's been very good. I don't have it in the ground yet, though! I'm intrigued. Thinking maybe I *shouldn't* go look at new roses...I might buy more and then what will I do???

Also -- @KJ (9B, San Jose CA), just saw Meiroguste on Regan's website. No image there, so looked it up -- looks glorious! I think I *need* another rose... sigh... French name: Camille Claudel. American name not so great: "Top Cream."

Photo from Meilland/Richardier

@Deborah (Z10 Coastal CA) Oh yes, Top Cream is a must have! Also don't you think I got a perfect pair: Top Cream and Raspberry Cupcake? 😉 They will be yummy together😋

According to the information I found about Top Cream, its disease resistance is very good. The bush is compact. Low thorns. Heat and rain tolerant. Sounds like a perfect rose.

Yes -- a very yummy pairing!!!

@Deborah (Z10 Coastal CA) Major LOL on the "damning them with faint praise" aspect of letters of recommendation!

@susan9santabarbara - right?? :-)

I had initially ordered Rouge Royale and Top Cream but had to add Ball Gown to the order this week. I’ve liked all of Meilland’s Romantica’s I’ve grown in the past.

For those who ordered Raspberry Cupcake, you will love the scent - It is pure lemon and raspberry! I had ordered Top Cream this past spring but Edmunds was accidentally sent RC instead. Completely healthy.

Have any of you grown Cathedral Bells (aka Sister Emmanuelle)? Also tempted by this one and Pop Art but I have to limit the number of tender potted roses I have to overwinter.

I grow Cathedral Bells, the scent is a bit harsh myrrh at first, but it mellowed out to more pleasant as the bloom aged. Bloom was big but I prefer Eustacia Vye for beauty and scent.

Edmunds has Julie Andrews, looks good in pic., but I was disappointed when I saw the loose blooms at Home Depot this spring (they had a bunch of Julie Andrews in pots for a good price).

Rock and Roll is worth getting for the scent alone. I walked 1 mile from my garden of many fragrant roses just to sniff someone's Rock & Roll rose in bloom. Rock & roll is a tall bush with perfect & healthy leaves. The scent is better than Neil Diamond. It's like a shiny Mercedes compared to my tiny own root Neil Diamond (scent is good on the bush, but gone fast once cut for the vase, very much like Crimson Glory).

Neil Diamond leaves are prone to blackspots, but Rock & Roll was super healthy.

I love Souer Emmanuelle but she is looking like she is gonna be a beast in the style of Princess Charlene de Monaco. Tall with big fat canes….so just make sure you have room

Thank you both! @strawchicago z5 -Edmunds rates CB/SE to zone 4, Heirloom to zone 5 and Regan to zone 6 and so I question whether to try it in my zone 4b garden. Do you have any concerns about its hardiness?

Dave4bWY I grow both Cathedral Bells and Golden Zest as own-root from tiny rootings, and Cathedral Bells is twice more vigorous than Golden Zest. Heirloom Rating is the most accurate.

Which would be better for a hot humid climate? Black spot is the main disease here.:

Top Cream or Bolero? What's the difference between these two?

For anyone curious, this is what you typically get from Edmunds - minus the cat :p

The roses come bare root, damp, wrapped in moss. I usually have no problems getting these to grow.

Unwrapped under the watchful eye of the supervisor.

Some David Austin bare roots for comparison.

@sultry_jasmine_nights (Florida 8b) oh does this mean I need to dig a much bigger hole?😂 Those look big!

@sultry_jasmine_nights (Florida 8b) - Top Cream is new this year and so time will tell how it compares to Bolero. Edmunds offered it this past spring and I had it on order but was notified after receiving my order in spring that it they had been mislabeled bt Star Roses and had been sent Raspberry Cupcake.

Bolero did get some BS later in the season in my garden in Missouri. For me it was a near perfect rose. I had 8 - more than any other rose in the garden - that lined the walk to our front door.

Bolero is a somewhat compact floribunda and Top Cream is a HT - I’m not sure if that would influence your decision based on placement.

Thanks Dave, for the comparison. I have heard so many good things about Bolero. Now Top Cream sounds wonderful too! I do have several HTs and I really dont care what class a rose is, only how it performs here and if its pretty! Fragrance is always a big plus. I will probably just get both.

One of my favorite roses is Pope John

Paul II. It is a hybrid Tea and one of my best bloomers. It thrives on neglect.

KJ, Yes! Dig a big hole haha. I do usually trim the roots a little on the Edmunds roses. You dont have to though. I put some of them in pots and sometimes they wouldn't fit with long roots. I just trim them and then soak overnight.

May I please just say that your cat is so beautiful, Sultry Jasmine Nights. Just lovely!! I very rarely comment although I follow the topics closely, but just had to pipe up to acknowledge your dear kitty :)

Fast2002, Thank you. He is a big sweetheart always trying to get into whatever I'm doing so he can get all the extra attention lol. He was a stray kitten that just showed up one day, very skinny. I think he was dumped. Our old house was in a farm area just outside of a big city and people often dumped their unwanted pets out there! Someone who raised Maine Coon cats told me that he might be part Maine Coon because he is really a massive cat!

This is Barley, the largest cat I've ever laid eyes on. He's doglike, interested in everything and into everything, but he's a nice guy. He likes to show off his superior tummy. Diane

Diane, is Barley your cat? He is very handsome also and has an extremely superior tummy, as he is no doubt aware ;* ) And Sultry, I am not sure if you are interested in cozy mystery novels, but there is a series of mystery books called "Cat In The Stacks" by Miranda James featuring a Maine Coone cat called Diesel. I think the books are delightful and would recommend them to anyone :) I am primarily a dog person but love cats also. Animals just make the world such a gentler and more welcome place for all of us, in my humble opinion (smile)

fast, Barley is my granddaughter Clare's cat, but I am Great Auntie, my daughter is Grammy, son in law is Gampy, and sister of Clare, Jemma is Auntie. We have three cats in this household, "the three Eunuchs", and Finn is my boy. Clancy, the ancient geezer, is everyone's, though sometimes I don't want to claim him. I agree with you wholeheartedly that animals make the world a better place (well, I guess gophers are an eckseption-- no eks key). Diane

Barley giving Finn an unwanted play tap. Finn doesn't like to play, though he is a sweet kitty. Barley is much larger than Finn, but the photo distorts this. They are both too fat.

Barley and Finn are both cuties! Barley is a big boy!

Finn, Yes, I love mysteries and am into True Crime and really any who-dun-its. I love Noir mystery type movies too lol.

I will check out Cat In the Stacks!