I dont know about those two vendors but I have 3 grafted Distant Drums from Edmunds. They must be 4 or 5 yrs old now. They are great. Very disease resistant and floriferous. They dont get really big here so I can see how they might be smaller own root.

I have not ordered roses, but have recieved a rose donated from them through our local rose society. They are fairly new to the area, selling both bougets and bare root roses. We have visited with the rose society and appreciated the order of the business.

I haven't received my potted rose order yet from Grace Rose Farm but fortunately, I live close enough to order and pick up potted roses from Menagerie (about an hour north of California's capital, Sacramento).

My potted roses from Menagerie are some of the healthiest and biggest potted roses I can get from a commercial grower, enough that I was tempted to get Distant Drums while I was there. The family that own/run the farm is lovely and sweet. Menagerie doesn't ship potted roses and only allows them to be picked up from the farm. Because of this strict rule though, they still had a lot of product and variety that was sold out elsewhere.

Sultry, - Thank you for telling me that Distant Drums is floriferous! They are going front and center in my front yard on one side of the entry with 2 Quietness on the other side.

Nancy Lee - Would you mind telling me if that rose did well for you? Were you impressed with the size, or was it like any other rose?

Darren Lee - I discovered that Menagerie has a sales event for their bare root roses. It starts on Jan 25 at 9 am their time and evidently their stock is limited, so it's first come, first served. Their customer service is good in that they were helpful through their e-mails to get me information to help me have a better chance at getting my roses.

However in the end, I decided to keep my order with Grace Rose Farms for 2 Distant Drums, hoping they are grafted, because most of their roses are grafted on Dr. Huey, they told me and the roses are their 3-6 year old nursery stock. That would hopefully, give me large bareroot roses that should have a head start. I guess I'll see when they get here in April. Such a fuss I make over a couple of roses... BUT IT'S ROSES!!!!

Thanks for all your help!

Rebecca

The rose was Tiffany and did quite well until a gopher thought it was tasty.

I have ordered a few of Grace Rose Farm’s bushes and one of them arrived yesterday. I was able to get one of their limited Evelyn bare root roses. Kind of floored at how large it is and incredibly excited. I have a few more from them that should also be arriving soon (Munstead Wood, Francis Meilland, All Dressed Up, Stephen Rulo, and a free Princess Charlene DM)

On the topic of DD, i picked up an own root from heirloom last year and it’s still quite tiny. Hoping to see nice growth this year because i truly love its blooms.

Here’s the Evelyn I received from GRF:

GRF also released a preview of roses they’ll have for sale soon. I really can’t stop swooning.

https://rosebushes.gracerosefarm.com/collections/spring-2023-first-look

Krystal -- yes, I was just researching these SPEkaradise and Jan Spek Rozen (out of the Netherlands) based on the email I just got from GRF! They look lovely. My only hesitation? These are flowers grown for professional growers, who will spray and grow in green houses for perfect cut flowers...so I wonder how they do in normal gardens (let alone my neglected garden)?

That Evelyn looks huge! I imagine you won't have to wait long for blooms!

Thank you all for your comments!! To know that DD is a favorite rose means a lot.

Krystal, that photo of Evelyn tells me I have to change my mind. The bed that they will go in is only 1 1/2 feet deep between the house and the sidewalk. If I start with a rose that huge, it will never have anyplace to grow. I may just go to Edmund's roses.

Yes, Deborah. GRF did have a buy 2 get one free sale going when I ordered mine.

Rebecca

Deborah, i totally get your hesitation! I’m hoping they perform well in home gardens! I suppose time will tell!

I sure hope I see blooms soon. We had a light frost last night/early morning and a clear sunny day to follow (I’m in Riverside county about 30 minutes from Palm Springs)! I’m ready for Spring!

Rebecca, I *believe* Menagerie’s bare roots are definitely smaller than this so maybe they will be a good option to try!

Thank you, Krystal. I'm going to think on that one. I have to read about shipping first.

I made a mistake in the post to Darren Lee. Menagerie's sale is Jan 25 at 9 am their time.

So an update... I messaged Menagerie and found out they use BOTH Dr. Huey and Multiflora which will not do well here in my alkaline soil, and Distant Drums could have them both.

However, I e-mailed Grace Rose Farm and they went to the trouble of sending me a photo of bareroot roses that are smaller (which they said Distant Drums will be) and I decided to go ahead with the 2 Distant Drums that I ordered from them.

WHEW! I'm glad that's over. That made me tired!! :) Thanks for all the help, everyone!! It was fun and great to know that there are such great people on this board to help you out when you need it!!!

Rebecca

Grace Rose Farm has a Spring rose collection (you have to click on the pink anouncement to see the collection) of potted roses to purchase on Jan 23 or pre order a bareroot for Spring of 24. There are some beautiful roses there. The ones I looked at are hardy to zone 5.

Rebecca

Krystal -- please keep us posted on your Stephen Rulo -- I was kind of obsessed with getting that one, but couldn't, so now have a Connie's Sandstorm and 2 Koko Loco roses, plus a climbing butterscotch. So now I feel like I have enough in that "genre" of novelty colored roses. When I cut butterscotch to bring inside, it didn't delight me. But I love it on the bush...go figure. And I brought in a Koko Loco last week that never really developed all the colors it usually does, and it just looked like a grew a gray rose -- and not a silvery gray. Usually I love KL! Anyway -- I think I'm past my obsession with Stephen Rulo, but would love to see your photos and hear how the bush does as a whole. Have you pruned all your roses yet?

Will keep you updated once Stephen Rulo is planted and blooming, Deborah. I love those unique colored roses but it definitely does sound like you have it covered now. Still, when there’s a rose you have obsessed over it can be hard to get it out of your head haha! At least I have that problem.

Yes, I pruned a few weeks ago! Have you?

Deborah, I lucked out and got a Stephen Rulo from Wisconsin Roses this November. It's a budded maiden, and is about ready to have its head chopped off. (You chop off the main plant of a budded maiden so the graft below will grow). Very excited for it. I'm not quite over adding to my russet colllection :-D

Thanks, Krystal. Nope, still pruning!

Susan -- I have no idea what you are talking about!!!!

I’m pretty sure I saw Stephen Rulo at Otto and Sons last summer, unless I dreamed it. If you’re not quite past your obsession, Deborah, it might be worth giving them a call!

A couple of comments. I tried twice with an own-root Distant Drums and both didn't thrive. Budding seems like a good idea. Also, looks to me like the huge bare root in the photo was from their mature stock. I got a similar-sized Safrano years ago when EuroDesert Roses was scaling back. It grew fantastically!

Photos could help Deborah, Susan. Sounds exciting.

Deborah, since it's dark outside now, here's a link to Wisconsin Rose's info about budded maidens. There are several pictures that will hopefully give you an idea. (Click on each pic to enlarge)

http://www.wiroses.com/maiden_explanation.html

I've done this several times in the past. I'll try to remember to take some pics tomorrow, of my new ones and my old ones :-D

@susan9santabarbara - Ah....I see!!! That seems rather exciting. Can't wait to see your progress! And now that I've learned something new, I can call it a day! :-)

@Deborah (Z10 Coastal CA) The first time I did this back in 2003 with roses from Carlton's, it was so scary. It was like, wait, what, you want me to chop off the entire top of the plant??? But it always works :-D

@Deborah (Z10 Coastal CA) Here is a pic of my Stephen Rulo before he gets the top chopped off. Look down to see the small shoot that's emerging... that's Stephen. The rest is the multiflora understock, which will be cut off right above the shoot

Here is Oksana, a budded maiden I received a year ago. Look down at the base, and you'll see an old cut-off stem, which was the understock I cut off.

And here is one of the Westminster Pinks I sent budwood to Steve for, and received a year ago. It's pretty easy to see where the understock was cut off. I just trimmed this one a couple of days ago

Hope this helps you picture budded maidens! (as always, click on the pics to enlarge)

Well i just learned something new too! so interesting and i appreciate the photos to illustrate the concept!

@KrystalW 9a That Evelyn is huge! I bought a few from her spring sale, was the Evelyn an invitation sale?

Thank you, Susan! The first demo pic you sent explained it well, but now I really have a much better idea after seeing yours. I was on an own-root kick last two years...and now I have to be patient and let those babies grow. Anyone know how I can rush them along??

@Nick 10bSW17 no, she would post on instagram whenever they were planning to

add more evelyn stock to the website. i missed out every single time, except for that time i got lucky and grabbed one!