My mom lives in zone 5B (Northern Nevada). it gets hot in the summer, heavy frost and snow in the winter. She absolutely loves her 'campfires' and has two big ones right in front of the kitchen window. Hers might be some kind of a hybrid though, because they grow tall & less sparse that the average bush and were already planted when we moved into the house. Very very hardy, they come back every year and my mom literally does nothing but prune for 5 min in the spring and water lol. One spring, they were completely infested in aphids & lady bugs (we did nothing lol) and while most of the plants in the front yard died that year, these bad boys still bloomed continuously and then still grew stronger than ever the fallowing year. I've noticed the color and size in flowers can vary greatly, but all blooms are fragrant, long lasting and beautiful. not sure what kind of life expectancy the average Campfire has, but hers is deff 10+ years and counting. 10/10 - would recommend!!!

Campfire was only released commercially this year, so the only mature specimens will be in the trial and propagation beds. It's normal for an own-root rose to be a flimsy stick the first couple of years. I don't know the habit of the mature canes of Campfire but it's likely that if it's not grafted, it will be skinny and floppy for a couple of years at least. Emily Carr I can attest makes very robust, thick and upright canes. I bought her for my mom and she is a big, tall strong plant and repeats well.

If you have space away from the campfire, you can give each kid a glow stick. They can try to play catch with them or get in a group and toss them so they look kind of like fire works. It is fun, if you have the space. And the glow sticks can help in the tent if you want a night light when camping. You could get someone to lead the group in singing. If you are going to use one or more songbooks, you would probably want a small light for each. Story telling is good. I wouldn't go with ghost stories since just camping can be scarey to some. Funny stories are good as are stories that relate to constellations you might see if you look up. And be sure to bring a guide to the stars for people who want to do that.

All of my mail orders came in the last two weeks. It's been planting time. When I take my trip I like to start with Lowes in Dekalb. Then hit The Perennial Place in Naperville followed by Chalet Nursery. Now I can check an Ace Hardware as well. The goal is to return home with at least one plant that I have not grown before.