Look at Madame Isaac Periere. Seriously. I'm dying.

Rachel, I do see your problem. These are gorgeous! How large are the pots?

If it were me I'd leave the blooms and buds on and leave the roses IN the pots. I'd place them where they receive only morning sun and enjoy the blooms. Planting them at this time of the year with your climate may not be the best way to go. I'd plant them in the winter when it's coolest so that they'll have a good head start on the next growing season. If these pots are quite small, you may have to plant them on to a larger pot at some time. I would definitely let the pots have only morning sun in the coolest spot you can find and make sure they're constantly watered. I don't live in your area so someone more local may have a better idea. Good luck!

Ingrid

I believe I would be getting them in the ground and shading them with a temporary sunscreen, if they are going to be in full sun. The hole should be wide and shallow but with drainage holes forked into the deeper soil levels, and amended with as much organic matter as possible - the traditional well-rotted manure comes to mind.
My main worry would be the powdery mildew on MIP (a seriously miffy rose at the best of time, at least in the UK - might be a winner in arid Texas). Whatever, mildew is often exacerbated by physiological conditions, especially dryness at the roots....and maintaining potted roses in a hot climate is not a cakewalk. Ingrid is on the nail when it comes to offering a bit of sun protection as scorch can be a problem with newly planted roses with recovering roots. Much depends on whether the roses have been bare rooted and only potted up recently (an invidious UK practice which occurs at this time of year) or whether the rose has been grown on in a container and will have a reasonable root system which will not be disturbed with careful planting.
I realise this is a bit confusing and probably even contradictory - in fact, until someone weighs in from your area with its specific problems and assets, you should probably ignore my advice.

I'm inclined to say, plant them. It's harder to keep plants in pots watered through a long, hot summer than those that are in the ground...always assuming the planted roses will be within easy reach of a hose, and not placed in a particularly hot and dry spot. As Campanula said, dig very good holes.
BEAUTIFUL roses, by the way. Congratulations!

Let them bloom! MIP may never look that beautiful again! And cut those blooms for the house. I'm not sure about Gruss but MIP is supposed to bloom in flushes. Don't take too long of a stem and then disbud when they start forming buds again.
I'm nowhere near as experienced as folks here, but it would seem to me she's already done a large bit of work getting to that bud stage. No point in ruining them.
Next flush pinch off the buds as soon as they begin to form. That will conserve more energy. I also thought disbudding was for much smaller plants?
But hey, that's just what I would do. Don't know if it's "right" or not.
Welcome to rose addiction! As a newbie also, I have tried not to focus on what is "right" but rather what is "best" cause lots of folks have lots of ways of doing things and they are all the "best" for those folks.
Call ARE and ask them? I'm just saying...I can smell that Mme Isaac...yum!
Susan

I've just realized that my advice was based on planting bands of roses in the spring, which often suffered in the summer, but these look like large, lusty plants and that would certainly make a difference. Ample watering and a deep mulch should help them to get through the summer quite well. How I wish I lived in an area where I could choose old roses like this in person instead of having to order little bands through the mail!

Ingrid

Two of my absolute favorites and yours are beautiful specimens.

i would expect given the source of your purchase they are well rooted specimens and have had good care. It does not get as hot here for extensive periods but we also have some very hot days that are punishing to young roses. I would pot these beauties up a size and pamper them from now until fall and then set them free to become what they have the potential to become - Gruss makes a beautiful plant and is very free blooming in my garden and while Madame is a bit awkward in habit she more than makes up for being ungainly by having the most beautiful, fragrant - with a capital F blooms. I have her hanging over the fence where her long arms are somewhat supported.

I think that whatever you decide careful attention to their water needs is the most important key. The thing about a pot is that you have more control over the environment as the summer progresses and in a larger pot the roots will continue to develop until you plant out in the fall leading to a much sturdier rose for next summer's demands. Congratulations on your lovely new roses.

If it were me, I would plant them as soon as possible. Just try not to disturb the root ball, and make sure they are watered very well.

I don't see that anything is really served by removing them.

But DO NOT FEED THESE newly-planted roses. I really did once kill a rose just that way -- planted from a 5-G in late spring, and feed less than a month later, it turned up its toes and died. It was a very pricey plant, and DH has never forgotten the incident. Of course.

Jeri

so much wonderful advice! Thank you all for weighing in. These are 2 gallon pots, own root roses. they are quite large, and VERY healthy, it seems. Lots of new growth on them, and of course, tons and tons of buds! I ordered 5 own-root, 2 gallon roses from ARE in late February, and these two are almost twice the size of the ones I received then. (obviously, the early 5 had been cut back for shipping--but they are all doing wonderfully!) Okay, so this is the plan I'm devising....somebody set me straight if I'm waaayyy off!

I'm going to get them in the ground in about 4 days...that's the soonest it can happen. with 4 rambunctious YOUNG kids, I'm afraid to pot them up and keep them on the porch...something terrible could happen!

anyway, I'm planning to go ahead and plant them in a few days. I always plant and amend soil with composted manure and leaf mold....lots of great natural potting soil from the forest behind our house! and then a 2" thick mulch bed. I am fanatical about watering, since I literally only have these 7 babies I'm caring for right now. (Well, that and my 4 human babies, but they are loving helping me with my "rose babies.") They are going in full sun locations, but I can also rig up some late afternoon shade if they seem to start scorching later as it gets hotter.

As for those luscious blooms--thanks so much Susan for giving me permission to let them bloom! I was going to cry my eyeballs out if I had to snip Mme Isaac's gorgeous and prolific buds off! I will take your advice, though, and cut these blooms off for the house when they begin to open, and then I'll pinch off the next round of buds to encourage root growth.

Jeri, great advice on not feeding! I've heard that before. I actually am not planning to do any fertilizing at all, but I am looking into beginning to use compost tea--Mike Shoup talked extensively about it at the talk. Anyone have experience using this or making it? Is it the "same" as fertilizing, as in I should wait? He indicated that you could spray compost tea as often as you felt like making it.

Thank you all so much for your help. It's such a relief to know that there is a place to go to ask these questions!

Rachel

I say plant and shade if necessary. And I never cut the blooms or buds off. Sometimes they get a little wilty to start but if you keep them well watered they usually perk back up quickly. You got two beautiful roses and plants, congrats!

Call Mike. He and his staff are the best ones to tell you what to do. I have always found them to be very well informed.

I have 7 of his here waiting to go into the ground, but our weather is just now right for planting, and we had a heavy rain this morning.

I don't know that I would cut them, but I think I might be tempted to plant them, and pile up the soil so that it would take about 2 weeks of watering before it is down where you want it. Soil or mulch could shelter it, and keep it from shock --- maybe.

Sammy

Rachel, I'm going to go one better and say that if they are doing this well in a 2G pot then disbudding them wouldn't be necessary. Like Ingrid said, with bands and tiny roses it is good to disbud to build roots (according to some). I just read the planting instructions that came with my Vintage bands. They suggested disbudding a band for 6 months.
The noisettes I received in the fall started developing blooms on their little stick bodies and I pinched those off.
It's very rainy here and I'm going to take out of their pots some of the band I received in the fall and check out their roots.
Scanniello's "A Year of Roses" is the best beginner resource I have found (And I've purchased quite a few books). I cannot tell you how many times I've opened it and quickly researched a topic. I've probably read it cover to cover 10 times. It's a monthly guide and a great reference. I found mine used on Amazon. I agree with everyone about watering. I was a bit intimidated by fertilizing but I faithfully watered my roses and they did just fine.
Your roses are gorgeous. Now I want Gruss!
Susan

Plant them. Easier to keep them alive in the ground than in a pot! I just bought four there and they are in the ground. Mulched. And will do fine. It's early April so don't worry. Mulch. Water. No fertilizer now. Keep an eye on them if you want, but don't fret! And let them bloom! Enjoy and don't stress!! ;)

I know already redundant since you've made up your mind and have gotten all the best advice, but yes, PLANT! My heat probably compares to you, but I'm really dry (not humid), so don't know how that compares. I have planted all times of year, including in the middle of summer, and the hotter it is outside the more they pout, but they all recover given plenty of water (don't drown them, but you don't want them to dry out at all). I have never disbudded anything except gopher eaten replants where they've had no rootbase to support their canes and buds - so those I've chopped down. Quadroopling on the no fertilizer. And afternoon shade (with position or cloth) if possible. The afternoon shade isn't a game stopper, but in short term might be the difference of really enjoying those first blooms or not. If some or most of the buds sag for a while don't fret. She may or may not go into replant shock, and if so, that's normal.

And PLEASE post a picture of MIP when she's in bloom. I bought her as a band in February, and it's a while before I get any blooms so I'd love to live vicariously through yours!

Plant them! I've purchased from ARE later in the spring than this and took the plants home and plopped them in the ground. I get that fun Texas summer heat, too. Do snuggle them in with a generous amount of mulch. Water deeply and often ALL summer and fall.

And don't you dare remove those blooms. These are large, healthy plants. They can take it.

ENJOY!

I vote plant, mulch and water well. Shade cloth when you need it. Enjoy your roses. My MIP repeats when it cools off so if yours does not bloom in summer on a smaller plant, you are doing nothing wrong. I would just snap off old flowers by hand and not use any pruners for a while.

Yes, go ahead and plant them. I've never had any problem with anything I got from ARE, no matter when I planted it. I was planting roses last summer in the heat, and none of them have had any problems. I planted about 6 or 8 roses during the heat of the summer and all are totally fine.

You don't need to worry about shading them, it isn't hot yet, and they can take it anyway. And don't remove the blooms, enjoy them. I heard Michael Schoup last month here in Houston at Buchanan's, and got one that he'd brought with him (Archduke Charles) and put it in the ground, and it has had several blooms since then. Not to worry.

I don't remove any buds on newly planted roses; I deadhead after blooming.

I just love Mme Isaac Pereire, one of my best roses for fragrance. Gruss is a winner as well.

You all are so wonderful! I can't tell you how many times I come back and re-read these replies when I have questions. Thanks for welcoming a new person with encouragement!

Mme Isaac opened her first bloom today, and in a couple of days she's going to be covered! I can't wait!!

I lived in Dallas for many years and grew roses there. I always planted the five gallons at this time of year and then shaded them with an umbrella or whatever for about a week. I had clay soil so I didn't water every day. Now I live in a hot climate in California and I do the same here and water every day for a week. Those are going to be beauties. Mary

PLANT & MULCH. And enjoy those great blooms. ARE's plants aren't little baby bands that need nursing up to mature blooming size--they are ready to go--let them!

And I hope you'll please post how fragrant Gruss an Aachen's blooms are. I had a Chamblee's plant that was lovely but not particularly fragrant, but Vintage used to list their clone as very fragrant. I'd love to know how the plant from ARE smells. Enjoy those pretty flowers.

Late jumping in here, Rachel, but you've gotten all your great advise. Once again I'm so impressed with this forum and with the depth of appreciation shown by another newbie. I am so thrilled that you are excited with your roses and loving them with all your heart and so intent on doing it right. I love new rosarians who go for it hook, line and sinker!

Personally, I would plant, mulch and keep them watered. Contrary to what everyone said, I always but compost, alfalfa pellets and milorganite in the bottom of the hole. I've never lost a rose that way. Maybe my sand is more forgiving.

I've had Gruss - beautiful fragrance and flowers but in my garden she lacked leaves so I was sad to give her away after 4 years. MIP is out of my league and zone, I'm afraid. I'm jealous.

Keep posting pics. They're required. I love your plants!!

Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation...

Sherry called me a rosarian....*blush* I don't know that I qualify for the term yet--but maybe someday!

I do believe I am hooked!

Jeri, what did you feed that baby with that killed it?