I don't know if one is better than the other, but I'll tell you my experience with my own-root RdV so far. I planted mine in April of 2013, one gallon own-root from Roses Unlimited. I am fairly new to old garden roses, so didn't know at all what to expect. I planted it, along with Mme Isaac Pereire, Zephirine Drouhin and two Rose de Rescht, all from Roses Unlimited. Rose de Rescht bloomed a lot in 2013, the other three just a little with Reine des Violettes blooming a little late in the season. This spring they all bloomed good, I think for just their second season. I've had just a few blooms from RdV since, so I'm not sure what to expect in the future. I think these roses mainly just take some patience. Is it even available grafted?

If other own-root roses do well for you, it should be fine. Because of our soils, we grow nearly all of our roses grafted, and it does very well that way as well.

Mine is grafted and 8 years old. It gets about 10 feet tall and wide and is normally cane hardy to the tips, except for last winter, and even then it was the only one I didn't have to prune to the ground. It ended up about 3 feet tall after spring pruning. It's grown back quite well and is now close to 8 feet high. In my short season I only get one bloom in the spring. I didn't get a very good one this spring because of the hard prune but usually it covers itself in gorgeous smelly blooms! It really resents hard pruning so do not plant it somewhere where you have to keep it in check or it will sulk. Give it lots of space to sprawl. IF I get anything after that it's just one or two blooms scattered on the plant in the fall. This year I haven't even gotten that. Last winter really played a number on all my roses!

This photo is from last year before I had to give it such a sever hair cut.

Keep in mind that RdV typically "rests" during the hot summer months. Once mature, it had a quite respectable Fall bloom.

Jeri

Seil - That is gorgeous!

Those two pictures are to die for. Against all reason I planted this rose (own-root) in my drought-stricken garden last fall and I give it a lot of credit for not curling up its toes and dying (it's 105 degrees today). It bloomed two or three blooms after I planted it and has continued to grow even during this seemingly endless summer. I'll be interested to see if it has the energy to bloom this winter.

Ingrid