LOL, I just posted for help too. I haven't grown roses in several years, sold one house, was living in an apartment before I just got another house last year.

I'll be interested to see where your thread heads also!

Congrats on the home!

I was just thinking of you when I saw a Rouge Royale thread. Do you know how many RRs your pictures sold?

What you're both going to find different is the loss of many rose sellers. Uncertainty also rules with the major producers (J&P bankruptcy after being bought by the folks who also bought Park Wayside) and J&P caused major damage to Weeks.

There has been such a drop in rose sales overall that the formerly well funded Garden Rose Society (members must sell over 100,000 plants a year) no longer has the AARS roses of the year competition and awards.

The Canadian suppliers on multiflora Rootstock are still active. Pickering under its usual name and Hortico as well. Palatine is the new seller up there who exports (a lot of big interesing roses hybridized in Europe) and they took over an operation (whose name escapes me now).

Austin sells their own roses grown in Arizona from a HQ in east Texas.

Knockout Roses rule the land, but you've probably already noticed them.

What do you want your rose garden to do for you both?

Ann

Witherspoon is still a big reseller over in North Carolina. Roses Unlimited still has a huge selection, some really interesting hotter climate roses included. I'm not sure who's selling up in NJ. Diane will know.

I'm so glad to see you have joined us again Kristi. Ann is right you know. You sold me on Rouge Royale. I had seen it a local nursery a couple of times but kept passing it by. I just didn't have the room (or so I thought). Then that famous (infamous?) picture of yours and somehow I found room. It's still here, pumping out those gorgeous fragrant red blooms....On the rose update front, Edmunds has been sold out to Jungs with some people complaining during the transition, but from my experience it's still a pretty good place to order roses. Meilland roses still appeal to me, and Edmunds carries a small selection of them if you want them grafted on Dr. Huey (which I need in my alkaline soil)....Anyway, welcome back to both of you. I'm sure people will chime in with lots of suggestions if they know what you are looking for.........Maryl

What part Of GA are you in?? I moved up to the NE GA(north of 85) area 3 yrs ago, from SE FL and have been learning all about the weather. I found out Dr Huey rootstock does very well up here if you prep the soil and fortuniana rootstock does very well if you winter protect it the first year. That being said, Cool roses carries a few Austins. I have Septer'd'Isle and The Prince. Both come through the winters with no die back. The Prince isn't to wild about our GA summers. The blooms cook. Take a good look at the David Austin site. I got 12 roses from Edmunds last spring and all are doing great. Be prepared to spray as just about all the Austin roses will black spot. If you get on top of it in the spring everything stays healthy and beautiful. Have fun shopping and don't over extend yourself.

Kristi, how nice to see you back again. I hope your world is healing and becoming more joyful. My favorite new Austins are the beautiful deep purple red Munstead Wood (stays short in my garden and has been disease free for two seasons), Princess Alexandra of Kent (stunning fragrant multi-pink blooms - not quite as disease resistant as Munstead Wood) and Lady of Shallot (very disease resistant for me and looks like its going to be a tall one - sweet fruity fragrance and lovely apricot blooms with a yellow reverse). Welcome back - let us know what you pick.

Glad to see you back Kristi!

Ann, my recommended places are Palatine, Pickering, and if an experienced grower, Wisconsin Roses. Then Witherspoon. Roses Unlimited for own root. I haven't ordered from Chamblee's, but have only heard good things.

Hi Kristie, where in GA are you? I'm in Buford. As Ken says, Dr. Huey rootstock does very well here, but I also have a lot of own root roses. In addition to Austins, I really love Teas. They get nice and big and seem to be able to put up with the awful hot/dry summers we've been having.

What you should do this winter, along with choosing roses, is get your beds ready. If you have hard red clay, I would put a bunch of organic material down now and hopefully it will soften it up so you can plant next spring.

My Austin favorites are Bishop's Castle, Jubilee Celebration, Tamora, the Prince and Tradescant. I do spray all of my roses.

Welcome back, Kristie.
Olga

Okay, you guys. I just searched everywhere for this photo of Rouge Royale. Did anyone save it to their Clippings?
Renee

Hi Kristi! Which ten did you keep? Of my newer ones I like Julia Child, brilliant Pink Iceberg and Mardi Gras a lot! They're all very good bloomers and are fairly healthy in my very sporadically sprayed garden.

Frankly Scarlet and Black Cherry are the worst of the lot. They both grew backwards so I'm left now with one stick wonders that rarely bloom and will probably croak this winter.

Hi Seil, I love Frankly Scarlett! I wish it would grow taller, but it seems to be a smallish bush. I even like the way it's blooms turn neon when they age. I did want to get black cherry but never did. Maybe you could send me yours :)

I am so happy to see so many familar names! I have missed everyone, it just took a long time to heal and get my passions back...roses for one, and my lil skincare company for two.

The roses I have with me now are the following:

Several knockouts of each variety that I do not count...lol

Peter Mayle
Jubilee Celebration
Red Eden
Teasing Ga. (although it's not the monster I left)
Zepherine Drohin
Crown Princess Margarete (can't remember spelling)
Abe Darby
White Heritage
Radio Times

Unfortunately I lost my Rouge Royale, and I also lost my Blushing Pink Knockout that Jean sent to me as a tiny tiny ownroot when it was first released (or perhaps before) that grew into a gorgous HUGE plant...I tried to transplant it to the new house and it just has not come back. Heartbroken over those two.

I still have all of my photos and if I could remember how to post I would! lol It is great to hear that Roses Unlimited is still around ( loved the rose retreats there).

I will post more when I get the chance this week...I truly am so happy to be back. For those who asked I am in Marietta, Ga. suburbs of Atl. :)

Oh, and for those who remember my Maddi...she is in 8th grade now! Hard to believe?? lol

Now, to start looking at the suggestions...:)

Kristi

Kristi, I don't have any suggestions right now but I did want to welcome you back. I often have wondered about you - and about your beautiful little daughter Maddi. You'll have to refresh your photo posting skills so you can show us how she's grown! Best wishes on your new home and garden!
Anne

Welcome back Kristi. I too had a four year divorce. Not a great club to be part of.
Different climates enjoy different roses apparently. There is no rose stronger, healthier or produces more than Black Cherry. It has blooms non-stop, winter, summer, rain, dry. it is my very best. I too love Austins.Scepter'd Isle is great here. Mary Magdeline, Tamora, Blythe Spirit, Ambridge Rose and The Dark Lady are great. My only romantica is Traviata. It too blooms constantly year round. But the thrips love it.
Nancy

Welcome back!

It's all about location I guess, buford and Nancy. I have moved both of them out to the new street bed. I'm hoping that maybe they'll respond to the change in location. Won't know until next year now.

Welcome back!!

I'm loving a new Austin called The Wedgwood Rose. It's still too early to give a complete thumbs up, but so far she's disease-resistant, pretty and blooms frequently. I was surprised to see such a fast repeat on an English rose this year in my garden.

I also love a Kordes rose called Amaretto. In truth, she hasn't been as pretty as the Austins yet form-wise, but the variable colors are just gorgeous. Fast repeat, too. I moved her to too much heat and sun, I think, for the form not to blow too fast. I'm fixing that. She was better in a spot that gets a break from the sun.

Amaretto is available at RU, my favorite nursery that's still around. I love RU!

Interestingly enough, a new favorite of mine is a very new J&P rose that I knew nothing about. Heavenly Dawn. Gorgeous sherbet-peach colors, not too bright (I was going for pastels), and excellent fragrance, too. I'm so pleasantly surprised! She's supposed to get very tall, which was what I wanted, but I can't tell yet if she's going to take off, lol.