This is a mini that I've wanted for awhile but the original nursery that sold it seems to have closed several years ago. Recently I found 'Rachel' at For the Love of Roses. When I called and asked, they told me that they had a handful, not enough to advertise, but healthy and ready for shipping so they graciously agreed to sell me one. It arrived here a little over 2 wks. ago, healthy with lots of new growth, its rootball wrapped in plastic. I immediately potted it up in a pot a little bigger than the rootball and sat it in a spot where it gets only very early and very late sun with dappled shade the rest of the day. Roses usually settle in well here and get over the shock of being shipped.

This is a busy time for me so I checked it once a day or so and watered as needed. Yesterday I noticed that the rose had grown quite a bit, its tallest cane a little less than 18". I found a larger pot and moved it up. This AM you'd never guess that I had just repotted it.

Has anyone grown this rose?

1. How will this rose handle our climate? Our winters are usually moderately cold, not much snow but occasional ice storms, summers long, hot and humid. Summer droughts aren't unusual.

2. When should I plant it in the ground? The directions advise keeping it in a pot for the first year. I would like to give this rose enough time to settle in and develop a healthy root system before winter, since plants in the ground usually do better for me than plants in pots, even when they are in a protected spot and mulched well.

3. How big will it get? I realize that this can vary, depending on climate, soil, water and etc. Will it fit in better with other minis or will it do better between floribundas and polyanthas?

It looks so healthy right now, I hope it will do well here.