Thanks! I'm in zone 5. I figured the new dawn would grow pretty quickly. It's already throwing out a pretty long cane. Guess I'll need to run down to the garden center for a trellis this weekend.

Hi Gardengal - I have all the roses you mention but William Baffin, and you've chosen some great roses for your zone, and reinforcing ones for a new rose addict. Welcome to the club! As for your climber questions, the roses themselves may take a year or two to get big, and as much as 4 years to grow into much blooming, but the issue becomes how to set up a trellis if the rose is already there without trampling it or skewering yourself. My New Dawn is going on 4 years old and still maybe 3' tall, but I'm expecting her to take off any time. William Baffin is likely to climb earlier, and he's pretty thorny as well. Don't rely on the plastic white cross-latched trellises for these by themselves, unless you have a pretty good solid wall to latch them to with air space behind the trellis. I have most of my climbers on metal in some form - the arches, the wide fan trellis with substantial bracing and against a building, or 6' metal fencing around my yard. Remember that you not only have to hold the rose up, but hold the metal and rose up against the winds that we get in zone 5.
Just a heads-up about Sunrise Sunset. The tag says 2-3' tall, and when I read it I thought "front of the border". Ha ha ha ha ha HA. Yes, it's only 2-3' tall but at least 10' wide. There was this little word "spreads" that I'd missed in the description. I'll post a picture in a thread as soon as it blooms in a week or so. It's quite the sight to behold. Fortunately, I put mine at the front of a border right in front of a metal arch, and it's now climbing higher in its second year than my 6 year old Illusion. It's a fantastic and easy care rose, but either give it room to spread widely or put it in front of your (very sturdy) trellis system and let it climb up the bottom while New Dawn/William Baffin stretches to the top. BTW, don't even consider trying to put both of those on the same trellis. Even in our zone, either one of those alone can eat a trellis for lunch once it's mature.

Cynthia

Oh wow, Sunrise Sunset can spread 10 feet?! Good thing I planted it by itself. Although, it is next to my front walkway, I'll have to keep her in check.

Thank goodness I only have the 'mannerly climbers' - Nehema, Climbing Crimson Glory, and Madame Isaac Pereire. I was thinking about New Dawn at one stage but I don't have the room for it.

Diane, what was wrong with your New Dawn and what do you prefer instead of it now?

Yes, some of those can get really big but probably not in a zone 5 garden. Because they'll take a lot more winter die back they'll be more manageable in size.

Hi FragranceN, I actually had several NDs which was way too much rose for me (gave two to an experienced gardening friend, and she decided they were too much for her, also). So I had one ND for several years, and it was too big, too out of control, and horribly "thorned". Along the way, I broke down and bought those expensive goatskin gauntlets just to deal with ND. You should see a couple of my jackets I still wear for pruning--more holes than jacket! Now I grow Colette and love her. I'll post new pics of this bloom machine soon. They haven't been downloaded yet. She is peaking now and you can hardly see the plant for the blooms. Colette is very cold hardy (Cynthia (nipstress) will attest to that), and takes our heat like a trooper (90s this weekend--not looking forward to this). Diane

Personally, I think after pruning/ training ND one needs to book in for a blood transfusion!. Mine is gone as well. Nanadoll, I admire you for your intestinal fortitude for having had more than 1.

It was stupidity, not guts--ha. Diane

Yep, I'll definitely back up Diane and sing the praises of Colette. She and Nahema share prime fence space and even in part shade conditions, they are cane hardy, prolific bloomers, and drop dead gorgeous. My Colette is just about to start blooming and I'll see if I can get a picture this weekend. Sympathies on the 90's - we're only just crawling our way out of the 60's and the wettest May we've ever had (and the 6th wettest month ever in recorded history). 80's are expected next week, and all those lovely rose buds should be popping soon.

Thanks for the cautionary tale about New Dawn. My own-root ND under an oak tree is healthy but still tiny after three years. The true test will come with my second and grafted New Dawn that I planted this year. No, I didn't choose that much bloodletting - it was a mistake sent from Brecks that they didn't want returned, so I threw it in a back corner where it can duke things out with Darlow's Enigma and a bunch of oakleaf hydrangeas. I only venture back there to do some tip pruning every year or so, but I'll remember the goatskin body suit (smile) when I do.

Cynthia

Colette is not available here but Nahema is indeed gorgeous and her scent is strong and lovely. Also nearly thornless!