I can only tell you it looked very impressive at my local nursery last spring, I really liked the black red color. I think you should get it and tell us how it does for you, please include pictures. I am a terrible enabler ;-)

You must be talking about HEB, I wish we had HEB rose supermarkets here. We only have its stuck-up sister, Central Market , which only carries cut flowers .

Now, Ben, obviously I had already *considered* that option. ;-) You are no help. (You spoil your roses enough, I have *no* doubt it would perform superbly for you, however!)

Yes, it was HEB. I love that store -- at least the well-managed ones. (There are some that I don't much care for.) I had no idea they didn't have any in the DFW area. (What's up with that?) I would think it might almost be worth the road trip to the 'burbs just for the $8 and $10 bare-root roses.

Maurice Utrillo was also available bare root at mine. (I tried it last year and it grew backwards, unlike Alfred Sisley -- also an HEB acquisition -- which seems to be a stronger plant based on my *very* limited experience.)

It might have been me who gave Shirley's Bouquet high praise. I found mine for $10 at a flea market last summer. The blooms are clear pure white and last a long time on the bush. I think it must be pretty disease resistant as I had alot of family responsibilities last year and my rose schedule didnt exist - dont recall seeing much blackspot on it. I have Dancing in the Dark - I potted it up and put it in a bit of afternoon shade - it did fine - it is a lovely bright clear red - I like it alot.

Yes, Alameda. It was you -- I just did a search to confirm. (And apparently Shirley wasn't just a beloved employee, she was the CEO or something.)

I actually don't think I *have* any white roses currently. I am rarely attracted to white-flowered shrubs -- they often just look to me like a box of Kleenex exploded over a bush, and they can look so untidy when the blooms start to fade. There are notable exceptions, of course, and in the twilight, they can really glow. And this one is allegedly fragrant... Hmmm...

(Mind you, they are marketing "Dancing in the Dark" as being fragrant at HEB, and HMF lists it as "none to mild".)

From what I recall of Shirley's blooms last year, I didnt see any brown looking kleenex blooms - that is what impressed me - they were pure white. I liked it so much [like you, not so much in love with white blooms] that I planted it in my brick raised bed next to my garden cottage. I have actually learned to love big white bushes. Every year when the bridal wreath [spirea] blooms, they cover the bushes in pure white, it is simply gorgeous and eye catching. This year I am going to start putting in more white roses in my large front yard - old gardens like cl. Lamarque, Penelope, Ducher, Marie Pavie, Iceberg, Sally Holmes. I have one big Sally on fenceline in front yard - it is the most eye catching rose that really stands out. I have come to appreciate white......and hope to get these old gardens growing and blooming. Give Shirley a try - I think you will like this one!

For folks in colder zones who are interested in this rose, I've grown it twice from Burlington own root and just planted it last spring grafted. I have planted it in my protected virtual zone 6 so it's at best marginally hardy in zone 6 with protection in my estimation. When it bloomed it was a good bit darker at times than the pictures above - somewhere between Oklahoma and Nigrette in color, with a relatively loose form. I don't find that it fades much in our heat (which can stay in the 90's and 100s for extended periods), but of course that isn't remotely comparable to Texas heat.

I like it enough to try it a third time for more money, so I consider it a keeper if it survives (Ok, that's a big IF, but zone 5 HT rose gardening is about hope...)

Cynthia

Dancing and Shirley 1-gal have been found in my local [mom&pop] gardening feed store, and I have been stricken dumb by both. They are very beautiful, and I'm going to be buying them both in the near future. :3

Joe, bet both those would look lovely together. My Shirley is planted next to Desmond Tutu and they look great together! I just bought another bare root Shirley, just potted - may use it next to purples, lavenders. The white is gorgeous - pure and clear, no hint of any other color.

I have three Dancing in the Dark. i bought two own root fron Burling and one budded. i live in a dry hot valley in NorCal with temperatures regularly reaching 100. It does crisp in high temps. I love this rose. it is a very dark red, with ruffly petals and has stayed quite compact after three years. It is healthy and blooms a lot.

@marymm2 It sounds great. Is there any difference between your ownroot and grafted DiD ? I just ordered one ownroot and would like to know how big it will be.

Feiy Lo, where did you order yours from ?

@Kristine LeGault 8a pnw I ordered mine from Heirloom with other 3 roses. They had a Black Friday sale for $20. I can't resist the price so......

Thank you!

Can anyone tell me what the bloom size is on Dancing in the Dark?

Can anyone tell me what the bloom size is on Dancing in the Dark?

Can anyone tell me what the bloom size is on Dancing in the Dark?

I have three bushes. it is a smaller flower. I would say more like a larger mini flora. I have had my three for about three years. The bush stays pretty small also. At first I saw it classified as a hybrid tea but now I mostly see it classified as a shrub. Blooms get a little bigger in the fall.

Would you say it's smaller than 3"? Thank you!

Yes mostly.

I appreciate your help.

If DitD is too small a bloom, maybe consider Forever Yours (Marlene). It looked super impressive at Lowes, dark red 4” blooms on an especially stout/healthy plant.

DitD is a Delbard, Forever Yours is an Tantau, both recently introduced by Certified. Marlene has some fragrance too, moderate spice (not rosy). I sort of regret I didn’t get one.

Oh, no Ben. I was talking myself down from ordering another rose! haha. Thank you for the suggestion. That is another stunner. I'll jot it down for follow up. Actually, I had Black Cherry as a runner up. Any thoughts on that one?

Gypsy Soul has nice big blooms and it is a dark red Kordes

That Gypsy Soul looks very similar. I went out and measured my blooms. I do have a couple three inch ones but mostly two. We are still in the 80's here but even in the cooler weather I don't see big blooms. I love the form. It's a ruffly fluffy rose, not high centered. It shades from very dark red to clear red. It does not turn orange or purple as it ages. The blossoms tend to fry in high heat.

Aww. Beautiful Kristine. Thanks. Another contender.

Mary, I love that crazy ruffled form in the Helpmefind pictures, along with the black edges of Dancing in the Dark. It's really a striking rose. "Compact, rounded bush" sounds attractive too.

One thing that I do notice though is that it really frizzles in high heat. It's 105 here today and those blossoms are completely fried. They do better in cooler parts of California. I appreciate mine in the spring and fall and ignore it in mid summer. It's pretty disease free but this is a dry climate anyway.

I have dancing in the dark from Home Depot it’s my favorite

Long vase life