You will love this company, Hutchae. The plants are about the size of Heirloom and among the largest of any company selling own root roses mailorder.

They do extremely well.

AND keep in mind that ARE is wonderful to deal with.

Wonderful nursery. Great people.

I agree with all the above. Mine have all done extremely will and Ive ordered at least 50 roses from them over the years. Go for it!

Largest I normally get, love the ARE.

I received a very small Abe Darby from ARE. Diane

Large, healthy plants

I've only ever had large, very nice and healthy plants from ARE.

I believe you'll find their value superior to that of Heirloom Roses.

Steven

Diane, poor Twig Darby is going to get a complex. I think people talked about me that way when I was a child.

I thought the "McClinton Tea" I ordered from ARE last summer was over-potted and that a gallon-sized pot for the plant I received would have been more appropriate. Because its root-ball didn't fill the 2-gallon pot, about half the dirt was out of the pot and some roots exposed when it arrived and it did seem to set the plant back a bit -- slower to get going than bands of other teas and such I got last summer. In general, I think bands ship better, though certainly some gallon-sized roses have managed to get here fine, too.

Thanks for everyone's input, it helps a lot.

Well, Twig is now just Abe Darby, Sheila. He's small, but his blooms are beautiful, so he has partially redeemed himself. Oh, no, I'm guessing you were small for your age, but look now at all the accomplishments you have achieved in your life. Well, at least a guy didn't write in your junior high annual that you were the tallest "goil" he knew. That happened to me, and the guy who wrote it was one shortest guys in our class. Those were the good old days, and I do not want to repeat them. Diane

Abe "the twig" Darby--you have nothing to be ashamed of.

Yes, Diane, your nemesis probably thought he was being really clever. I had someone pick me up and carry me around. We would have been great friends.

Sheila, yes, we would. And I can really sympathize with you about being carried by that idiot. My granddaughter, Clare, a small person with big brains, had the very same thing happen to her several times, and I witnessed it once when I came to pick her up at school. Clare didn't like it one bit, and I doubt you did. My problem was runty boys in junior high--ha. Diane

Here is my rose felicia i just recently got from ARe . i think its an excellent value ! bigger than heirlooms and well rooted. i also recieved their fragrant blush rose but its already planted . id love to try the new climber they released as well

Ooh, I saw their new climber too! Definitely one I’m going to get if they ever offer free shipping again!

I second everyone’s sentiments. ARE is wonderful to deal with. I’ve been buying roses from them for close to 20 years. Their plants are big, healthy and do very well.

Now i have a few roses in my cart.  Curious, which one is the new release?

“Heavenly ascent ”but sadly it sold out already !! yay for those who got it but boo bc i wanted to order it too

@Diane Brakefield - twig Darby grew up! From ugly duckling to swan.

I am hoping some of my bands follow your Abe's lead Diane...they have been just SITTING for 6 months.

Hutchae84 Zone 8b/PNW My only order from Heirloom was in Dec, because they are the same zone as me, until I found they were heated greenhouse grown, so I had to be super careful to acclimatize them when they came. Maybe it is because they are double the price that I expect double the performance and easy care.

Thanks, Nose, but Abe still needs to grow more to support those heavy blooms. And it took him several years to get to his current less than three foot height. That's a runt in my garden. I don't have to grow just monsters, but I like a rose to be at least 3-4 feet. Tamora is the perfect size for a small rose, I think. If I remember, your Abe is just perfection in size and growth habit. I'd love to see another photo of your Abe again.

Ann, my Abe was a two gallon plant to start with, not a band. I think this rose needs to be grafted to grow at a good rate. What do you others think that grow Abe? Diane

Diane, you have the best looking runt I’ve ever seen. Makes me want to get Abe. I’ve avoided it because I heard it was a black spot magnet but maybe it is worth it anyway? 🤔

I also avoided Abe because of black spot rumors but it has done surprisingly well. It’s only been a year but I am very happy with both vigor and health

Mine is good here too. I have an own root Abe from Heirloom and he grew well here without concern. SdlM is smallish here and Purple Lodge is smaller than I expected. Go figure.

Abe looks like the perfect rose in your photos @noseometer...(7A, SZ10, Albuquerque)

Thanks for sharing with us all that you give him!

Nose, thank you for posting the luscious pics. I feed Abe the same as all my other roses. The compost I use has chicken manure in it. I'm just going to be patient-ha-and continue the regimen. Your Abe seems to have very strong canes to support all those heavy blooms. And so many blooms, too. Prince Abe. Diane

Noseometer, no wonder your Abe is so gorgeous. His nutritional regime is to die for.

Thanks all! He might look great in the photos, but he's a fussy little devil.

Diane, I was looking at some of my photos of baby Abe and the stems were rather spindly on them also. I can't remember if these are two or three year-old plants. I've given them away because they were not happy in pots. Or rather I thought they were not happy in pots, but the problem was me. I didn't water them enough in the hot summer and then the water just ran down the sides between pot and rootball. Then when I soaked them enough, I soaked them too much. Growing in pots is tricky here.

Nose, they look wonderful for young plants, and the blooms are as good as any age plant could produce. So you gave both of the above away? Lucky recipients. I just need to be more patient, or give Abe away, I guess. My gardening friend, Elaine, a consummate gardener with a big garden, doesn't do anything special to her Abe and he's huge. But I'm sure he's grafted. He's probably at least 10 years old, too. Diane

Elaine's Evelyn--oops

Here's her Abe

Jeez! I hope that's more than one rose. Astounding!😀

Vapor, That's one rose of each type. Diane

This is her Eden, which I've posted before.

Im trying to feel inspired, but that is a very high bar! I better get to work this Spring.

I keep hoping my Abe will get that big. Every year I say ”this is the year” but it hasn’t happened yet. maybe this year…

And old Abe likes banana peels and mango peels and what won't that hungry rose eat?

Mine gets old camellia blossoms and mulched leaves, manure and whatever is handy. If I don't water enough he gets upset. Oh but it's worth it to get those wonderblossoms.