I noticed Certified started doing direct sales this past spring, I think it’s a great development. While HD and Lowes carry their roses, many of their most popular varieties (Moonlight in Paris, Lavender Crush, Peach Swirl) are quite hit and miss in stock at local stores. I hope this is a successful venture for them. Of course, if you live in Texas , their roses are widely available and they have an amazing trailer sale in Tyler during late summer.

Thanks! It's always good news when another source becomes available. It's too bad they don't have old roses, but Earth Angel looks tempting with it's very round, old-fashioned look. The Painter's Series is nice, too.

News about nurseries opening or closing makes me think of the good old days when there were multiple sources for even the less well known roses. Nowadays I add my name to waitlists and wait, wait, wait for something to become available again.

I got two certified roses frm H Depot online a few yrs ago that were supposed to be Lavender Crush and when they bloomed one was garish orange and the other hot pink...Hopefully the labeling is better straight from the source.

@sultry_jasmine_nights (Florida-9a-ish) nice thought, except the source labeled the roses you received from Home Despot. They are dug from the fields, trimmed, sorted, stored then pulled, labeled and shipped to whomever, whether it's an account or direct sale. The same entity puts the labels on for everyone. HD simply put them on the shelf.

HD simply put them on the shelf.

In addition warehouse store plant departments have a latter day history of renting out at least a percentage of their shelf space. For instance I went into a Lowe's one day a few years back and there were workers stocking the garden center that were wearing vests that said VENDOR instead of LOWE'S. And I'm pretty sure I have seen supplier employees working plant shelves inside an HD garden center also.

I hate to be "that guy" - but I have to wonder about the percentage of roses coming from Certified that are going to be infected with Mosaic virus.

The facts are what they are - providing informed insights should not = being "that guy".

It’s certainly not being pessimistic; in my case it’s a fact. I received Peach Swirl from a vendor with a Certified tag still on it. It’s certainly virused; the striping on it is pretty pronounced in spring. Funnily enough the vendor sent two by mistake and the other is also probably virused but doesn’t show the same patterns.

IMHO $35 for a bare root is a bit expensive but I hope they do well.

IMHO, $35 for a bare-root is eye-watering! . I had no idea roses were so spendy in the US. Less than half that here in the UK...direct from the nurseries. A bit more from garden centres and rather less from box stores. I am reeling a bit from the rise in costs across the board (mostly because of energy issues), but blimey, nothing to compare with those sort of prices.

We have a wonderful rose selling nursery here in Boise. Last year's prices were about $30 for a non Austin five gallon plant, and about $5 more for an Austin. That's five gallon plant folks, and already starting to bloom when I pick it up in May from the special greenhouse where it has been waiting for me, since purchase earlier. I'm sure the prices will be somewhat higher this year. I will know in January when this nursery's rose list comes on line. Diane

Geez Diane, you're so lucky to live near that nursery. Our local nursery sells Austin's for around $50.

I could’t find what they are using for rootstock. Is it safe to assume it is the Dr.?

Probably, but I've emailed a friend whose roses are being marketed by them to ask. I'll let you know what he responds.

When I visited their Tyler headquarters they said Dr Huey was the rootstock

Word is they are supposedly pushing to produce all own-root going forward in the long term, but have also investigated Fortuniana and have contracted out to other concerns to do some tissue culture. He stated " I'm guessing it still depends on the product."

@roseseek

Wow Thank you! That’s actually very exciting news. After a few years of planting a lot of Dr. Huey I feel like it isn’t doing great in my acidic clay while my own roots are doing great. I have tried ordering some Fort grafted plants from K&M before but haven’t managed. I will keep an eye on their product would love to purchase from them in the future if they offer something besides Dr. Huey.