Mike, the advice to plant in 3's is still the advice given by DA in England. As to hotter climates, I don't know Long Beach, but here in France (Menton, which has an amazing microclimate) we're zone 10a and by the coast. I can't speak for all DA roses, of course, but so far those I've brought over from England - Lady of Shalott, Claire Austin, Crown Princess Margareta, Munstead Wood, LD Braithwaite, Lady Salisbury and a climber I bought from DA which is not, I think, an English rose proper - called High Flier, are all doing amazing well and flowering pretty much non-stop provided I give them enough water and a regular supply of rose food (our soil is really sandy). I've tried to choose the strongest growing, but it's only my personal experience, of course. My plan is next to bring over 'Fighting Temeraire', an unusual DA that I absolutely love and grows really strongly in Oxfordshire...
But perhaps it's not as humid here? Don't know.
I always buy container grown roses if I can, the bare root roses always seem to take longer to get going. And the roses I get are always grafted.
