I totally agree with Zuzu on Ketchup and Mustard. I have not had one bloom even approach that first bloom I had (the one in my avatar) and I've planted 3 plants of K & M. Two still live, but they are small and, as Zuzu said, RATTY. Honey Dijon, on the other hand, is a terrific rose! I love the odd color.
Crimson Skies is a rose that deserves more attention. It has bloomed like crazy all summer. The deep red holds up in heat, sun, and wind, and even with our freaky rains, it has not succumed to black spot like so many others.
About the rose shows....kinda late to the discussion here, but I have to say I've been to several, one at the national meeting, and they are fascinating. I overheated my camera again! After one show, I was invited to see the garden of one of the main competitors. It was certainly different from my garden! He had several plants of each rose, and kept a rigid feed and spray schedule. The hybrid teas were trained to have long stemmed blooms, unlike mine, where I am lucky to remember to prune once a year.
Several years ago, our local group hosted a district show, and I entered a single rose. Watching the growers groom the roses was a strange experience. In a sense, it reminded me of a dog show. They used hair dryers to open buds...just a little...and Q tips to space out the petals. Tiny little scissors cleaned up any discoloration. I was able to clerk for judges, so I listened to all the comments, and learned so much! I have the book Otherwise Normal People, and I think it's accurate! If any of you get a chance to go to a show, I highly recommend it, and suggest you volunteer to clerk or somehow be on the floor to hear how the blooms are judged. I trained as a judge for daylily and for iris, but rose is a different ball game.
